How do you build a sonic identity for a brand already rooted in sound?

first direct doesn’t have fancy buildings or long lines for customer service. As the UK's first ‘direct’ bank, all customer contact was all-phone, round the clock – making first direct, by definition, a true audio brand.

And then came the internet. When first direct moved online, the ‘voice’ of the brand – the call centre staff themselves – the bank had a most unique challenge on its hands:

How do we define the essence of our brand in sound – to help maintain the sonic presence of our team when the team isn’t there?

Our answer required full brand immersion and first-hand experience, listening in on real-world callers with real-world needs.

From this research – and from analyzing literally hours of recorded audio files – we devised a creative approach that mimics the conversational tone, security and assurance that customers associate with firstdirect: the true tone of voice. Listen below for a sample.