Abstract

Wolt’s sonic brand, launched in 2025, grew from the app’s familiar notification sounds. The doorbell-like order completion sound became the audio logo, extended into a melody for the new tagline “Why don’t we just…?”. The result: a distinctive sonic brand where product sound design and brand communication reinforce one another.

Description

Wolt is a Finnish delivery company operating in 28 countries, acquired by DoorDash in 2022. At its heart a tech startup, it has grown into a significant international brand – one that until recently had no purposefully designed sonic identity.

What started in 2019 as a brief to design notification sounds for the consumer app has grown into one of the most comprehensive sonic branding engagements in Finnish tech. Over six years and ten projects Tuomas Ahva together with Pekka Pulli has shaped every layer of Wolt’s audio identity, from micro-sounds inside the app to music for international advertising campaigns.

The notification sounds were designed so users could follow their order status without looking at the screen. Each state in the order flow – confirmed, prepared, picked up, on the way, delivered – received its own sound, forming a coherent family. The final delivery sound, doorbell-like and immediately recognisable, became the cornerstone of everything that followed.

In 2025, Wolt launched its full sonic brand. That delivery sound became the audio logo. The same sounds that were used for notifications served as the basis for the audio logo. A melody was composed around it for the new marketing tagline, “Why don’t we just…?”, and music was created for multiple international advertising campaigns prominently featuring the new Wolt melodies.

The result is a sonic brand with deep roots: one where product sound design and brand communication reinforce one another across every touchpoint.

ISA Entrant: Tuomas Ahva