Projects

Sprite Hot Seats

ISD Team

Abstract

Sprite Hot Seats is a multisensory audio-marketing activation that harnessed crossmodal science to make Sprite’s burn-balancing benefit physically perceptible. A scientifically engineered soundscape, developed with Grammy-winning composer Ross Garren, intensified spice perception and helped position Sprite is the ultimate companion to a spicy meal.

Description

When it comes to spicy food, Gen Z loves the burn. With 78% of Gen Z saying they like or love spicy food, Sprite was eager to position their brand as the ultimate companion to a spicy meal.

The solution? “Sprite Hot Seats,” a first-of-its-kind, audio-driven multisensory activation that increased the perceived spiciness of food and demonstrated Sprite’s unique “burn balancing” properties.

Ogilvy UK and Studio Resonate devised two controlled experiments to measure how Sprite, milk, and still/sparkling water eased oral burn. Not only did Sprite beat still/sparkling water and match milk in the first 10 seconds of consumption, but it also offered an added benefit: once the soothing effects of lemon-lime subsided, Sprite’s effervescent bubbles kept the thrill of spice alive. Sprite didn’t extinguish the spice. It let you ride the heatwave longer.

Next, we tested whether the effects of “sonic seasonings” could further enhance spice perception while enhancing Sprite’s benefits. Our second experiment proved that while a crossmodally congruent soundtrack could increase the perceived heat of a meal, adding Sprite to the mix created a contrast that amplified the beverages burn-balancing properties.

With evidence in hand, we partnered with Grammy-winning composer/producer Ross Garren to craft an original composition, scientifically calibrated to replicate the results. He used crossmodally congruent cues (rapid tempos, high pitches, staccato hits, dissonant harmonies, distorted textures, stochastic rhythms, and cultural spice references) to create a track designed to sonically amplify the arc of a spicy meal served with Sprite: Arousal, relief, and the thrill of repeat.

To complete the sensory onslaught, Bompas & Parr designed four custom “Hot Seats,” outfitted with our spicy composition, and adding additional sensory amplifiers: spiky textures, smoky chipotle aromas, and fiery colors.

The results? For two days at Slim Chickens in Central London, diners sat in Sprite’s Hot Seats while we hacked their senses, turning up the heat and giving them a first-hand experience of Sprite’s refreshing lemon-lime effervescence that balanced the burn without killing the thrill. Tickets to the event sold out in under an hour, coverage poured in from UK influencers and major publications, and Garren’s “spicy soundscape” debuted globally on SoundCloud.

With an earned reach of over 600 million and no paid media, it was multisensory marketing at its best: disruptive, bold, flavorful, and refreshing.