Like Moths To A Flame

Advertising can be a highly sensory experience, and in developing a campaign for Harman Kardon to promote the launch of its Aura Studio 5 speaker, that’s exactly what the team at Havas London set out to produce. 

The new product offers a unique immersive dual light and sound experience, which marries high quality audio and premium design, giving the team both light and sound as a platform to ideate and create, while relaying the message that music should be seen, as well as heard. 

“The home has become increasingly important to consumers. It was a trend that started prior to COVID, but was clearly accelerated in the past five years,” explains John Livanos, senior VP of lifestyle marketing at Harman International (an independent subsidiary of Samsung Electronics). “Our target consumers see the home as a source of happiness. It’s where they can be themselves. And with so much that is happening in the world, the home is becoming increasingly important as a sanctuary, where people yearn for harmony and meaningful connection with their family. Anything that can create this connection in the home is well worth it for consumers.” 

Seeing the moment as an opportunity to expand its footprint, the launch of the Aura Studio 5 allows Harman to showcase its new product while targeting a distinct consumer base that seeks to improve the experience of their homes. This sees the brand refresh use these products as statement pieces while repositioning Harman Kardon as a premium brand in audience’s minds, resulting in the 60-second hero film ‘See/Hear’ and supporting multiplatform activity. 

The sensory feast is amplified under the direction of music video legend Dave Meyers, who has worked with artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry Perry and Britney Spears. 

A sensory feast

Working with Harman International since 2022, this was the first time the Havas team has developed anything for the Harman Kardon brand. The brief: to rebuild consumer awareness “in a premium way” that would ignite desire for the new product. 

“We knew we wanted something distinct from other premium audio brands to demonstrate to consumers that the interplay of sound, light, and design can create experiences of flow and harmony that go well beyond what great audio alone can do. Because Harman Kardon believes that music should be seen as well as heard,” outlines Livanos. 

The campaign was developed by creative directors Ben Brazier and Johnny Ruthven, with support from Havas London’s chairman and UK Group CCO, Mark Whelan. Whelan believes Harman Kardon is regarded by its owners as a true “pride and joy,” and the team set out to reflect that sentiment in the work.

“They wanted us to make a splash and position it as a piece of beautiful design, both for your eyes and your ears. And I think, because it has to convey being in your own world, so we could never rely on dialog. It really needed a simple idea behind it,” says Brazier. 

The anthemic film sees a woman (Emily) drawn to the light and sound of her Aura Studio 5 speaker, before she is transformed into a human moth and taking flight, dancing to the rhythm it emits. She is then joined by another ‘moth’ (Gabriel), the apartment glowing with vibrant colours as they fly around the device. Playing over is a specially produced track, ‘I Wanna Dance’ by Disciples of Drum which Brazier reveals was written when nothing suitable could be found.

The wings that appear on the two human moths were physical creations by local costume designer Wanda Kędzierzawska, with the film shot in Poland. 

"The super power of creative agencies is to think really conceptually, but you get a brief like this and you shouldn't really be too conceptual about it. You've got to leave those sensibilities at the door and think about it more, ‘How would you approach a music video?’ Or, ‘What's the rhythm to it?’ and, ‘How is the art direction?’ That is almost more important than having some kind of narrative or massive kind of concept,” explains Brazier. 

He also reveals that the challenge was to create a simple idea that would show the impact that both the sound and light from the speaker could have, while creating a piece of culture rather than an ad. 

“Don’t let the creative get in the way of the product,” Whelan chimes in. “If the thing looks amazing - show it looking amazing, and show what the reaction you might get for that.”

While the film didn’t aim to reflect a music video but it did aim to have the energy of one with the idea of working with director Dave Meyers seen as a long-shot that came off. His involvement added “a sense of raw energy” to the movement of the moths, says Whelan, that helped them move erratically, over the smooth flight of a butterfly. 

Ideas that stretch... and fly

Supporting activity for ‘See/Hear’ spans BVOD, connected TV, cinema, online, digital, out-of-home and social, with media planned by Arena Media. The eye-catching photography featuring the two protagonists running across the campaign was taken by Julia Fullerton-Batten. 

“When you've got a big idea like that, it can stretch places,” concludes Brazier who reveals that the wings will also act as the key motif across the digital campaign assets, having been subtly animated to catch the eye. “We've got this key image that then translates into various different places.”

Livanos described working with the Havas team on ‘See/Hear’ as “inspirational" having asked for a distinct campaign that would help the brand to breakthrough in the audio and home space. 

“Partnering with visionaries of film and photography, the collective team was able to create a cinematic work of art that matches perfectly with the Harman Kardon brand. Their dedication and passion throughout the whole process was electric and made for a very positive experience,” he adds. 

The campaign was initially released in France with further European territories set for 2026.