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WETA Arts, the magazine-style arts and culture program, returns for its 10th season on the PBS member station with a new sound courtesy of Stephen Arnold Music.
The theme is the latest collaboration between WETA, PBS’s Washington D.C. flagship station, and Stephen Arnold Music.
Stephen Arnold Music noted that the new music package reflects the show’s take on DC’s diverse art scene.
“It’s a unique sound,” said Dylan Wilbur, creative director, WETA. “There’s a lovely calmness to it that perfectly complements the show’s new art deco visual look. I first listened to SAM’s demo while driving in my car. I hit play and instantly fell in love. I thought, wow, that’s beautiful.”
WETA Arts is also the first show to utilize WETA’s sonic branding. Created by Stephen Arnold Music last year, the classically inspired signature sound is designed to give WETA a unified, instantly recognizable audio identity across each of its sub-brands and all touch points, broadcast and digital.
It can be heard in different stylistic and mood treatments in promos, IDs, teasers and other marketing media for WETA PBS, WETA UK, WETA PBS Kids, WETA World, WETA Metro, and WETA Classical.
“The sonic branding evokes our values: trust, intelligence, quality and enrichment,” said Wilbur. “WETA is different from commercial broadcasters in that many of our viewers are also supporters. We wanted to convey the pride of ownership they feel for the station.”
WETA’s sonic branding is also integrated into “Signal in the Static,” a long form promo spot celebrating the station’s historic leadership in news, documentary and educational programming. Airing in prime time through the fall political season, the spot features clips from classic WETA programs over three decades, including PBS Newshour, Ken Burns documentaries and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
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WETA cuts through the ‘static’ to find the ‘signal’ in new campaign
“We’ve wanted to produce that spot for at least four years,” said Wilbur.
“WETA has a unique story to tell, a 60 year legacy of fantastic local and national programs. The spot tells that story in an emotionally powerful way. And people respond to it. It’s a great tool not only for reaching viewers on air, but also in our fundraising efforts.”
The spot’s underscore, led by strings and French horns, accompanies voiceover copy delivered by WETA’s longtime spokesperson Paul Anthony.
“What I love about the spot is how cohesive it is,” said Chad Cook, Stephen Arnold Music’s president and creative director. “The visuals, the voiceover and the music work together like a symphony in telling the WETA story. At the end, when Paul delivers the tagline, ‘We are W-E-T-A,” the six-note sonic signature suddenly appears as a light twinkle. It comes together perfectly. That’s something we’re very proud of.”
WETA’s sonic branding differs from mnemonics for consumer brands, which often consist of a simple musical phrase or sound effect.
Stephen Arnold Music notes it’s complex and lyrical, allowing it to be adapted to the station’s diverse outlets and programming.
“It’s very musical,” explained Cook. “It has depth and a multiple chord structure, a sequence of notes that can be used to create different harmonies. The original version is delivered by French horns and acoustic guitar. The WETA UK version is played on harpsicord. We’ve also done one featuring oboe, English horn, French horn and flute. Like a film score, the sonic branding is based on a motif that can be woven into pieces expressing vastly different moods and styles.”
According to The SoundOut Index, a leader in sonic brand testing, WETA ranks near the top among new sonic brands for recognition and attribution, scoring higher than such well-known brands as Singapore Airlines, State Farm and Kraft Mac & Cheese. It scored especially high among coveted Gen Z listeners.
“We’ve created a toolkit that can be renewed, adapted and updated for different purposes long into the future,” said Cook. “It can fill lots of niches to promote all the things that WETA does and will do. That’s the function of sonic branding. It provides a foundation to build on. And, the great ones live forever.”
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