6 Years of DLMDD: “We Don’t Watch the Industry Evolve – We Drive the Change”
Today, DLMDD celebrates six transformative years in business. Its four founders, Max De Lucia (DL), Greg Moore (M) and Sascha Darroch-Davies (DD) and Jeremy Paterson, have been on a journey of reshaping the world of sonic branding, which traces its start to a shared vision – to elevate sound as a vital component of brand storytelling. Oh, and as Sascha tells us, they’re terrible at being bossed around, so it was a no-brainer.
Ever since then, DLMDD has redefined the creative edge of the field, transforming brand sound into a central strategy for global recognition. Built on three unmovable pillars – collaboration, authenticity, and unparalleled creativity – the agency has partnered with renowned clients like Amazon, Guinness, and Singapore Airlines, and has delivered iconic soundscapes each time.
Now, DLMDD is looking towards expanding in the US, exploring how sound can communicate with the subconscious, working more frequently with individual creators and influencers, and lots more. From crafting symphonies during a global pandemic to pioneering multi-sensory branding, DLMDD still rides its founders’ ambition from six years ago – a commitment to merge the magic of sound with human connection.
Today, Sascha, Greg and Max give LBB’s Zoe Antonov a glimpse into how DLMDD has fine-tuned the art of sonic branding, and set the stage for the next chapter of its success story.
LBB> Tell me about DLMDD's start and what pillars held up the company at the beginning.
Sascha> We started DLMDD because we saw that sound was becoming ever more important in a brand’s marketing mix. We also are all terrible at being bossed... On a personal note, I wanted to go on holiday more.
Our pillars are simple – collaboration, authenticity and making a lot of world-class noise together.
LBB> What were some of the key milestones for DLMDD in the past six years, and how have they shaped the agency’s identity?
Sascha> We didn’t set any specific milestones at the start. It was mostly about trying to give sonic branding a more appealing creative edge, as it was a dry field of expertise before we launched. I think we achieved that. Most adland creatives now see it as something they can explore and develop as opposed to something that will take up valuable time in their messaging and storytelling.
LBB> What challenges did you face in the early stages of the agency, and what lessons did you learn that helped you navigate those hurdles?
Sascha> Good recruitment is always a challenge, we’ve learned that people with the right outlook, energy, attitude and musical sensibility make much better team members than anything else we’ve tried.
LBB> How has your approach to sonic branding evolved over the past six years, and what trends have you noticed in the industry?
Sascha> We’ve definitely evolved our process to be more efficient and built products that are more flexible to clients’ individual needs.
Trends… every brand wants the bing-bong-bing at the end of their ad it seems. But few actually give it the time rigour and commitment it needs. After all, it’s a core brand asset not a campaign add-on!
LBB> Can you share a project or collaboration that you believe truly embodies DLMDD’s mission of "bridging the magic of sound with the science of human connection?" What made it special?
Greg> Every now and again the perfect brief hits our desks and this one arrived just as covid shut down planet Earth (well, a month before to be exact). Our brief was to translate the visual world of Singapore Airline – a vibrant visual design made up of flowers native to Singapore – into a new sound world for the brand. It's the kind of conceptual idea that really gets us excited and one that allows us to push creative possibilities and technical capabilities.
By collaborating with sonic architects and world class composers, we developed and built a unique digital instrument that was able to translate and extract colours and patterns into melodic fragments and motifs. We then took these music ideas into a symphonic universe resulting in a trilogy of symphonies that can be heard throughout the brand.
LBB> How have your relationships with clients like Amazon and Guinness influenced your work and the direction of the agency?
Sascha> I wouldn’t say our client relationships have particularly influenced the direction of the agency. The relationships are very strong and very valued. We have an efficient creative shorthand and honest dialogue with most of our longer standing clients but we own our identity and that beast is not for shaping in any way other than our way!
LBB> Winning awards like the Creative Moment Awards and Design Week Awards must be rewarding. How have these accolades impacted your team and your approach to future projects?
Sascha> Raise a quick glass, back to work! We don’t produce work with the specific intention of attracting the attention of awards juries.
LBB> As you celebrate this milestone, what are your aspirations for DLMDD in the next six years? Are there any new areas you’re excited to explore in sonic branding?
Sascha> To grow more, to open DLMDD USA. There are some very exciting things in the pipeline across multi-sensory activations, so watch this space! Personally, I’d like to explore how we speak to the subconscious with sound. How we reach people in developing media is also really important. Research tells us that content creators are focusing more on their sound than ever before (not just mindless TikTok singalongs) and so we’re primed to ride that wave next.
LBB> How have you fine-tuned the business over the years? Can you explain how you’ve adapted to overcome any commercial challenges?
Max> We’ve got better at the bird’s eye view – taking a step back, recognising what we’re good at as individuals and taking a reality check on what we’re really rather crap at. As a team of directors, we’ve moved away from the under-11s approach of everyone trying to kick the ball all the time. We’ve now levelled up to at least under-16s standard and realised there’s real value in passing, moving and creating space. Plus, we’ve got a rather fantastic team who own the work, lead our clients and are pushing DLMDD forward into its next six years.
LBB> A lot has changed in six years in the world and adland – what sticks out the most to you?
Max> Yes. Wow, six years. What a journey. Let me help cast your minds back… Luckily, we didn’t have a cup of tea in Salisbury on the day we were incorporated. Stephen Hawking, Dale Winton, and Avicii queued up at the gates up high together (hopefully they had a cup of tea together). Britain fell head over heels for Harry and Meghan. Saudi women got behind the wheel for the first time. Dancing Queen Theresa May couldn’t stop boogying – both in Africa and at her party conference. But the real global headline? The hottest new music and sound agency launched with a name everyone initially thought was stupid, but which has become the five most obvious letters anyone could ever put together.
LBB> How do you see the sector and your industry evolving in the next six?
Max> We don’t want to sit back and watch the industry evolve – we want to be the ones driving change. Right now, we’re investing like mad in the things we believe will reshape our space. On the topic of which, we’ve just put DLMDD Ventures out into the world, our very own version of ‘The Den’ with the mantra ‘Great people. Great ideas. Great castles’. If you’re sitting there with a great idea and need the backing and mentorship to turn it into reality, give us a call. As someone famous in business once said, ‘a good idea is a good idea...forever’.
LBB> What’s it like working together as a team of founders? Do you still have those ‘pinch me’ moments?
Greg> It’s electric. I love it, I love them all. Magic happens when the DL, M and DD come together and are told to rein it in by our fourth partner Jeremy Paterson. It’s a constant ‘pinch me’ moment building something this special; a magic team.
