What does joy sound like? For Nutella, it’s a simple six-note melody layered with warmth, positivity—and the unexpected rhythm of hazelnuts. Tasked with creating the brand’s first global sonic identity, MassiveMusic Amsterdam blended playful sound design with universal emotion to bring Nutella’s values of togetherness and delight to life.
We spoke with Brian Barth, Head of Creative Direction, to find out how his team turned a beloved breakfast ritual into an unforgettable audio experience.
What was the brief for the rebrand?
Nutella wanted a sonic identity to boost memorability, reinforce their values of positivity and togetherness, and support "Enjoy Every Bit". Already a global brand, they needed a sound that felt iconic yet fresh, working across markets and touchpoints. The challenge was crafting something universally appealing while still feeling uniquely “Nutella.”
How did the initial pitch/brainstorming phase go?
After our initial market research, customer profiling and stakeholder interviews, we settled on a modern acoustic pop aesthetic. But we wanted to make sure it was unmistakably Nutella, so we experimented with hazelnuts in the studio and what they could musically do, adding a playful, brand-relevant texture. The result? A catchy six-note melody, layered harmonies, and warm instrumentation that felt joyful and instantly recognizable.
Describe the purpose of the brand and its target audience
Nutella is all about simple, everyday joy and bringing people together. Their audience spans families (parents and kids alike), millennials, and food lovers worldwide. The sound had to be warm, familiar, and universally appealing, evoking the comforting ritual of enjoying Nutella together.
What was your thinking behind the rebranding solution?
We focused on a sound that captures joy, positivity and togetherness, using an acoustic pop foundation, rich harmonies, and a six-note hook. Hazelnut percussion made the DNA Track playful and distinctive. This solution ensured broad appeal while staying authentic to Nutella’s identity as a feel-good, family-friendly brand.
Did you learn anything new during the project?
Definitely. The power of texture in sound branding was a major takeaway. Incorporating real hazelnuts and exploring their musical potential made the DNA Track truly unique. We also learned that simplicity is key, our most memorable elements were the ones that felt effortless yet emotionally impactful, like the key melody. We just couldn't stop from smiling when we heard it.
What was the biggest challenge? How did you overcome it?
Our biggest challenge was finding a sound that was both globally relevant and unmistakably “Nutella”. We solved it by focusing on universal emotions like warmth, happiness, and togetherness. Then captured them through inviting instrumentation, an easy-to-remember melody, and playful sound design.
What kit/tools/software were used to create it?
Without giving the recipe away, we used Pro Tools and Ableton, blending real and digital instruments. We also used a variety of microphones, from legendary Neumanns to DIY contact mics to capture the hazelnut textures and sounds, combining them into a playable digital instrument in Ableton
What details are you most proud of and why?
The hazelnut elements, both melodic and percussive, it’s musically flexible and adds an unmistakable Nutella touch. Also, the six-note melody is simple, memorable, and flexible across platforms, making it a lasting brand asset. It's always great when something gets stuck in your head and you're not mad about it.
What visual influences fuelled your solution?
Nutella’s strong red-and-white branding, playful and family-focused advertising, and their updated endframe animation inspired the timing of the Sonic Logo.
What do you hope it achieves for the brand?
We hope this sonic identity becomes as recognizable as Nutella’s visual branding. The goal is for people to hear those first few notes and instantly associate them with warmth, indulgence, and joy.
Beyond recognition, we designed this to be a long-term brand asset, something that can evolve with Nutella but always remain true to its essence. If, years from now, people hear the sonic logo and smile the way they do when they open a fresh jar of Nutella, we’ve done our job right.
How do you ensure consistency in brand messaging and visual identity across various channels and touchpoints?
The key is balancing flexibility with consistency. The six-note melody acts as a foundation, but we’ve already created several musical variations tailored to different contexts: short versions for digital, extended compositions for storytelling and adaptations for different regions.
We also developed brand sound guidelines to ensure consistency across Nutella’s global campaigns. These cover everything from instrumentation choices to tempo and mood, ensuring that any adaptation still feels unmistakably Nutella.
What role did consumer research or market analysis play in shaping the direction of the rebrand?
Consumer research played an important role in ensuring the new sonic identity resonated with Nutella’s audience. We explored how different demographics emotionally responded to sound, identifying the types of melodies and instrumentation that evoked warmth, togetherness, and joy, all core emotions associated with Nutella.
Through testing and sentiment analysis, we confirmed that acoustic elements felt more authentic and inviting than synthetic ones, reinforcing our decision to lean into an organic, pop-driven sound. Additionally, we tested various melodic structures to determine what was the most hummable and memorable. The six-note hook emerged as the strongest candidate, consistently scoring high in recall and positive association.
On a market level, we analyzed how other global brands approached sonic branding. This ensured that while Nutella’s sound felt fresh and unique, it still followed best practices for creating an effective and enduring sonic identity.
Can you discuss any innovative or unconventional approaches you took in developing the rebranding solution?
One of the most unconventional aspects of this project was using hazelnuts as a literal instrument. Rather than simply referencing Nutella’s key ingredient, we integrated it directly into the sound design, dropping them on surfaces, shaking them in rhythm, and layering their natural sounds into the percussive elements. This level of ingredient-driven sound branding is rarely seen in sonic identity projects and added an organic, recognisable authenticity to the DNA Track.
Were there any unexpected insights or discoveries about the brand that emerged during the rebranding process?
One surprising discovery was how deeply ritualistic enjoying Nutella is for many people. Whether it’s a childhood breakfast memory, a weekend treat, or a shared snack, Nutella is tied to personal and cultural traditions. This realization reinforced our commitment to making the sound feel warm, familiar, and universally joyful.
How did you ensure that the new brand identity resonated with the brand's existing audience while also attracting new ones?
Balancing nostalgia with modernity was key. We wanted to create something that felt instantly familiar to longtime Nutella lovers while also being fresh and contemporary for new audiences.
To achieve this, we anchored the composition in timeless acoustic elements like guitar, brass, and warm vocals, while incorporating a catchy, structured melody that felt current. The simplicity of the six-note hook made it easy for younger audiences to recognize and remember, while the overall warmth of the composition ensured it stayed true to Nutella’s heritage.
Additionally, we crafted different adaptations of the track for various platforms, ensuring it could live across various platforms without losing its core identity.
Can you share any behind-the-scenes anecdotes or memorable moments from the rebranding project?
A memorable (and somewhat surreal) moment from the project was when we were experimenting with hazelnuts as instruments in the studio. There we were in the booth with all the standard instruments (guitars, drums, a piano) and a few handfuls of hazelnuts in an empty Nutella jar. It was like starting from square one, how do we even start? It was a lot of fun seeing what kinds of sounds we could create and what we discovered in the studio.
Another memorable moment was when we first played the DNA Track for the client. Their immediate reaction was a smile, exactly the emotional response we had aimed for. Seeing that instant connection reassured us that we had captured the essence of Nutella in sound.
How do you ensure consistency in brand messaging and visual identity across various channels and touchpoints?
We developed comprehensive Sonic Branding Guidelines that outlines everything from the core melody to recommended instrumentation, tempo variations, and platform-specific adaptations. This ensures that whether the sound is used in a short-form social ad, a TV spot, or a branded retail experience, it always feels consistent and unmistakably Nutella.
What would you do differently if you could do it over again?
I’d be interested in developing an interactive sound experience, maybe an activation where people could remix or play with elements of Nutella’s sonic identity themselves. Given the playful nature of the track, it would be fun to see how audiences engage with it beyond passive listening.
Overall, though, I wouldn’t change much. The sound of Nutella captures exactly what we set out to achieve: a joyful, inviting, and instantly recognizable sonic signature that makes you smile.
Credit list for the work?
Brian Barth - Head of Creative Direction
Friso Hoekstra - Head of Production
Ralph Eijbergen - Senior Account Manager
Guido Blom - Senior Music Producer