The Challenge
Launching a major new brand platform for the world’s fastest-growing airline, rooted in Abu Dhabi-born ambition and the belief that meaningful journeys begin when someone chooses to go further.
Platform scale
Beyond Borders needed music that could carry a global brand philosophy — not just underscore a film, but travel with the platform across every touchpoint and market.
Cultural authenticity
Capture genuine Emirati character in sound without resorting to cliché — music that felt rooted in Etihad’s home city while holding its own on a world stage.
Deployment breadth
A single brand theme built to work coherently across broadcast, social, digital, and experiential — giving Etihad a consistent sonic presence wherever the platform lives.
The Solution
An ownable brand theme for the Beyond Borders platform — built to travel with the campaign, not just accompany it.
The Approach
The foundation
Beyond Borders — the ambition that turned Abu Dhabi into a global hub, and the same belief that has carried Etihad to become the world’s fastest-growing airline in just over two decades.
Creative direction
Authentic Emirati musical flavour meeting premium international production. The music needed to feel genuinely rooted in Etihad’s identity and home — not generically Middle Eastern, and not indistinguishable from any other global airline. A sound that could only belong to this brand, from this place.
Distinctive elements
Authentic Emirati instrumentation — cultural grounding without cliché
Premium international production scale — befitting a global carrier
Modular structure — built to adapt across formats and contexts without losing its character
The System
Core Asset
Brand Theme
Full campaign music for the Beyond Borders platform
Modular structure with clean edit points across all lengths
Emirati musical character woven into an internationally scaled composition
Touchpoints
Brand film
Social content
Digital channels
Experiential activations
Campaign communications
How it Sounds
Clips are from public sources. We do not host or store these files
Beyond Borders Brand Film
Building Salience
The Beyond Borders brand theme gave Etihad an ownable sonic presence from platform launch — consistent across film, social, digital, and live experience. Authentic Emirati musical character gave the brand something no competitor could replicate: a sound genuinely rooted in place and identity rather than assembled for a campaign. Music built for the platform, not just the moment.
Disclaimer
Work shown was created during our founders' tenure at Resonance Sonic Branding, MassiveMusic and related companies. Trademarks and materials belong to their respective owners. No endorsement or ongoing relationship is implied.
Credits
Client: Etihad Airways
ECD: Özkan Kusay
Director: Patrick Fileti
Production Company: Hanzo Films
Client: Etihad Airways
Sonic Strategy: Ramesh Sathiah
Composer: Emma Greenhill
Sound Design: Abigail Sie
