adStream: SoundCloud self-promotion wins Cannes Lions award [AUDIO]

adStream is an ongoing journal of news and observations in streaming audio advertising.


Soundcloud, which is gradually introducing streaming audio advertising to its listening platform, won a Cannes Lions Grand Prix award at the International Festival of Creativity last week. The award was bestowed for a self-promotional piece, a  unique blend of advertisement and documentary.

Called The Berlin Wall of Sound, the audio piece is seven minutes and 32 seconds long, matching the time it takes sound to travel the length of the Berlin Wall (155 kilometers). It is a harrowing audio montage of speeches and sound effects representing the inhumanity of the Berlin Wall.

 

 

“It’s more of an audio museum than a spot,” said Cannes Lion jury chairman Paul Reardon.

The audio was skillfully mastered to produce an iconic SoundCloud waveform in the shape of a wall with turrets. The SoundCloud comment fields, which are placed along the waveform to match audio events, represent and memorialize victims who were killed at the wall.

Soundcloud is a Berlin-headquartered company. The Berlin Wall of Sound was created by ad agency Berlin Germany.

Brad Hill