ADVERTISING AND COMMUNICATION AT BEYERDYNAMIC — THE DEVELOPMENT AT A GLANCE
100 years of beyerdynamic are 100 eventful years. Not only has a lot happened in terms of our company history and product development, but our communication has also constantly adapted to the current zeitgeist. Today we would like to delve into the creative part of our history with you and show you how our advertising activities and our brand have changed over the years. Stay tuned!
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A nostalgic journey into historical adverts
Tradition, experience, precision and progress have characterised us as a company for 100 years and guide us in everything we do. These values have also played a major role in our adverts in recent decades. Even in the past, we used eye-catching designs to make new products tangible for customers and to communicate our values.
At that time, the question of who the communication or advertising is aimed at was the central starting point for everything else, as it still is today. Based on this, customised communication would be created, for example in the form of an advertisement for a print magazine. Today we are taking a look back at the beyerdynamic advertising world and taking a closer look at the various measures and stylistic devices from different decades:
As you can see from our previous anniversary stories, microphones were the centre of attention at beyerdynamic in the 1970s. Some adverts were aimed directly at end customers, others at specialist retailers in order to reach more distributors and dealers and ensure the long-term availability of our products.
At beyerdynamic, it wasn’t just the products such as the first dynamic DT 48 headphones or the first dynamic beyerdynamic microphone M 19 that were “dynamic” – the adverts were as well. In the 1970s, these became more progressive and, indeed, more dynamic than had previously been the norm in the audio industry. The following advert presents the entire product range in an eye-catching way and is aimed at specialist retailers. This is the decade in which the Beyer brand becomes the beyerdynamic brand it is today.
The wide range of the company is visually represented in the adverts and clearly shows how broadly positioned the company already was at the start of the 1970s under the leadership of Eugen Beyer. The beyerdynamic brand stands – as it did then – for tradition, experience, precision and progress. Using these corporate values in adverts conveys the core of the brand to the outside world and brings the company name to life.
At the time this advert was published, the long-established company was already able to look back on almost 50 years of experience – a considerable period of time. Precision is emphasised by the complexity of product manufacturing, which requires a high degree of accuracy. And it is clearly communicated that the company is looking ahead and that progress is essential in order to remain competitive.
Many adverts also made reference to current social events, such as the Summer Olympics in this case. This advert focuses on the best-selling M 260 ribbon microphone. It takes on “all the hurdles” in its industry, so it is equipped for all requirements and can be used in a variety of ways.
The motif of the next advert also refers to a current event. In 1974, the World Show Jumping Championships for men took place in Hickstead, UK. The primary aim of adverts has always been to catch the eye and be remembered for a long time. The rather unusual motif and the creative headline “Gut im Rennen” (In the Running) definitely attracted attention – mission accomplished.
The motif of the next advert also refers to a current event. In 1974, the World Show Jumping Championships for men took place in Hickstead, UK. The primary aim of adverts has always been to catch the eye and be remembered for a long time. The rather unusual motif and the creative headline “Gut im Rennen” (In the Running) definitely attracted attention – mission accomplished.
At the end of the 1970s, colourful advertisements were increasingly used, reflecting the strong colour trends of the time. In the next example, a product presentation model was used for the first time to make it easier for potential customers to enter the world of hi-fi. From now on, adverts like these were aimed at end customers. Nevertheless, care was still taken to convey beyerdynamic’s brand values of expertise, experience and tradition.
In the 80s, a great decade for music, endorsers were used for the first time. One of the best-known faces of the brand at the time was Phil Collins. Having professional musicians in advertisements emphasised the professionalism of the products, in line with the premise that, if an international celebrity like Phil Collins relies on a beyerdynamic microphone, you should too!
At that time, there were not many alternatives besides print adverts or billboards to advertise your own product in an eye-catching way. Nowadays, advertising is omnipresent in the online sector and plays an important role. But even today there are still print adverts from beyerdynamic to reach end customers. The focus here is on high-circulation trade or lifestyle magazines.
Adverts and banners that are displayed online on social media channels or Google, for example, must have shorter and more memorable text elements compared to classic print adverts. These adverts often have a smaller format and the time periods in which they can be seen are often shorter than with traditional print adverts.
Just by glancing at this online advertising banner for the XELENTO remote high-end in-ear headphones, you can see that the focus is on a particular feature of the product: the hand crafted work at the Heilbronn site.
Creatively, a genuine goldsmith was used to convey the filigree and handmade production of the headphones. When a goldsmith works on a piece of jewellery, precision work is required down to the smallest detail – as is the case with the production of the XELENTO in Heilbronn. The online advert skilfully refers to this similarity.
In August 2021, we launched the online ad campaign “Einmal mit PROfis arbeiten” (Working with PROs for once) to playfully position our studio headphones as the first choice in the professional studio sector. Here, the focus was specifically on the product being a professional tool in the studio. Clean, simple and to the point.
In 2022, we presented our PRO X series, consisting of professional studio headphones and microphones. Promotional activities for this product range were aimed at musicians, producers and creators. To emphasise the professionalism of the products, we also worked with well-known personalities from the field of application of the products – in this case with Dexter, an established music producer.
The advert has an impressively appealing and contemporary design, which harmoniously combines images and text elements. The product is shown prominently in professional use and again in a pure product image.
Visuals over the years
The visuals for our products do also always reflect the current spirit of times:
Our product packaging over the decades
The fact that we have grown and changed as a brand isn’t just reflected in the development of our adverts. Our product packaging is also a means of communication that has adapted to the spirit of the times, as can be clearly seen from the packaging of our PRO classic, the DT 770 PRO:
Initially, we opted for rather plain packaging in a black and white design. The illustration of a studio environment left no doubt that the DT 770 PRO are professional headphones positioned as a work tool. In the 2000s, we opted for more colourful and eye-catching packaging with selected images to convey emotions. A bolder font was chosen and more effort was put into the design. In the following decade, the packaging became somewhat more neutral and the focus was purely on a product image. The light-coloured packaging makes the dark product image stand out.
Today, the packaging design of the DT 770 PRO has a clean and modern look that emphasises the high quality of the beyerdynamic brand and the headphones. The product and packaging therefore focus on the essentials and show that our PRO headphones are professional work tools with a simple, elegant design. The fact that the product is only shown as a cut-out on the packaging also plays on the curiosity and interest of the potential customer.
For comparison, the packaging of the DT 770 hi-fi headphones from the 1980s is shown below. In contrast to the more subdued colours of the PRO model’s packaging, the focus here is on brighter colours that clearly highlight the black product and attract attention.
Our brand logo
As our examples of adverts and packaging clearly show, beyerdynamic has always placed emphasis on its own brand values and products. The striking adverts were memorable and contributed to brand awareness. In beyerdynamic’s anniversary year, one symbol in particular can be found everywhere – our Y. Ever since 2018, anyone who encounters the beyerdynamic brand will encounter our newly designed signet, whether it’s on products, on packaging, in the online shop or on adverts. Sevtap Celik, Art Director at beyerdynamic, gives us some exciting insights:
Sevtap: In 2018, a new logo was designed and a new colour scheme was defined, creating a new visual identity and a completely new appearance that defined the beginning of a new era. The Y symbolises the values and roots of the company as the centre of the name of our company founder Eugen Beyer. The new colour scheme created at the time represents modernity and progress. This way, we know where our origins lie and that we as a brand want to keep our finger on the pulse in the future – this is also reflected in our brand identity 100 years after the company was founded.
Sevtap: The new colour concept includes a strong shade of orange, three shades of grey, and black. The orange colour accents symbolise energy, brightness and warmth. It should also embody the closeness that we want to create with our customers through our products.
Sevtap: To mark the company’s 100th anniversary, we produced an anniversary video that captures the history of the company in a modern and dynamic way. The video emphasises our connection to the spirit of the times, our constant development and the creation of new communication channels. To emphasise these elements, the video uses fast editing and dynamic transitions, which you can see for yourself: