Northwell Health

Our research process combined stakeholder interviews with nearly 50 people in the Northwell ecosystem, as well as extensive secondary research across 70+ studies, and an analysis of existing sonic touchpoints. A critical insight emerged: the new sonic brand couldn't merely be FOR or ABOUT Northwell—it had to be OF Northwell, because a major brand attribute of the company is that Northwell truly IS its people.

This insight led to a novel approach: Creating a suite of entirely new musical instruments built from human voice. We recorded ten Northwell employees—representing the diversity of their workforce—singing single notes, melodic phrases, and spoken sequences. We also captured percussive sounds such as finger snaps, claps, and foot stomps. Recording was done individually, in small groups, and as a the full team. Through extensive sound design, these voices were transformed into the foundational elements of the Northwell sonic brand.

The strategic framework positioned Northwell as a “caring, warm, inclusive every-person healer who relentlessly charts new territory and fights for what’s right.” Musically, this translated into compositions that transcend genre and time, and are rooted in the most universal instrument—the human voice—while avoiding cultural specificity in order to remain inclusive.

Many proven aspects of music and sound science informed the composition work. This includes key signatures, resonance and tonality, frequencies and pitch, colored noise, and tempos.

The final sonic brand system includes:
—A sonic logo with multiple variations for implementations
—A long-form brand anthem inspired by the emotional arc of the patient journey
—A set of musical “Notions” that represent core archetypal brand characteristics (Relentless, Caring, Warm, Inclusive, Every-Person, Healer, Fight For What’s Right)
—A comprehensive sonic brand guideline system

Northwell became the first major healthcare provider with a world-class sonic brand, establishing a new category in healthcare marketing. The project has generated significant industry attention, with healthcare marketing professionals recognizing the innovation of using actual employee voices as the foundation for brand music.

The sonic brand was successfully implemented across Northwell’s vast network, with immediate application in advertising campaigns. Most significantly, the project established a replicable methodology for healthcare sonic branding that places human authenticity at its core. By transforming individual voices into collective musical expression, we created a sonic identity that genuinely reflects the organization’s people-first philosophy while delivering the proven business benefits of sonic brand recognition.