Strategic concept, system development, and creative direction.
Context
For Zound Industries, music is more than product functionality — it is the core of the brand’s identity. Rather than treating music as a message communicated through campaigns, the ambition was to make it a living, operational part of the organization itself.
Problem
How can a sound-centric brand become a truly active participant in music culture — not as a passive commentator or sponsor — but as an organization that embodies and lives music at every level?
Solution
We designed Zound Stage as a permanent infrastructure within Zound Industries’ head office:
Space: a purpose-built live music venue physically embedded in everyday workspaces
Culture: a curated programme of emerging and established artists, ensuring relevance and credibility
Organization: live music integrated into routines, internal events, product cycles and community engagement
Brand: an ongoing physical manifestation of Zound’s promise “to bring life to sound” — not only in communication, but in lived experience.
Rather than a one-off activation, Zound Stage became a long-term system that evolved into Marshall Stage after Zound and Marshall merged, extending the platform’s scope and impact.
My Role
Strategic concept, system development, creative direction, spatial, cultural, and operational integration.
Outcome
Zound Stage grew into a vibrant, ongoing performance hub hosting a diverse range of artists — from Swedish Tiger Sound and Los Bitchos to Slow Gold and Gallus — making music an active force in the company’s internal ecosystem.
Client: Zound Industries
Agency: Zound Industries
Design collaboration: Calle Elf
Photo: Martin Nagi & Calle Elf
