kicker: Sonic identity for Germany's #1 sports app
Roles: Sonic Strategist · Creative Director · Senior Sound Designer · Haptics Designer
Context
Kicker is an essential gateway to experiencing, understanding, and going deeper into football and sport, with 63% of its audience engaging primarily through digital platforms. In a category filled with football clichés and authoritative tones, the opportunity was to create a sound that felt more contemporary, approachable, and distinctly Kicker.
cultural insight
The name itself contained the idea. “kicker” can be read as both the brand and the action of a kick, creating a natural sonic double meaning. We translated its two-syllable cadence into a short, ascending/descending two-note melody, while the initial impact evokes the sound and energy of a kick.
This simple construction gave the identity a distinctive character without relying on conventional football sounds: vibrant, warm, expert, and in tune with the pace of digital culture.
Sonic solution
We turned this idea into a compact sonic system built around the sonic logo. Its short, recognizable structure makes it highly adaptable for digital communication and UX, while remaining distinctive enough to anchor the broader brand identity.
The system extends across the kicker app, digital content, social formats, and branded experiences, creating a flexible sonic signature that feels immediate and dynamic.
Sonic concept by means of onomatopoeia.
Sonic system
Sound Logo (Intro)
Sound Logo (Outro)
UX Sounds for the App
Sound Effects Toolkit for Motion Graphics
Credits:
Client: kicker / Olympia-Verlag GmbH
Sound Agency: WESOUND
Project Owner & Head of Design: Lars Ohlendorf
Composers: Kids in a Candy Store