Wasa Crispbread: Redefining the sound of a Swedish icon
Wasa crispbread is a staple of Swedish life. As part of a rebrand, the iconic food company focused on an underused ingredient: sound.
Wasa Crispbread is a cornerstone of Swedish culture. Fueling the nation with just salt, water, yeast, and rye flour, the Barilla International-owned brand has set the table for more than 100 years.
The sound of spreading butter on crispbread is etched into the grooves of almost every Swede’s brain. The texture, the taste — it’s nostalgic, it’s home.
But outside the Nordics, the world’s largest crispbread producer didn’t have the same impact. It needed to expand awareness and relevance beyond its core markets.
Jakob Osborne Edman, head of brand for Wasa Crispbread, knew the answer wasn’t just “another” campaign. He needed something extra. Something to build a real, unbreakable emotional connection. Something capable of bridging borders.
“Wasa is for everybody,” said Edman. “In Sweden, it’s in our DNA. But beyond that, there’s very little awareness. As we expanded globally, we needed to tell our story in a new way — and sound was the way to do it.”
The science of crunch and joy: Why Wasa wanted to change
The decision to explore sonic branding wasn’t taken on a whim. It started with the product itself. After all, crispbread doesn’t just taste good — it sounds good.
“There’s a lot of science pointing out that food that crunches makes you feel happy,” Edman elaborated. “The vibrations actually create joy.”
According to research by the Journal of Sensory Studies, people believe that potato chips with a louder/high-frequency crunch are crispier and more enjoyable. For customers unfamiliar with Wasa, the crunch could be the clincher.
Edman wanted Wasa to “sound tasty and wholesome,” and the crunch presented itself as the shortcut to signaling quality, freshness, and taste. But the literal, diegetic sound of the bread wasn’t the only thing Wasa wanted to highlight. They also factored music into the equation.
“Music and sound travel across the globe,” said Edman. “They’re universal languages. That makes them ideal for brand communication.”
In a digital-first world where attention spans are worn thin, Wasa was looking for more than just a fresh lick of paint. To stand out, to be remembered, the company needed music that makes moments special — like Wasa’s products do.
Finding Wasa’s sound
The challenge was ambitious: create a sonic identity to match different product segments, travel across markets, align with Wasa’s heritage, and scale for the future. To achieve this, Edman partnered with Epidemic Sound, whose global licensing model and ecosystem of artists made the project possible.
Here’s what the process looked like.
1. Research
Epidemic Sound kicked off the project with a deep research period. We dug into what Wasa stands for — its values, personality, and story — so we could ensure the music and sound reflected the brand.
Next, we analyzed listening behavior in Wasa’s key markets, both current and prospective. The goal here was to find some common ground, carving out a sonic identity that spoke to everyone while still feeling uniquely Wasa.
This also required deep trend analysis. Looking at current trends in both music and popular culture, we aimed to strike a balance that’d make Wasa feel modern and relevant, rather than trend-chasing.
Finally, we took stock of Wasa’s competitors. What were other, similar brands doing sonically, and what could we do to make Wasa stand out in that space?
“We were talking about other brands in the space and their sounds were very positive, but also very similar,” said Edman. “For us, it was just such a good way to be more creative, stick out, and build brand memorability by using music.”
2. Workshopping and development
Analysis and data mapped the terrain, but that was by no means the destination. Martin Grewin, senior music curator at Epidemic Sound, emphasized the link between human creativity and genuine, long-lasting brand affinity.
“Data can give you direction,” he said, “but it’s human creativity and cultural relevance that make something original and authentic.”
This led Epidemic Sound and Wasa down a hands-on, collaborative footpath, embracing those Swedish values Wasa wanted to showcase. The teams worked on moodboards of musical do’s and don’ts, and played tracks to one another instead of holding formal meetings.
3. Selecting and capturing the sound
Sitting down with Epidemic Sound, swapping references, and debating music helped Wasa’s team understand what they wanted the brand to sound like. They settled on grouping tracks by “energy levels”: high-tempo tracks to match morning routines, calmer sounds for reflective moments, and playful basslines to signal happiness and energy.
And of course, there was the crunch. “Wasa is a super-fun brand to work with because it has this cool, unique crunch,” said Grewin. “So we went out and recorded lots of different crunches. It felt obvious, but at the same time, it was a breakthrough — we were capturing the DNA of their product. That became a signature sound effect for Wasa.”
The pop of biting into a Wasa crispbread. The soothing waves of spreading butter. These recognizable, brand-specific sound effects were recorded in-studio by Soundly, Epidemic Sound’s award-winning team of sound designers.
The result: Wasa Sonic Playbook
Epidemic Sound and Wasa’s collaboration delivered a refreshed, relevant sonic identity for an iconic brand. The work resulted in not just a sound, but a system: the Wasa Sonic Playbook.
The Playbook contains curated playlists, guidelines, and explanations designed for everyone involved in content production. From local marketing teams to third-party agencies, anyone can use the Playbook to keep Wasa’s sonic identity consistent, authentic, and scalable across touchpoints.
“The Playbook gives us a clear musical path,” said Edman. “It explains why the music was chosen, so our local teams can quickly pick tracks from a smaller, curated catalog, which ensures brand consistency and effective music selection.
“It’s a guiding tool for the brand,” he continued. “You’re turning music selection into something closer to a business decision, versus just relying on personal taste.”
Wasa’s new sonic identity is rooted in six curated groups of music and sound effects. Four music playlists highlight the brand’s personality across product categories, while two sound effect collections capture its Nordic heritage and product experience through landscape and signature moment recordings.
“We have such a strong heritage, but crispbread has a dusty brand image and our whole objective is to become relevant,” Edman said of the Sonic Playbook. “Having a really strong, cohesive sonic branding strategy allows us to be distinct within those six seconds on social.
“You see a brand that you think is something your grandparents eat, and then there’s a very funky, modern track on it. You’re instantly, without having to say anything, pushing the brand somewhere else.”
Why Wasa believes in a sound partnership
Wasa revealed its sonic glow-up with a new campaign: Go Hard. Pushed globally across TV, digital, and social media platforms, it was Wasa’s biggest brand shift in decades.
But the Wasa Sonic Playbook is more than just one campaign. It’s part of a long-term strategy, solidifying the brand’s personality through a strong, emotional connection with the audience. It’s also a solution to a global business challenge, allowing local markets to create content quickly without worrying about rights clearance.
“In my global role, I need something that just works,” said Edman. “The Epidemic Sound platform — with its global licensing agreement, its tools, its curators — just works, and it works globally.”
Because Epidemic Sound owns all of the rights to its music catalog, there were no licensing complexities. Wasa was free to build a global sonic brand that travels seamlessly across social media, advertising, in-store content, and more.
Whether it’s the crunch of crispbread in a Stockholm apartment or a TikTok recipe video in São Paulo, Wasa’s sound now travels as far as its products do. Every crunch, every playlist, and every melody carries the same message: Wasa is for everyone, everywhere.
Building a global sonic identity: 3 takeaways for brands
Before we wrap up, let’s take stock of what Wasa learned. Here are 3 clear, actionable takeaways your brand can use to find its sonic match.
1. Start with your product’s DNA
Great sonic branding isn’t an add-on. It comes from what makes your brand unique — years and years of work. For Wasa, the iconic crunch became the anchor of its identity. What’s your brand’s equivalent?
2. Create a system, not just a song
A one-off jingle fades. Wasa’s Sonic Playbook, complete with curated playlists and guidelines, helps local teams and agencies create content that’s both fast and consistent. It scales creativity and frees them up to do their job better.
3. Think global, act local
Sound travels across borders, but cultural resonance is often local. Data and AI can guide the way, but human creativity helps your musical choices feel authentic, relevant, and emotionally impactful.
If your business needs help with sonic branding, music licensing, or soundtracking guidance, don’t worry. An Epidemic Sound license is the perfect solution.
The Enterprise plan offers everything a brand needs to soundtrack their work, plus licensing safety for influencers or third parties with whom you collaborate.
Our dedicated digital rights management team works tirelessly to make sure our licensed users don’t encounter issues when publishing content online. We’ll walk you through the licensing process, providing you and your team with the tools you need to use music safely.
Regardless of platform and media switch-ups in the future, your content is safe. What you publish during an active subscription is licensed forever, even if you choose to leave Epidemic Sound.
Everyone from Levi’s to Warner Bros. Discovery, BuzzFeed to the Miami Dolphins, trusts Epidemic Sound to be their soundtracking platform.
Don’t risk your business with a risky license. Enjoy full coverage and soundtrack your brand, your way.
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