The Creative Outpost audio team worked on the sound design for Deliveroo’s recently launched global brand campaign ‘It’s All On Your Doorstep’, celebrating the brand’s role at the epicentre of local food scenes around the world, connecting customers with the food they love, whether it be from restaurants or grocers, right outside their front doors. The campaign was created by Pablo London and directed by WATTS.
Sound Designer, Alex Wilson-Thame tells us about the creative process involved. “After the success of our previous sound endeavour for ‘Icelandair’, it was wonderful to be contacted by Charlotte @ Pablo about these adverts at such an early stage! To see the initial scripts and storyboard as a sound designer is so important to start the creative sound exploration process; to almost create a sonic palette of ideas - and audio sketchbook if you will! This gives you a great jumping off point, when the first offline’s come rolling through the door.
“It was my first time working with the marvellous directing duo WATTS, and after a great briefing call with them about their approach to sound and what they wanted to achieve - it was clear we were all on the same page. Much to their jouissance and in true Blue Peter fashion of ‘Here’s one I made earlier’, I was able to present my ‘audio sketchbook’ and the foundation of the project was greeted with smiling faces and happy ears! Then it was lights out and away we go!
“The project was split into two routes, Restaurants and Groceries - led by two separate creative couplets. Although similar in style animation wise, with the mixture of filmed sets with animation overlays - both had vastly different needs sonically, one had a dynamic continuation and flow, the other was more a collection of vignettes dictated by our characters ‘Food-mood’.
“With Restaurants it was all about creating energy and excitement, this was achieved by recording lots of vocal elements for all the unique characters throughout the piece, this gave the impression of constant hustle-and-bustle to bring the world to life. Any excuse to jump in the booth and make silly voices is right up my alley. Vocal highlights included my best homage to Johnny Bravo for the Muscular Chap and the chorus of gasps in the pizza restaurant.
“All of this vocal energy and hubbub interlaced with the bells and whistles of the foley (the guy landing on the pizza box had to be true to life… so I may have ordered a pizza on Deliveroo just for accuracy and honesty…naturally!) and sound design including resampling moped recordings, so I could effect the pitch and timing of the RPM of the engine - as it was a big thing to make sure the driver didn’t come across as reckless!
“Furthermore, big shout out to The Hogan for the music on this commercial, a really fun bespoke composition that is a definite ear worm! The music played so well with the sound design, it had lots of sonic space both in arrangement and in frequency spectrum, to allow both the sound design and music to share the limelight.
“Running in parallel to Restaurants was the Groceries execution - the task here was to make sure each snapshot into the characters life had a different identity. Like we all do, we start the week with the best intentions, five-a-day you say? Don’t mind if I do. However if your will-power isn’t as successful as you’d hope, by Friday you might be a 20 nugget ‘share’ box down and on to your second McFlurry.
“This is what this commercial aims to portray, our various ‘Food-Moods’. We start off with the Monday ‘Healthy’ you - this had to have an essence of inner calm, almost meditative - cue the water-bowls, wood chimes and ambient pad sounds (And a cheeky acting cameo, by yours truly as a plummy talking avocado!). By Thursday, the naughtiness comes out with the treats, this is highlighted with the jaunty muzak style composition as well as the playful character vocalisations - then we have the great transitions for the dynamic ‘Friday’ you ‘cooking up a storm’, I wanted this to have a martial arts feel to the sound - many a pasta shell was harmed in the making of this scene!
“By Sunday, you can’t be arsed and just bung something in the microwave - the essence of this scene I feel was captured perfectly by Owen Teale’s vocal performance, with the elongation of the syllables, and his natural dulcet tones. Much praise must be given to Owen’s performance in all of the Deliveroo commercials, he brings so much character and joy to the recordings - and they definitely wouldn’t be the same without him!
To be gifted not one, but two of these fantastically creative commercials is a sound designer's dream. To be allowed to have fun and make ridiculous noises (a favourite pastime of mine) with a truly awesome team - what a perfect recipe. Right, anyone for a Wagamama?"
