The archive · Product Ideas · Product decision · 2025–2026
VanMoof gives its e-bike a city-tuned sonic identity — 70 sounds, D&AD 2026 Yellow Pencil
VanMoof replaced loud startup-era beeps with 70 bespoke sounds tuned to the city — a complete sonic identity for a bike, winning a D&AD 2026 Yellow Pencil.
VanMoof
What it had to solve
VanMoof was shifting from a tech-forward startup for early adopters to a brand for everyday city commuters, but its bold, attention-grabbing startup-era sounds now felt like they were competing with the city instead of working with it. It asked THNDR Music to reimagine how the bike communicates through sound.
How it works
VanMoof was moving from a tech-forward startup for early adopters to a brand for everyday city commuters. Its old sounds were bold and attention-grabbing, but riders began to feel they worked against the city — competing for the spotlight instead of fitting in — so the company asked THNDR Music to reimagine how its bikes communicate through sound.
THNDR studied city environments, human responses to sound and the bike's hardware, and discovered the aluminium frame itself resonates like a secret speaker. The team rode hundreds of kilometres and tested 400+ variations. The final 70 sounds include a dynamic bell with seven signature sounds, a staged alarm that begins with a subtle "I'm here" before escalating, proximity audio that adapts to the listener, and a startup sound that doubles as a sonic logo — plus Bell Designer and Speaker Simulator tools so VanMoof can keep evolving the language.
The result is the world's first complete sonic identity for a bike, shipped on the S6 in 2025. It won a D&AD 2026 Yellow Pencil in Digital Experiences – Connected Devices and a gold at the Muse by Clio Awards, transforming simple notifications into moments that strengthen the connection between rider and bike.
Why it lands
- Grounding the brief in hardware physics — the frame resonates like a speaker — made the sound feel native to the product rather than layered on top.
- Studying real city environments and riding hundreds of kilometres turned abstract branding into sounds that work in context.
- Designing a system (400 variations distilled to 70) plus tools like the Bell Designer gave the brand an asset it can keep evolving.
- Making the startup sound double as a sonic logo gives VanMoof a repeatable audio signature, the same way a visual logo anchors a brand.
What it did
The S6 shipped with the new sonic identity, giving VanMoof the world's first complete sonic identity for a bike. It won a D&AD 2026 Yellow Pencil in Digital Experiences – Connected Devices and a gold at the Muse by Clio Awards, turning simple notifications into moments that connect rider and bike.
What you can take
Sound is an ownable product surface: grounding every beep in hardware physics and city context turned alerts into a brand identity — the system, not a one-off jingle, is the asset.
Since then
The new sounds shipped with the VanMoof S6 in 2025, and the work picked up a D&AD 2026 Yellow Pencil and a gold at the Muse by Clio Awards. VanMoof then built on the sonic platform: its 'Leave It Anywhere' campaign and 'Ride Like No Other' brand film (a D&AD Graphite Pencil) extended the identity beyond the bike itself, while THNDR's behind-the-sound documentary and Bell Designer tooling show the system was designed to grow with the brand rather than be a one-off refresh.
Sources
- The Sound of VanMoof
- VanMoof · The Sound Of VanMoof — Sonic Branding case study
- Feature the features: S6 sounds, reimagined
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