Schweppes transforms headphones into social compasses

Music lovers in Cape Town recently turned their everyday strolls around the city into an immersive and vibrant musical journey with Schweppes' latest innovation: The Social Sound. 

According to a survey by music lifestyle brand Sol Republic, 73% of people use headphones to escape. As a brand that encourages people to live as they were born — social — Schweppes flipped the script: headphones became more than just solitary audio devices, they were social compasses, where every beat was a step towards a new social experience.

It all started when a ground-breaking collaboration with Amapiano sensation Daliwonga transformed a routine Instagram live-stream call-to-action into a real-life treasure hunt. The goal? To find your way to a secret location and be part of an incredible, exclusive music event. 

Fans were teased with a snippet of Daliwonga’s hit Howa You, and the only way to uncover the event’s secret location was for them to make their way to one of two pickup points in the city, grab a pair of headphones, listen and follow the music.

Here’s where the magic happened: as fans roamed the streets of Cape Town, their headphones became a 3D soundscape navigator. The music’s volume and clarity changed based on their location, guiding them towards the pulsing heart of the event. The closer they got, the louder and more immersive the beat became.

It was like following a musical breadcrumb trail, leading to an exclusive live performance by Daliwonga, supported by DJ Le Soul, Scorpion Kings (DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small) as well as Fizz and Shai-A.

Guests were also treated to Schweppes beverages, bespoke cocktails and canapés.

As a brand, Schweppes is all about getting out, mingling and enjoying time with others. So, the idea behind The Social Sound was to encourage people to rediscover the joy of socialising in real life instead of on their phones, explains Pietro Pio Cirsone, global creative strategy director at The Coca-Cola Company.

The campaign and experience were created by WPP Open X and led by Grey, with sound engineering provided by Yessian. “We broke down Daliwonga’s track into layers, each part revealing itself as fans moved closer to the destination. The journey was not just a walk but a build-up of excitement, anticipation and music that led to an electrifying live show,” says the Yessian team.

“Schweppes has always celebrated the joy derived from real life connections ... The Social Sound was our invitation to step out, explore and rediscover the thrill of togetherness in the beautiful city of Cape Town,” says Ramokone Ledwaba, senior marketing director at Coca-Cola Africa. 

Get social with Schweppes: follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube.

This article was sponsored by the Coca-Cola Company.