LBB: eyeball Gives New York Radio Station WNYC a Fresh New Sound

WNYC, New York’s top broadcaster and producer of award-winning public radio content, has just debuted a holistic audio rebrand for its New York City-based radio stations, 93.9 FM and AM 820. Spearheaded by President and CEO Laura Walker and Chief Content Officer Dean Cappello, this project was brought to life by WNYC’s agency of record, eyeball.                       

As a creative strategic design agency, eyeball frequently executes complete rebrands for major television networks that have included Ovation, PBS and, most recently, Oxygen. eyeball is also a pioneer in the field of audio branding, a strategic approach to communicating brand values through sound. The challenge from WNYC presented a unique opportunity for the agency to combine its core competencies into a comprehensive set of audio assets and recommendations.

Perennially among the most listened-to public radio stations in the U.S., WNYC produces a plethora of award-winning nationally-distributed programs and podcasts, including  “On the Media," and “Freakonomics Radio.” The innovative radio producers decided it was time to revamp their approach to interstitial content, and enlisted trusted collaborators eyeball to amplify and execute their vision.   

“WNYC produces some of the world’s best audio content,” says eyeball Executive Creative Director Alex Moulton. “Their incredible team works hard to craft programming that is engaging and relevant, with top-notch production values. To make this project a success, we knew we would have to conceive interstitial content that meets the high-water mark set by their amazing shows.

The first step in this project was a complete brand audit wherein the agency explored every facet of WNYC and ideated extensively with executives and staffers from every department about what was working and what could be improved upon. Laura Walker and Dean Cappello guided the process to ensure that eyeball supported WNYC’s objectives. By including key stakeholders early in the conversation, eyeball ensured that their recommendations and creative executions would integrate smoothly into WNYC’s existing process.

Through these interviews and further strategic exploration, eyeball identified key brand attributes that WNYC’s new audio identity should communicate. It needed to reflect the relevant and forward-thinking nature of their programming and support the goal of widening their appeal to younger audiences. It needed to capture the vibrancy and eclecticism of New York City. It needed to reflect the station’s position as innovators in the industry and their commitment to hard-hitting enterprise journalism.

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