Sound Bites

"Sound Bites" uses AI and neurograstronomy to create a multi-sensory experience that redefines tourism and hospitality marketing.

VML and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (Tennessee Tourism) collaborated with renowned Tennessee chefs and musical artists to co-create new dishes and original songs designed to be experienced together. The campaign builds on research by Oxford experimental psychologist Dr. Charles Spence that shows how elements like tempo, pitch and instrumentation can influence how the brain perceives tastes.

Sound Bites extends beyond the screen and invites travelers and restaurants alike to experience "sonic seasoning" for themselves with an interactive music pairing tool at TNSoundBites.com where they can create their own unique music-and-food pairings.

For centuries, people have paired food with wine. Now, we're asking, 'Why not food and music?' Sound Bites brings together two things Tennessee does better than anywhere else, bold flavors and unforgettable music, to create truly unique, immersive experiences that turn a visit into a lasting memory.

Mark Ezell

Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development

Tennessee Tourism sought to highlight the state’s growing culinary scene while staying true to its deep-rooted musical heritage. The challenge was to create a campaign that combined these two cultural pillars in a way that was innovative, engaging, and experiential for both locals and visitors.

The campaign was inspired by Oxford University research on “sonic seasoning,” which shows how elements like tempo, pitch, and instrumentation can influence how the brain perceives taste. This concept aligned perfectly with Tennessee’s dual identity as a hub for both music and food.

Sound Bites brings renowned Tennessee chefs and musical artists together to co-create new dishes and original songs designed to be experienced together. Sound Bites extends beyond the screen and invites travelers and restaurants alike to experience "sonic seasoning" for themselves with an interactive music pairing tool where they can create their own unique music-and-food pairings.

At TNSoundBites.com, users start by entering a dish. The platform then:

Identifies the dish’s key ingredients.
Maps them to one of five flavor profiles (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami).
Matches these flavors to sound attributes (timbre, pitch, tone) based on Oxford research.
Curates a playlist of Tennessee songs scientifically designed to enhance the dish’s flavor.

This AI-powered tool transforms meals into multisensory experiences, blending taste and sound in a unique way.

Sound Bites isn’t your typical, passive ad campaign, it’s an experience that’s akin to adding gas to your senses and lighting a match. We took something Tennessee has always been famous for—its music—and combined it with something Tennessee is quickly becoming famous for; its incredible food scene. Similar to pairing wine with food, pairing the right song with the right dish enhances the dining experience in an entirely new way.