Porsche passes sound check in latest digital series drop

November 3, 2022

Porsche's electric Taycan Cross Turismo comes to life as singer-songwriter Victoria Monét and producer D'Nice test drive new tracks. Image credit: Porsche

By Amirah Keaton

German automaker Porsche is tapping the cultural cachet of the colloquial “car test” concept.

Audiophiles swear by the tried-and-true tool, using as a measure of excellence for song quality, reserving their best work for in-car sound checks. Relying on the sound system of Porsche’s Taycan Cross Turismo, singer-songwriter Victoria Monét and her producer demonstrate, in a new Porsche spot, the informal review method serving as its premise.

Porsche's "Moment" with Ms. Monét
Both musician and mentor dedicate a drive to the art of listening, in a music-filled journey led by Porsche Cars North America.

The automaker provides purview into Ms. Monét’s creative process while showcasing the deep friendship with producer D’Mile that accompanies the professional partnership.

The film starts out with a sonic offering, as its star explains how, at the end of a studio session, its engineer will often share an MP3 of the recording, commonly called a “bounce” track.

“When they give you this bounce you connect your car on Bluetooth and you listen on the way home,” Ms. Monét starts.

“The car test,” she declares. “That'll tell you everything you need to know.”

The latest edition of Porsche's Sound and Driven series

The talent goes on to reveal that, while enveloped in creation, deciphering whether or not a song is worth its weight becomes difficult.

“Sometimes when you're in the studio, in the environment, and maybe people are hyping you up, it sounds like you created a masterpiece,” she says.

“But then when you get in your car on the way home, you're like ‘I don't know, maybe not.’”

How does the artist know whether or not she has a hit?

“If I want to run it back, if I want to hear it a couple times, I feel like that's a good sign.”

Ms. Monét’s earlier joke discloses the precarious nature of music production. Luckily, she has the trusted opinion of a longtime collaborator backing her efforts.

As her song “Moment” plays, the audience is introduced to D’Mile, a crucial component in Ms. Monét’s quest for perfection.

Porsche’s campaign title flashes over visuals of the musical mastermind at a soundboard, adjusting song variables with precision, before appearing on an electric bass guitar, hinting at his range – D’Mile is trained in acoustic and electric guitar, bass guitar and drums, skills that ultimately work to help round out his client’s tunes before a car test makes the final decision.

“Me and Vicky have known each other for years, pretty much almost since the beginning,” D’Mile shares, referring to the singer admirably.

Thereafter, D’Mile and Ms. Monét are shown in an active jam session. The star works her magic in the sunlit center of a recording studio. The spot is authentic in that it does not immediately appear as an ad, more a behind-the-scenes of Ms. Monet’s hit song.

Sentiments expressed during the clip – the value of comradery, creativity and the pursuit of excellence – elevates Porsche’s own branding as a heritage company built on long-lasting client relationships.

For the video’s second half, the duo swaps the studio for the vehicle. Ms. Monét takes to the passenger seat to judge, as audiences take in the reaction of D’Mile as his passenger alike.

The artist speaks to fan feedback and sources of inspiration as Ms. Monét and D’Mile are captured under Taycan’s panoramic roof – the feature is enabled with Light Control, a new Porsche technology that allows for a transparent or opaque effect at the touch of a button. The vehicle also features intelligent electric glare protection.

Porsche's electric Taycan Cross Turismo hits the streets of Hollywood for the ultimate sound test. Image credit: Porsche

The artist moves to describe the message of another track of hers, which plays through the car’s speakers.

“Just knowing what [the songs] means to people [is fun],” Ms. Monét states.

“People are tweeting me that ‘I'm playing this in the gym and I'm working on myself,’ I like that,” she says decisively. “[The track is] inspirational without being preachy.”

These thoughts, which Ms. Monét floats by her mentor, are doubly applicable, as the same can be said of the video she fronts.

Standard for the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo and Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo, and optional for its base models, the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo and Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, is a Bose Surround Sound System, inclusive of 10 speakers with a total output of 150 watts.

Throughout, though, there is no forced mention of these car features Instead, an organic test drive fills in trial gaps for prospective buyers and contains aspirational elements for those in awe of its abilities as well.

Throughout, the luxury automaker plays into the plot – the EV model's sound system is the cornerstone of its experiential appeal, as it revs forward in the new episode.

“So, does it pass the car test for you?”

“Yes, absolutely,” Ms. Monét exclaims, as the video comes to a close.

Supportive sounds
The idea that great tracks sound even better on a vehicle’s sound system has existed for some time, though lately, it seems the notion has proven to be up for interpretation.

German automaker Mercedes-Benz recently announced plans to imbue its fleet with an inventive and immersive audio feature, making Apple Music's Spatial Audio technology the standard across all vehicles (see story).

Supporting collateral matches Porsche's digital series in structure.

Together with @AppleMusic and @UMG, we’re delivering the ultimate in-car sound experience with @Dolby Atmos in our cars. We connected with @engineears to see what @mixedbyali and Dave Bayley of @glassanimals think after putting it to the test.#MercedesBenz #EngineEars pic.twitter.com/8hEjiBbMps
— Mercedes-Benz (@MercedesBenz) October 18, 2022

Since launching this collaborative project with music, culture and fashion publication Marvin, Porsche has released two episodes of its Sound & Driven series, featuring American drummer Travis Barker, singer KennyHoopla, singer-songwriter Ashe and sound engineer Manny Marroquin. The most recent installment follows California-native singer-songwriter Ashlyn Wilson, commonly known as Ashe, and Mr. Marroquin, a multi-Grammy Award-winning sound engineer, finalizing her latest single, “Another Man’s Jeans" (see story).

In each film, audiences follow along as the artists collaborate to produce new sounds and put those sounds to the test in the Porsche Taycan Turbo, which starts at $97,700.

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