1

Charles Spence Crossmodal Research Lab.

Department of Psychology

Oxford University

Crossmodal correspondences: Looking for links between

sound symbolism & synaesthesia & their application

to sensory marketing

Traditional Approach

„…there is no animal in which there is known to be a complete segregation of sensory processing‟ (Stein et al., 1996)

Holt-Hansen

(1968)

Carlsberg‟s Elephant beer has

a frequency of 640-670 Hz

while, for regular Carlsberg, it

is 510-520 Hz

2

Cherry

Strawberry

Cranberry Raspberry Mint

Cross-cultural colour-flavour associations

Lev

itan

, S

han

kar

,

& S

pen

ce (

20

10

)

Cheese &

onion

Salt &

vinegar

Piqueras-Fiszman & Spence (submitted)

“Buba”

“Kiki” “Buba” “Kiki” “Kiki” “Buba” Not to mention Lidl, Aldi, & Londis!

Sapir (1929) Mil, Mal, & the success of the Mini?

3

“Maluma”

“Takete”? “Takete” “Maluma”

“Maluma” “Takete”

-400

-300

-200

-100

0

100

200

300

Brie

Min

t ch

oc

Sal

t+V

in.

Cr.

Straw

b y

og

Reg

choc

Che

dda

r

Reg

Cr.

Blu

eb

jam

Reg

yog

Lim

e ja

m

Cra

nbe

rrie

s

Cho

c

mouss

e

Cra

nb

sau

ce

Maluma

Lula

Takete

Ruki Gallace, Boschin,

& Spence (2011)

Klink (2000)

Spence (subm.)

What‟s in a name?

„Frisch‟ or „Frosch‟

Circle the shape above that best matches the

flavour of the food/drink you just tried.

Tasting shapes

Richard

Cytowic

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Still water

Sparkling water

Maluma Takete Brie

Cranberry juice Maluma Takete

Malteser

Caramel Nibble

Tuki Lula

Tuki Lula

-1.54

3.49

3.51

1.94

-3.02

2.22

2.45

2.26

2.69

2.73

-3.74

1.85

Spen

ce &

Gal

lace

(2011)

“Sen

sati

on t

ransf

eren

ce”

?

5

Ben & Jerry‟s Ice Cream

99%

pleasure.

The rest is

the carton!

Ngo, Misra, & Spence (2011)

Sumptuously

smooth truffle

encased in

milk chocolate

Schifferstein (2001)

Figure showing

disconfirmed

expectations

Yeomans et al. (2008) Sound/shape symbolism • Reliable crossmodal correspondences

between flavour & oral-somatosensory

attributes of food/drink (bitterness, acidity,

& carbonation), & sharpness/angularity

• Might these correspondences emerge from

our innate oral responses to basic tastes?

• Findings have implications for product &

brand naming/packaging design (sensory

marketing), just don‟t call em synaesthetic!

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“Taking a sip of wine, at least a wine worth talking about, is like hearing the sound of a sustained, musical chord.” (Kent Bach, 2007, p. 27)

“Red wines need either minor key or they need music that has

negative emotion. They don’t like happy music…Cabernets

like angry music.” (Gray, 2007)

Crossmodal Correspondences?

“As bitter as a trombone?”

• 13 different notes (C2-C6)

• 4 different types of instrument: piano, strings, woodwinds, brass

Middle C

Methods: Choice of sounds

1

3

5

7

9

11

13

caffeine coffee MSG salt orange

flower

rose almond vanilla lemon peppermint citric acid sucrose

low middle high

Fre

quen

cy

Crisinel & Spence

(2010)

Note that tastes appear at extremes, while flavours appear in middle

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R U WEIRD?

Western,

Educated,

Industrialized,

Rich, &

Democratic

(Henrich et al., 2010, BBS)

Ngo, Piqueras-Fiszman,

& Spence (submitted)

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Prof. Charles Spence Crossmodal Research Lab.

Oxford University

http://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/xmodal/

Are lemons

fast or slow?