TDK’s cassette tapes set the standard for quality and sound fidelity in the 1980s, but for modern listeners it meant almost nothing. This leading brand of the analog age was having trouble connecting with a digital generation. Ziba’s global research effort, aimed at young men in music-obsessed cities like Tokyo, Berlin, and New York, showed that analog is more beloved than ever, and so is social listening—two desires that TDK was perfectly poised to address. “Analog has a hearbeat,” explained one music lover, “Digital has a pacemaker.”

Rebuilding a cohesive TDK identity meant staying true to heritage without getting mired in nostalgia. With this understanding, we developed TDK Life on Record: a brand strategy and a line of audio products that combined fidelity and performance with warmth, scratchy realness, and a sense of community that comes with shared discovery. Big drivers, exposed speaker cones, rich materials, and made-you-look form factors add up to a premium audio experience with a live, beating heart.

The new TDK line was immediately embraced by indie-rock and hip-hop culture, with high profile musicians including The Beastie Boys and Snoop Dogg proudly featured them in music videos and record releases. Donald Bell, senior editor at CNET, went even further in his review of the 3-speaker boombox: "They had to pry this thing out of my hands. My apologies to TDK. They shouldn’t have had to see me cry like that." The impact lasted far longer than that first product line, though: Ziba’s brand strategy and design created a halo effect for the TDK brand, and have gone on to influence its entire line of products and offerings.