Case Study: Louis Vuitton × 37th America's Cup

Client: Louis Vuitton · Partner: Vincent (Music Supervisor, Louis Vuitton) · Service: Penrose Audio — Davies Aguirre

Project Context

Vincent, Music Supervisor at Louis Vuitton, approached Penrose Audio to create music and sound design for a promotional announcement video celebrating Louis Vuitton's return as title partner of the 37th America's Cup sailing race in Barcelona, held August through October 2024. The brief was specific in character if not in technical detail: the piece should feel epic and cinematic, elegant but powerful — and, crucially, less overtly dramatic than what had come before.

"We'd like to find strong, epic, and cinematic music — something elegant but powerful, less intense than previous approaches, and aligned with Louis Vuitton's luxury identity."

A follow-up note from Vincent sharpened the picture further: "We'd want something more elegant and cinematic — powerful, but less overly dramatic compared to previous years. Your style seemed aligned with what we want to convey."

Although our composition ultimately wasn't selected — Louis Vuitton moved forward with another musical option — this was among the most clarifying creative experiences we've had. The outcome does not diminish the work.

Conceptual Approach

The America's Cup is elite competitive sailing: physically extreme, technically exacting, conducted within a world defined by heritage and precision craft. Louis Vuitton's association with the event is not incidental — both the house and the race share a commitment to making difficult things look effortless. That paradox became the compositional spine. Power underneath, refinement on the surface. Adrenaline that never tips into noise.

There is something in the movement of a racing hull at speed — the way it cuts clean, then disappears into spray — that suggests how the music should behave: urgent and deliberate at once, never wasted.

The Work

Solo Violin Ostinato

The driving force of the piece is a solo violin ostinato — short, repeating bow strokes that establish rhythmic engagement from the opening bars. The decision to use solo violin rather than a section was deliberate: a single voice carries more intimacy and exposure. It conveys elegance and intensity without the weight of a full string ensemble, keeping the texture lean while maintaining forward motion. The violin sits in the 600 Hz–3 kHz range where it cuts clearly through the orchestral fabric.

Chamber String Layers

Beneath and around the ostinato, we built a chamber string texture — subtle and expressive rather than monumental. The harmonic language is rich but never overloaded: strings voicing wide, open intervals that create a sense of space and timelessness. The layering is there to be felt as much as heard — craft that reveals itself gradually.

Percussion

Percussion was integrated with care, calibrated to the visual drama rather than leading it. Hits are placed at cuts and moments of kinetic intensity in the race footage, providing the adrenaline the brief called for without letting the music become percussive in character. The balance between string-led elegance and rhythmic impact was the central tension of the mix.

Sound Design — Craft as Rhythm

The sound design layer drew directly from Louis Vuitton's artisanal heritage. We created bespoke clicks and mechanical sounds inspired by the grain of worked wood and the precision of fine leather goods — materials the house has shaped for over a century. These sounds were rhythmically matched to visual transitions throughout the edit, so that the craft of the brand becomes audible in the pacing of the piece itself.

Craft Notes

Davies reflects on the brief and what it produced: "Even though our track wasn't chosen, creating this piece was incredibly valuable. Vincent's brief provided clarity and challenged me to find the precise balance between adrenaline-driven visuals and refined musical storytelling. It reinforced the importance of detail, nuance, and emotional depth in sound design."

Not every piece finds its final home in the project it was made for. We present this work openly, as a pitch composition that went through a rigorous creative process and was ultimately passed over. The composition stands on its own terms.

Sometimes the brief that doesn't result in a placement is the one that teaches you the most about what you're actually capable of.