Our Story
Smith & Western is a specialist sonic branding agency that creates sonic brand identities, bespoke music and sound design for global brands. Founded in 2010 by Nick West and Dan Higson, we have become an award-winning leader in shaping how brands stand out through sound.
We craft distinctive sonic identities across every touchpoint. Each project fuses creativity with strategy to move audiences emotionally while driving measurable brand outcomes.
Our proprietary Sonic Boom ™ methodology has been developed based on 100+ projects, ensuring that sonic identities are built out from a scalable sonic blueprint and informed by research, cultural insights and brand strategy.
Our strategists, composers, sound designers and musicologists bring world-class craft and local brand intelligence to shape how brands are heard, remembered and loved.
Nick understands how sound propels brand success, recognising its pivotal role in conveying a brand's personality. His contributions have been instrumental in shaping the sonic identities of many renowned brands worldwide, including those with roots in Australia. He Co-founded the acclaimed sound studio, Smith and Western, in 2010 and has curated soundtracks for countless projects, showcasing his decades-long expertise as a composer, sound designer, and creative director. Nick consistently brings a depth of knowledge and skill to every project he undertakes.
Dan has spent a lifetime immersed in the music industry. For over 25 years, he has specialised in sonic branding, helping brands amplify their identities through music and sound. As the founder of Smith & Western, based in Surry Hills, he leads a talented team creating bespoke sonic identities and soundtracks for global clients.
Dom advocates for the effectiveness of sound when used as part of a strategic approach to brand building. He combines experience working in marketing roles and creative agencies in London, with learnings from a music degree from Oxford University and MiniMBA in Brand Management to ensure that client briefs and feedback is accurately translated into sonic outcomes. He has won sonic branding awards for Optus, Australian Open, BIG W and Canva and is featured in articles in Wall Street Journal, Mumbrella and LBB. As a classically trained singer and multi-instrumentalist, Dom champions human musicianship and local craft.
Dr. Thomas Dickson is a musicologist and sonic branding strategist who bridges sound perception psychology with commercial brand performance. Holding a PhD in Music Psychology from University of New South Wales, he provides Smith & Western with the strategic layer needed to replace subjective 'vibes' with data-driven, science-backed audio frameworks. Featured across premier media including ABC Radio and RNZ, his focus is simple: Good music moves people. Smart music moves metrics.
Joe Sauer is a global authority on how emotion influences consumer decision-making. With over two decades of experience combining neuroscience, psychology, and marketing analytics, Joe helps brands understand the subconscious impact of their communications, with a particular focus on audio branding and identity. Joe pioneered the adaptation of the Implicit Association Testing (IAT) to measure emotional response to sound and music, enabling organizations to evaluate how branded audio assets shape perception, preference, and memorability. His work is recognized for its scientific rigor, practical relevance, and strategic value.
Awards
- AWARD AWARDS 2026 SONIC BRANDING BRONZE AUSTRALIA'S NATION BRAND
- CAIRNS CROCODILES 2026 AUDIO CRAFT SILVER AUSTRALIA'S NATION BRAND
- CLIO AWARDS 2026 SILVER SONIC BRANDING AUSTRALIA'S NATION BRAND
- TRANSFORM AWARDS ANZ GOLD 2025 SONIC BRANDING TPG
- TRANSFORM AWARDS ANZ BRONZE 2025 SONIC BRANDING The Ring
- TRANSFORM AWARDS ANZ SILVER 2024 SONIC BRANDING McDonald’s "The Original Mouthful"
- CANNES LIONS SILVER 2024 BRAND ACTIVATION & EXPERIENCE McDonald’s "The Original Mouthful"
- AWARD AWARDS 2023 SILVER MUSIC COMPOSITION Belong "Thummit"
- ADFEST 2023 BRONZE MUSIC COMPOSITION Coopers "Roll On"
- AGDA 2021 DISTINCTION AWARD Oculus
- AGDA 2021 MERIT AWARD Bank West
- AGDA 2021 MERIT AWARD Finch
- AWARD AWARDS 2020 FINALIST SONIC BRANDING Event Cinemas
- BRITISH LIONS 2017 GOLD AWARD SOUND Temptations Treats "Keep Them Busy"
- AWARD AWARD 2017 BRONZE AWARD BEST MUSIC Tourism Queensland "I Know Just The Place"
- AWARD AWARD 2017 GOLD AWARD CHARITY Parkinson's NSW "The Lucky Ones"
- PROMAXBDA 2016 GOLD BEST MUSIC Happy Birthday David Attenborough
- CANNES BRONZE LION 2016 HEALTH + WELLNESS Parkinson's NSW "The Lucky Ones"
- PROMAXBDA SILVER 2015 BEST REALITY I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here
- SPIKES ASIA BRONZE 2015 FILM CRAFT Nutri-Grain 'Unstoppable'
- PROMAXBDA SILVER 2014 BEST REALITY I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here
- SPIKES ASIA GOLD 2014 RADIO VW Spare Parts 'William Tell’
- SPIKES ASIA SILVER 2014 RADIO VW Spare Parts Campaign
- AWARD AWARD 2013 RADIO Up to 30-sec VW Spare Parts 'William Tell'
- AWARD AWARD 2013 RADIO CAMPAIGN VW Spare Parts Campaign
- AWARD AWARD 2013 RADIO BEST Use of music VW Spare Parts Campaign
- ADFEST 2013 BEST MUSIC Toohey's Five Seeds
- APRA SCREEN AWARDS 2013 BEST MUSIC TIGER BEER 'Rise of the Megacity'