- 21/07/2025
Thomas Houthave, a safe and sound pair of hands
All of a sudden, the jigsaw fell into place.
The last twelve months have been pretty wild for Thomas Houthave, the face, heart, life, and soul of Klankwerk. His sound design studio has been a household name in the Belgian advertising scene for a while. Now, the rest of the world is getting to know him as well. The last year brought not one, but two big international breaks. The first is a campaign for Under Armour, the second for Powerade.
It did not go unnoticed. Thomas won a CBA gold in film craft – sound design for Get Hot At The Right Time (Under Armour). The Athlete’s Code (Powerade, by Ogilvy New York) was shortlisted for a Titanium Lion at Cannes Lions and won both silver and bronze.
You’re playing in the big leagues.
- T. (hesitates) I guess so. For Powerade’s The Athletes Code, I was part of an amazing team that delivered a great campaign. We worked hard and I’m proud of the result. I shouldn’t be downplaying it, but my West-Flemish origin is playing tricks on me. Please, let me rephrase that. Yes, wow! It’s great and fantastic! (laughs)
- I’m probably even prouder of my Gold for sound design at CBA25 because that’s a recognition for my work and my work only. It was a campaign for a brand from Baltimore, Canada with a production company (ProdCo) from LA, no less. You’ll find plenty of sound designers in between LA and my studio in Sint-Amandsberg. It’s pretty cool that it ended up on my plate.
All of a sudden, an international breakthrough. How did that happen?
- T. A while back, I felt stuck and quite frustrated. I saw peers doing cool stuff all over the world. I needed to find something new, but never really ended up at the right places. Then, I put a lot of effort into my portfolio and reached out to people I admire. I must have messaged 50 directors on Instagram.
And…
- T. Nothing (laughs). At first, at least. That was a bitter pill to swallow. It all changed the day I left for a cycling trip. The night before, I was worrying in bed. When my alarm went at five o’clock, I saw a reply by Leigh Powis, a director I very much admire. He invited me to work on a passion project of his, which led to the Under Armour campaign. That got the ball rolling.
Has the last year changed the way you work?
- T. Yes and no. I immediately sensed a difference in level. The expectations are high, both in quality and in the hours you put in. They say jump. We say how high? But we had a lot of fun. There was so much creativity; we were constantly feeding off each other. A project with several people can feel like a struggle, as if everyone’s battling to get their ideas in. This felt different. Like I don’t need to use as much elbow grease as I used to.
Do you bring a typical Belgian perspective into that international context?
- T. There is an excellent work ethic in the Belgian advertising industry. Our resources are often limited, but our ambition isn’t. Time and time again, restricted funds end up in amazing results. I think the typical Belgian creative can get riled up and is ready to fight for it. We’re used to doing whatever it takes. That is something I brought to the table. It’s good to have that.
- Belgium has a scene that does astounding things. It wouldn’t be bad to brag about it a bit more, like the Americans or the Dutch. But I guess that’s our nature? I’m not great at it myself.
What does the future hold? Conquering Cannes and the rest of the world from Sint-Amandsberg?
- T. Yeah, why not? Our portfolio is looking good. Next, we’ll try to consolidate Klankwerk’s position in the international market. The last year has changed a lot. All of a sudden, the world is our playing field. Let’s keep it moving.
