SONIC BRANDING: THE UNSUNG BRAND HERO
When I was living and working in Hong Kong, I experienced the impact of sonic branding for the first time. I visited a shop that sold high-end hi-fi equipment and home theatre systems in the Central district of Hong Kong. The shop was an Aladdin’s cave of high-end components, high-definition video, speakers, multi-coloured cables, high-definition projectors, and amplifiers/preamplifiers that went up to 11. They all looked like they belonged in an international space centre rather than a hi-fi shop. They were a triumph of industrial design and conceptual art.
A SONIC BRAND REVELATION
Then came the demonstration. What could all this kit deliver by way of an entertainment experience? The film The Fifth Element (music and sound design by Eric Sera, directed by Luc Besson) was one of the demos used. The impressive images projected onto a giant screen made the first impact. Then the real experience wallop came from the surround sound system. Boom! Fleets of spaceships came straight at you and disappeared in the acoustic rearview mirror. All carried by an enormous and magical film score. This sonic moment was delivered via three pairs of speakers – in front, beside, and behind me.
The message was clear: sound is power.
But what does that have to do with brand empowerment and brand activation? Everything. Too many brands do not think about having a sonic identity to emotionally engage their audience. They are content to continue as a pure logo and tagline brand, sticking one or both on everything they can find. Many brands are missing out on the opportunity to really engage, build and excite their audience through the emotional connection and recognition of an acoustic brand. At many large venues, a strong acoustic brand identity is vastly superior to a graphic, visual brand identity, especially when there is limited space for printed event signage. When an event’s sonic branding is used with flair and imagination for the event’s defining moments – goal celebrations, the lifting of trophies, the running-in of players/athletes walk on- the appeal to the audience is immediate and memorable.
SONIC BRANDING IN ACTION
My first involvement with music production and the power of sonic branding for a major event was the Hong Kong ’97 Spectacular, which celebrated the return of the colonial territory to Chinese sovereignty. This show was a big deal for China: the world would watch and listen.
The theme featured four distinct chapters of Hong Kong’s development, from a quiet fishing village to a high-tech metropolis. It included a 200-foot-tall floating stage, the “Pearl of the Orient,” fountains, an illuminated boat, lasers, and fireworks. Cirque du Soleil composer and arranger René Dupéré was commissioned to give the event a distinctive and modern sound.
The music that punctuated the broadcast was broadcast live in Hong Kong, China, and the rest of the world, and was seen (and heard) by more than a billion people. The music was also broadcast live to more than one million spectators lining Victoria Harbour, creating a whole new emotional connection to the event.
In the lead-up to this eventful night, everything that could go wrong did go wrong in the testing and preparations! Even on the night itself, the omens were worrying: the weather forecast predicted torrential rain (not good for the fireworks element of the show). But then – miraculously, and just minutes before the countdown – the rain stopped, the skies cleared, and the show could begin with a (dry) spectacular fireworks display. Five minutes after the last fireworks went off and the final note faded, the skies opened up again for one of the most spectacular downpours Hong Kong has ever seen.
Since then, I have been fortunate to work as an executive producer with some truly amazing composers and musicians from around the world, from a reinterpretation of Handel’s Zadok the Priest score by composer Tony Britten and Matt Clifford for the UEFA Champions League theme to Rollo by Faithless for the music of the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.
Sonic Branding, which Olive Grove produced for the complete rebranding of United World Wrestling, took an even more sophisticated approach. Both the sound design and the scope of the music treatments supported all aspects of the brand’s presence at the competitions, from broadcast to online presence, from sponsor activation to live event choreography.
WHAT MAKES A STRONG SONIC BRAND?
From movies to sporting events, certain themes get right to the point. They have that immediate emotional connection to the audience. Music supports and influences the moment, whether it’s an emotional drama or a sporting triumph.
When composing a sonic brand, the creative brief should be the same as for the visual aspect of the brand (logo, tagline, graphic identity). The main goals, vision, mission and values should be shared with the musicians and producers as much as with the graphic designers and animators. This process ensures an impactful sonic extension of the brand and a coherent overall creative direction.
There are two main forms of sonic branding:
- licensed music from the catalogue of an existing composer/artist
- an original composition produced to a specific creative brief, including all technical aspects and means of implementation
We typically recommend the latter option for ongoing and longer-term branding – the original composition allows the client to make the sonic branding their own, as it is unique and distinctive to the client’s specific brand(s).
When producing a sonic brand, it is important to avoid overkill through frequent playback on TV and event edits. The key is to offer a wide range of musical edits derived from the original extended version of the score/themes (never cut-downs of the original). The musicians and producer ensure that each arrangement is explicitly composed for the specific application. For example, the opening sequence (intro) of the show should have a different structure, middle section, and conclusion than the closing sequence (outro). This is beneficial to the audience and a much more creative and rewarding experience for the composer and musicians, as they can identify with the overall sonic identity of the brand.
we always strive for the “kettle moment” when developing sonic branding for clients. This refers to the moment when you turn on the kettle in the kitchen and hear the distinct opening bars of music to your favourite show (Squid Game, Champions League, UFC). This is the moment when you know that something magical is about to happen.
That’s the power of Sonic Branding, and you can not wait to be a part of it
