what is a sonic identity?
sonic identities.
a new term that is rapidly spreading across the airwaves(and cables) of the marketing world. the term may be new, but for decades, we have grown with many a sonic identity around us.
sound is a very powerful human sense. even without our explicit knowledge, we connect to a multitude of experiences based on the sounds linked to them. this connection, when established, can help a brand create bonds and #impact on a very personal, singular level.
the iconic Doordarshan Kendra music, the Britannia Industries Limited tinkle, the boot-up tones of the Nokia feature-phones of the early 2000’s, the Titan Watches India music composed by AR Rahman in the 1990’s, the airtel tone post their rebranding(also by AR Rahman which graduated to be the reversing tone for many a car across the indian subcontinent), the ‘Intel Inside’ tone and for those of us who have played a video game or 2, the start-up sound of a PlayStation 2. just describing these sounds can evoke powerful memories we have with connections to these brands and the commercials we’ve witnessed, where these sound bites stayed consistent for years, and even decades, erasing the need for words, visuals or names to form a bond in our minds!
how is a sonic identity different from a jingle?
the jingle is a staple format of a brand’s communication from the yesteryears. while jingles are restricted to a certain advertisement/commercial campaign, the more effective ones grew past being ‘ad jingles’ to represent the brand itself. some say that the jingle is on its way out as a format… sonic identity could be the jingle reimagined. simple. concise. consistent. a sound signature that is to do with the brand, first and foremost, and can be used in any communication or application, referencing the brand. let’s put it this way: a sonic identity could feature in a jingle, or be the base for a jingle, but a jingle is not a brand’s sonic identity.
it is also no mean feat to create such an identity. in essence, every single characteristic of a brand, or at least the key ones, has about a second or 3 of music to be condensed into.
ever wondered why some sonic identities stuck around longer than others? what made the iconic ones so?
what are the sonic identities you hold in dear memory?