BRAND THEMES
WHAT IS A brand theme?
A brand theme (sometimes referred to as a “brand anthem”) is the foundation for a strong sonic identity. A brand theme is a full-length piece of music that captures the essence of the brand by communicating its core attributes in the universal language of music.
The brand theme acts as a basis for all other sonic assets by establishing primary instrumentation, key signature, tone, and style. It fully articulates a brand’s unique melody, which can be adapted to short-form assets like sonic logos and product sounds. A brand theme forms a sonic toolbox for the development of future assets in a consistent, unified brand voice.
HOW DO BRANDS USE official themes?
Brand themes are valuable sonic assets primarily because they establish the core musical framework that can be used to develop a wide variety of impactful sounds but they are also versatile consumer-facing assets in their own right.
SONIC TOOLBOX
A brand theme defines the essential musical parameters for the expression of the brand identity: instrumentation, key, tone, and melodies or motifs that can become synonymous with the brand over time. A primary melody from the brand theme can be leveraged to a short-form sonic logo, video bookends, or chapter interstitials like the Unify example shown here.
Audiobrain composed the five-note melody at the heart of this brand theme strategically to express the company’s visual logo through sound. On its own, the main melody acts as a unique, differentiating sonic logo that can be used in a wide variety of content to increase brand perception, awareness, and recognition among consumers. The melody was also leveraged to Video Bookends and Interstitials to create a consistent voice.
BRAND THEME TO SONIC LOGO
A brand theme and sonic logo are incredibly important assets in any sonic identity system: the brand theme is a thorough musical articulation of brand attributes that informs the sonic logo, which in turn aims to succinctly convey brand identity. The sonic logo is often developed from the most memorable melodic sequence in the brand theme and typically features tonal resolution to the tonic or dominant chord, establishing a satisfying “end” to the sound.
The brand theme and sonic logo that Audiobrain developed for the New York Giants demonstrates how these assets relate to each other: the official in-stadium anthem leads directly to the short-form sonic logo, which acts as a satisfying conclusion of the theme when these assets are heard together but also succinctly summarizes the theme on its own.
SUB-BRANDS, PRODUCTS, AND OFFERINGS
Elements of a brand theme can also be leveraged to sub-brands, products, and offerings to create a holistic sonic experience that connects with consumers on an emotional level. Adapting musical phrases from a brand’s primary theme to fit the specific attributes of a particular product, for example, sonically connects it to the larger brand identity while expressing its own personality.
The Unify & Circuit example shown here demonstrates how a brand theme’s core melody can be adapted to represent a sub-brand or product: the instrumentation and style are specific to Circuit’s unique characteristics but the underlying musical message conveys Unify’s overarching brand identity.
VIDEO SCORES
Brand themes provide particularly effective background music for branded video content that conveys a company’s core beliefs, values, and mission. The primary brand theme can also be evolved to fit different narratives with varying emotional content to ensure appropriate and consistent brand communications.
Audiobrain frequently works with our clients to develop a library of brand theme variations for use in different contexts, as in the Vanguard examples shown here. A library of brand theme variations provides flexibility and consistency across branded content.
EVENTS
Brand themes can be leveraged to events to reinforce brand identity and connect with consumers directly in person. A primary theme can be extended and adapted to create a room-warming soundtrack, for example, to add brand personality and character to a physical space. It can be used as an anthem to kick-start events like the Voice Summit example shown here.
A brand theme can also be leveraged to walk-on music for different speakers during a conference, as in the BMC example shown here. Audiobrain developed different walk-on options so each speaker could select a musical introduction that aligned with their personality while uniting everything under BMC’s overarching identity.
Audiobrain composed 6 variations on the primary theme for this event, including the samples shown here,
CONCLUSION
Brand Themes are valuable branding assets that can be used to enhance a wide variety of touchpoints. They are particularly important as foundational starting points for a comprehensive sonic identity system because they define its core musical parameters. Audiobrain is a globally recognized leader in sonic branding with over 25 years of experience helping brands find their voice through the development of strategic, differentiating, and ownable sonic identities.
