McDonald's' sign in Harlem. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The voice of McDonald’s is a worldwide contest to discover, recognize and reward the most talented singers among the more than 1.7 million employees working in McDonald’s restaurants. From a branding perspective it’s a nice combination of employer branding, employee motivation and public relation. The competition was kicked off in 2005 and in 2011 more than 20,000 employees entered Voice of McDonald’s IV.
Eight Mile Style, the company that is responsible for licensing Eminem’s songs, has filed a lawsuit against Audi in the Hamburg regional court in Germany, claiming that the Audi A6 commercial uses a version of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” without permission. (Source: Spiegel News magazine)
The Eminem song was used in this year’s Chrysler’s Super Bowl spot. Moreover, the Audi spot … Continue reading
The other night I saw a new Audi commercial on TV. I became curious what is going on in other countries regarding the new Audi Sound Branding. Here are some of the latest TV commercial from Audi.
This one is for the Audi A1. Some sounds “sound” familiar:
Here is another spot for the Audi A7. It is for the US market. Here I miss… Continue reading
Sound Logo is the acoustic match of the visual logo and therefore one of the most commonly used elements of sound branding. It should be a distinctive sound (differentiation) which reflects the brand character (brand fit). Moreover it should be easy to remember (memorability) and flexible enough for usage at the relevant brand touchpoints (flexibility). In most cases it is a short (1 – 2 sec.) melody (Nokia), sometimes just a sound sequence (e.g. BMW). Some refer to it as the soundmark of a brand. The Sound Logo should be used… Continue reading
Some time ago I was interviewed by Fabrice Burtin who is the publisher of a very interesting blog on “branding in the hospitality industry, travel and others”. 
The interview was originally published on his blog. The questions were asked by Fabrice Burtin.
“We are all familiar with the main dimensions of branding, however Sound Branding and Accoustic Identity are often forgotten though they have an obvious emotional impact on the perception of a brand and a dimension that is largely under utilised in the hotel industry. Karlheinz kindly agreed to answer my questions. Very insightful and fascinating.
Can you explain briefly the concept of “Sound Branding”?
Sound Branding (Audio Branding, Acoustic Branding, Sonic Branding) is the process of development, implementation and management of Sound Branding Elements. It includes all sound elements that are exclusively composed and produced for a brand. The key elements are: Continue reading
I just received this Email.
“Hello Karlheinz,
I’m writing this because I thought that both you and your readers might want to know that Sound Branding Blog has been included in our article, “Top 50 Up and Coming Branding Blogs.” Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any feedback, I’d love to share it with the team –
Best,
Alba Collazo
Co-founder, Advertising Blog
A note about our methodology: When finding blogs our authors use popular search tools (Google/Bing), observe blog rolls, and peruse social media sites. The most relevant, and interesting blogs are then included in our article, which doesn’t rank blogs, but rather lists and categorizes them.”
Thanks a lot for this feedback! I like it :) and it shows the power SoundBranding has! Karlheinz Illner
This is the TV Spot for the new worldwide Coca-Cola campaign (Agency: Wieden+Kennedy, Amsterdam). The song for the TV commercial “Can you feel it” is performed by One Night Only, a new upcoming british band from Yorkshire. As stated by Coca-Cola the song is supposed to be the next Coca-Cola anthem!! Very interesting from a Sound Branding perspective: Coca-Cola’s Brand Theme (Motif) is… Continue reading
Have you ever dreamed of to give your favorite band some inspiration? Coca-Cola translates this idea into action. Coca-Cola Music, a new music program that will give teens the opportunity to be part of the creation of a new song and … Continue reading
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Tagged Brand Communication, Branding, Brands and Music, Coca-Cola, Sound Branding, User-generated content
Some days ago I have been interviewed by Christian Schmitt from Vogel Business Media (one of the leading German business publishing groups) about Sound Branding. A special topic is the relevance of Sound Branding for B-to-B brands.
I just came across this TV commercial which I would like to share with you. It’s from the BC Lions football team and it’s already from the year 2004 but it’s a great example how you can make a great spot without music, however; with a great voice character and a sound at the end which could be part of a unique Sound Branding (Do you feel the impact when suddenly the cheering kicks in?). Enjoy it!
Sound Branding Blog 