Mastercard is a technology company that connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments & businesses worldwide. They operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, linking consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone.
On February 8 2019, Mastercard debuted their sonic brand. Described as the sound equivalent of their iconic red and yellow circle, the unique melody aims at reinforcing the brand every time a consumer interacts with it.
Brand theme
The sound of Mastercard starts from a core melody, a brand theme that is the foundation of the entire sonic brand architecture.
It adapts locally and globally with a very large number of adaptations and variations that ensure local relevance. The different variations of the core melody borrow their title from the city of the country/region they were adapted to.
Bogotà
Bogotà, is the sonic adaptation for Latin America. The rich use of congas and trumpets and acoustic guitars ensures that the sound of Mastercard stays relevant to the musical culture of Latin America. In this specific case, the theme borrows a lot from the classic Salsa music, with its distinctive and unique syncopated rhythms.
Mumbai
Mumbai, delivers incredible sounds and melodies directly linked to the Indian region. The melody is performed in its entirety by a sitar and hand percussion follow the calm rhythm of the traditional sitar music derived directly from India. Music and percussion blend together and bring the user on a journey in the eastern region.
Dubai
Dubai, is the adaptation for middle-east countries. Given the uniqueness of the region and the fast developing pace that Dubai and other cities embody in their growth process, the melody blends traditional string instruments with modern synthetic beats that make the listener envision the future of the cities in that specific region.
Cape Town
Cape Town, is the adaptation for the African countries that are rapidly growing and adapting to different challenges while maintaining their cultural identity. Marimba sounds, fast beats, African percussion instruments (bongos and other skin drums) combined with deep bass male vocal harmonizations (drawn from tribal chants) makes it the perfect fit for reflecting one continent's identity and people’s roots.
Sonic moods
Other declinations of the brand theme have been developed to better be used in specific media and artifacts. These include, but are not limited to:
Operatic
Operatic, an intrinsic bond between a beautiful female opera voice and pizzicato strings to express to the fullness a solemn, theatrical and elegant event. A delicate reinterpretation of the core melody with a human presence that starts gently and subsequently grows into a call and response full choir opera performance.
Playful
Playful, a childish-like, upbeat and synthetic interpretation of the Mastercard core melody that excites and adapts to more mondaine occasions. Snaps and synths and digital snares are used to describe a fun and playful world in which Mastercard will serve as a key enabler for the experience.
Cinematic
Cinematic, starts out big with a full set of brass and big orchestral percussion to immerse the listener in the world of big performances and epic experiences! Then the track modulates and delivers even higher expectations to the listener by also including a human touch with multiple backup vocals.
There are tons of different adaptations and sonic assets already employed in Mastercard's enormous amount of digital and physical content. Their sonic identity, in fact, does not end here. Mastercard is the first payment company to develop an acceptance sound at the Point of Sale. With approximately 8 million payment touchpoints where the sonic melody can be heard, it comes as no surprise that they decided to go with a declination of the core melody.
Acceptance
Not only that, but as the identity grew and spread across all media applications in 2019, the next year Mastercard decided to release multiple artistic collaborations with musicians from all around the world, including the brand's first ever music single performed by Nadine Randle and produced by Niclas Molinder. It’s called Merry Go Round and delivers the latest evolution in sonic brand identity, redefining how people interact with the brand.
Mastercard positions itself as the global benchmark for sonic branding because of its completeness and effort in delivering consistency across regions and assets.
It is quite impressive to go through the company’s assets in different regions of the world and find ever changing variations of the same musical theme.
In fact, amp sound branding - the consultancy behind the sound of Mastercard - delivered 200 unique sonic assets in 24 months (The Sound of Mastercard — Amp Sound Branding, 2021) and made them play in 120 countries simultaneously.
Here’s how it is described in Super Sonic Logos: The Power of Audio Branding
“Destined to be classic but too early to be considered for the best of all time, the next chapter of sonic strategy and logos has to be Mastercard. The press release sounded the charge…. Setting a new tempo for brand expression, Mastercard debuts its sonic brand identity, a comprehensive sound architecture that signifies the latest advancement for the brand. Wherever consumers engage with Mastercard across the globe—be it physical, digital or voice environments—the distinct and memorable Mastercard melody will provide simple, seamless familiarity.” (Allan, 2021, 117)