Mastercard - Sonic Branding

Mastercard has one of the most recognizable logos on the planet. And when you see it at the register as you pay, you feel safe, secure and empowered. But more and more transactions are happening without a card. They’re happening with smartwatches. They’re happening with voices. They’re happening inside virtual worlds. How could Mastercard get ahead of current payment trends and keep our global recognizability?

Mastercard went multisensory and created an entire musical language that became the audio representation of our brand. The last thing we wanted to do was make a jingle that competed with creative and irritated audiences, so our Sonic Brand started with neuroscientific research that helped us find a simple series of notes that people found both memorable and pleasant. These notes are like colors in a palette, complementing creative, giving us flexibility for any environment, and being fluid enough to adapt across cultures, continents and genres. Our Sonic Brand can handle any task, big or small, from global television spots to the purchase sound in the back of a taxi. So now, you recognize Mastercard whenever you hear us, too.