What Melody Opened Samsung’s CES 2021? The New Corporate Brand Sound, ‘The Voyage’

Our lives are permeated by sound – from our alarms going off in the morning, to the noises made by our home appliances. From vigorous sounds to fun ones, the power of sound fills every corner of our lives with a range of different tones and moods. At CES 2021, Samsung Electronics embarked on a fresh communicative journey with its new brand sound, ‘The Voyage’.

A few notable sounds come to mind when we think of Samsung – namely, the Galaxy smartphone ringtone ‘Over the Horizon’ and the tone issued by the company’s home appliances, titled ‘Beyond the Horizon’. However, this is the first time that the company has sought to communicate directly with its consumers through its brand sound.

‘The Voyage’ represents the overall brand identity of Samsung Electronics and was created by sound designers with extensive experience in developing sounds for product functions. In line with the company’s existing sounds, the new melody presents a simplified musical scale so that the brand sound can be used in a broad range of applications.

The basic melody of the new brand sound consists of four simple notes. ‘Do’, the tonic note, symbolizes the reliability and stability of Samsung products. The inflection notes in the middle represent the willingness to meet challenges and continue moving forward. ‘Re’ is the last tension note, and expresses the company’s hope and excitement for the future. These four notes together create a sound that encapsulates the spirit of the ‘Relentless Pioneer’ – the brand persona of Samsung Electronics, which never stops challenging itself and innovating to improve the consumer experience.

Basic Melody

Piano Version of the Melody

Samsung Electronics plans to develop various arrangements of this melody for a range of marketing activities. The melody will maintain a single motif, but will be arranged following Samsung’s brand tonality of bold, genuine, contemporary, and playful to deliver a range of atmospheric effects. The company also plans to establish positive communications with its users by integrating versions of the melody into not only products but stores, events and digital content, enabling consumers to experience the products and services in new ways.

Bold_Innovative: An electronic piece. This sound highlights a youthful, progressive and future-oriented feeling.

Genuine_Harmonious: A neo-classical piece. Based on warm feelings, this sound accentuates a stable and welcoming atmosphere.

Contemporary_Trendy: A pop music piece. A rhythmical yet comfortable atmosphere is established by a sound with a stylish vintage feel.

Playful_Funky: A funk piece. The rhythmical sounds of drums and bass guitar create a vibrant atmosphere.

At CES 2021, Samsung introduced a new logo animation based on the combination of the company’s letter mark logo and its new brand sound. This helps the company communicate with its consumers, particularly those from the Millennial and GenZ generations, in a more friendly and flexible manner.

An official from Samsung’s Global Marketing Center said, “The sense of hearing can establish image awareness much more quickly than sight or touch, which are used extensively in a range of fields including the luxury goods sector.” The official added, “Samsung Electronics is also planning to use its new brand sound in emotionally-oriented brand talks to strengthen its corporate image as young and playful.”

For more information about Samsung’s new brand sound, visit the company’s website.