The new BMW sound logo does not only inherit the paralyzing sound symmetry of its predecessor, it very unskillfully tries to add an additional layer of dynamism which goes in the totally wrong direction – BACKWARDS!
Sound branding is something that lies on the ‘more obscure’ side of the branding discipline, so I am not surprised why I haven’t found any commentary and/or reactions to the latest sound logo rebranding of the BMW brand so far. Apparently the old BMW sound signature (logo) existed for 14 years. This is something I was NOT aware of, and I would have to point fingers at the non-existent advertising budget the dealers of this brand in my country had trough the years. But luckily, this tragedy turned out quite well since I got to experience both sound logos today, playing them one right after the other.
Thanks to professional web journalism, thinking that I was hearing the new version, firstly I turned all ears for what apparently was the old existing logo >>>
If we analyze this old logo which people like to call a ‘double gong’ (which is very far from it), we would see (hear) that it is composed of two identical sounds which are probably produced by blowing into large pipes (or a bottle, or an instrument in which air circulates in the same way…. you get the picture). Tone it down an octave maybe, add some cool echo effects and voila – it spells BMW – NOT! After hearing it my thoughts were something like… “Well, this sounds like banging on plastic pipes” and it left me with an image of a shallow and abandoned (probably rusty) BMW car engine. Though I haven’t read about the significance and/or the background story this logo has to offer, it misses the mark so badly I don’t even feel like I want to do the research. Although it appears to have stuck with listeners (let’s be honest, after 14 years, what wouldn’t?) I don’t think it produces the adequate images to BMW in one’s mind. All I can hear is emptiness and a void. This is very far from the BMW brand which is encapsulated in their slogan – The ultimate driving machine.
Onwards to the new and allegedly improved version >>>
If BMW is the ultimate driving machine, instead of a void, there has to be an excitement, power and adrenaline added to the new sound logo, right?
Yes!
That is all there, but it is backwards!
If you tune in to the new sound logo carefully, you can hear two deep beats (again, why two!?) playing forward and what appears to be a formula sounding Doppler Effect made by few brass instruments played in reverse. Don’t get me wrong, sounds in reverse are not a foreign thing when it comes to designing sound logos. They are unexpected to the ear and as such stand out from everyday sounds making them ideal for such a task. In this case though you can still recognize an actual orchestra playing . The sound is not processed (masked) enough, so it sounds like a broken record playing backwards…
Masking/manipulating the sound so one would not recognize it right away is crucial. Firstly, it sounds more professional and secondly, it is because you buy cars to propel you forward! Reverse sounding effects should not be a part of any automotive brand, let alone BMW which should be the symbol of acceleration and power. When I hear this logo, a part of me says “Oh my God! This engine is going to break down at any moment!”
Unfortunately, there is another issue I would like to address, and that is the issue of the “double repetitive sound” whitch is present in both of the logos. My opinion is that any symmetric symbol should not have a place in an identity used by the automotive industry. Symmetry means balancing between equal parts and it stands for equilibrium, stability and the static. Need I remind you that this industry is an industry that aims at the opposite principles: luxury, power, speed and motion. Having that in mind, both of the logos play sounds which are repeated exactly two times in both cases. As you know, the number two is an even number and in its nature is symmetric. This doesn’t need to be that bad, but In our particular case the sounds are not only at the same pitch, they are with the same length as well (the second logo has a shorter second beat, but still…). This symmetry brings the whole identity to a halt and I don’t have to say that in this case, this is really really bad.
To put it in short words, the new BMW sound logo does not only inherit the paralyzing sound symmetry of it’s predecessor, it very unskillfully tries to add an additional layer of dynamism going in the totally wrong direction – and that is backwards.
Somehow i dont like either of the sounds – old and new. I would have expected them to have something like what VW has !
Hi Jay. Thank you very much for commenting! I agree with you, looks like VW sonic identity would be more suited to BMW’s brand. And what do you think of Mercedes` sonic logo? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0EB_vl4rik Could such an approach be adapted for BMW too since they are both high-end brands?
The BMW audio logo is certainly a step in a different direction.
There are many factors to look at when designing an audio logo for a brand. Some of which include memorability and brand fit but, one of the more important factors is ownership, which translates into uniqueness for most listeners.
The Mercedes Benz audio logo you mentioned was taken, with some minor tweaks, from a sample library that any consumer/professional can use to create their own music or for that matter put in another commercial!
Here’s a video of the sample http://youtu.be/VGi92yx9DZA It’s a huge oversite from Mercedes Benz and quite frankly should have never been aired as a brand property.
I actually really like the new sound logo. Everyone saying that the old one is nostalgic – move over please! BMW were clearly going for a future sounding edge on this, you realise that more than 10 years has passed since the introduction of the old sound logo, that’s 10 years of new potential customers to tap in to.
For the sound logo itself – it sounds dramatic and cutting edge. I didn’t actually notice it had the two deep beats, I was focused on the impressive and attention-grabbing reverse orchestral sound. It doesn’t say “engine breakdown” it says “cutting edge of automobile technology”. Heard in a cinema where the audience are especially captive, the sound is very loud (reminds me of the THX sound test sound) and thus very attention grabbing and, again, futuristic.
This is just my opinion, an 18 year old with an interest in marketing, but hey ho. I found this article because I was looking for the new sound so I could see what people though of it.