International music agency MassiveMusic have created a unique sonic identity for Philips, using a bespoke musical instrument of their own creation. ‘The Philips Instrument’ draws on a bank of original sounds that MassiveMusic captured from Philips’ most iconic product, the lightbulb, and also combined with a set of human sounds. The new sonic identity is both emotive and cutting-edge in its design, reflecting Philips’ mission of making people’s lives better through innovation.
Luc van Stiphout, head of music & brands at MassiveMusic commented, “The inspiration comes from the idea of light bulbs being a symbol of creativity, ideas and imagination, as well as an icon of Philips’ design heritage and excellence. In creating the Philips Instrument and using the sound of Philips light bulbs, we’ve brought consumers right to the heart of their business with the message that Philips products are ingeniously designed to make lives better.”
MassiveMusic used contact microphones to capture the intimate sounds of Philips lightbulbs and the human body. These ranged from heartbeats and finger snaps to electricity running through a bulb, creating melodic, rhythmic and harmonic elements, the essentials for composing music. These elements form the basis of ‘The Philips Instrument’, a fundamental tool in helping MassiveMusic to compose the new Philips sound logo. This will be used to sign off all future communications for the brand. Additionally, a rich suite of product and digital interface sounds were composed using the same instrument. This broad spectrum of sound icons has created a recognisable signature that caters to all touchpoints, from communications to product and services, bringing consistency across all global markets in every consumer interaction with the brand.
Luc van Stiphout continues, “Our journey with Philips has been one that we’ve thoroughly enjoyed as a project and collaborative process. We’ve gone further than just creating Philips’ ‘new sound’ by making a whole new instrument and branding tool from one overarching concept. This doesn’t just deliver a sound logo for advertising, but also caters to Philips’ product sounds and digital services.”
Thomas Marzano, global head of brand experience at Philips commented, “We asked MassiveMusic to translate the Philipsbrand into a new, simple set of audio assets. But together, we have in fact transformed the sonic brand identity across-the-board, which will radically change our brand recognition and help continue to put our consumers’ experience at the core of the business.”
Lenze Boonstra, VP & head of global marketing Personal Care at Philips, Continues, “Philips is a global company, operating in various markets which can differ from region to region. For this reason, we’re really happy with how MassiveMusic was able to come up with a fitting creative solution. Working together, they have proven to be a solid partner in building our brand through music and sound, and helping us to implement our strategy across a number of mediums and markets.”
