BMW Ads Get New Signature Sound Logo. Here's How It Sounds - BMW 3-Series Forum (F30 / F32)

Jason · 03-19-2013, 11:55 AM

BIMMERPOST NEWS

BMW Ads Get New Signature Sound Logo. Here's How It Sounds

71
COMMENTS

After 14 years, BMW is changing the signature sound logo in its ads. What's a sound logo anyway? It's the signature sound (double gong tone) that you have been hearing at the end of BMW commercials for years.

BMW has now revealed its new sound logo (listen in the video below).

“As part of the evolution of our acoustic branding, we are replacing the ‘double gong’ used for the past 14 years with a new sound logo, which gives the brand a distinctive modern, aesthetic and dynamic recognition factor and can be used in many different ways worldwide,” says Joachim H. Blickhäuser, head of Corporate and Brand Identity at BMW Group.

“It was a very intensive process and a wonderfully exciting challenge right from the start,” sound designer Thomas Kisser of Hastings media music, commented on the development of the new sound logo.

“The questions I asked myself at the outset were: What does the BMW brand sound like to me? Which sound themes represent the values I associate with BMW, such as Sheer Driving Pleasure, aesthetic appeal and power? And how can I create a sound logo that clearly differentiates the brand from other brands—especially other automotive brands? Important criteria for the development process included global cultural compatibility, variability of application, brand fit and recognition value.”

That BMW would take great care about a signature sound logo comes no surprise. In the engineering process for its cars, BMW has sound designers (acoustic specialists) obsessing on every sound in the car, from the exhaust note to the window motors. This process was featured in CNBC's recent documentary on BMW - "A Driving Obsession". See the sound design process in the following segment from that documentary (starting at 1:25 of the video)

Share this story

OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT LIKE

BMW 5 Series history. The third generation. E34.

BMW M5 Drift Record Update: Video and Reaction from Driver Johan Schwartz

No Competition. An M3 Film.

red-sauerkraut · 03-19-2013, 12:47 PM

Why not

russoturristo · 03-19-2013, 12:54 PM

Meh

Maz335i · 03-19-2013, 12:57 PM

I like the old one!

Jason · 03-19-2013, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maz335i

I like the old one!

I do too

eMvy · 03-19-2013, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason

I do too

+1

CoolDude196 · 03-19-2013, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maz335i

I like the old one!

+1. sounds a lot more... menacing and meaningful

JL328i · 03-19-2013, 01:07 PM

Definitely like the old one better. The new one sounds like a noise an old computer would make. Audi beat us on this one IMO, love their sound logo.

Zirenz2006 · 03-19-2013, 01:09 PM

prefer the old one

Sparrow3493 · 03-19-2013, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JL328i

Definitely like the old one better. The new one sounds like something an old computer would make

+1

sonicbimmer19 · 03-19-2013, 01:12 PM

I always thought that the "welcome" sound inside the car was pure sex. I always get great compliments from my passengers (non-BMW drivers) too.
When I watched that NBC documentary and found out that they had a guy specialize in sounds, I was not surprised. By the way, the sound is shared with Rolls-Royce cars. I hope they never change that sound

As for the logo sound, I always liked the old one and wondered why they don't use that double gong in the US.
I don't hate the new sound logo, but doesn't sound luxury, premium, nor modern. I'll give dynamic sound though which I'm not sure should be a priority.
But for some reason I do like it.

Edit: Audi has by far the best sound logo, imo

Megabeast · 03-19-2013, 01:19 PM

Keep the old one!!!!

benyeech · 03-19-2013, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason

After 14 years, BMW is changing the signature sound logo in its ads. What's a sound logo anyway? It's the signature sound (double gong tone) that you have been hearing at the end of BMW commercials for years.

BMW has now revealed its new sound logo (listen in the video below).

“As part of the evolution of our acoustic branding, we are replacing the ‘double gong’ used for the past 14 years with a new sound logo, which gives the brand a distinctive modern, aesthetic and dynamic recognition factor and can be used in many different ways worldwide,” says Joachim H. Blickhuser, head of Corporate and Brand Identity at BMW Group.

“It was a very intensive process and a wonderfully exciting challenge right from the start,” sound designer Thomas Kisser of Hastings media music, commented on the development of the new sound logo.

“The questions I asked myself at the outset were: What does the BMW brand sound like to me? Which sound themes represent the values I associate with BMW, such as Sheer Driving Pleasure, aesthetic appeal and power? And how can I create a sound logo that clearly differentiates the brand from other brands—especially other automotive brands? Important criteria for the development process included global cultural compatibility, variability of application, brand fit and recognition value.”

That BMW would take great care about a signature sound logo comes no surprise. In the engineering process for its cars, BMW has sound designers (acoustic specialists) obsessing on every sound in the car, from the exhaust note to the window motors. This process was featured in CNBC's recent documentary on BMW - "A Driving Obsession". See the sound design process in the following segment from that documentary (starting at 1:25 of the video)

I like the old one better. More manly imo

ferrari6891 · 03-19-2013, 01:21 PM

ehhh what are we gonna do about it. it'll take some time getting used to that's for sure.

Vector Pilot · 03-19-2013, 01:42 PM

Wouldn't you think they have better things to do.
Highest Regards

dreamspeed · 03-19-2013, 01:42 PM

the new one has a more futuristic/tech/electric vibe to it

DriveHard · 03-19-2013, 01:50 PM

Sounds like a pre loaded ring tone from one of those cheap disposable cell phones. But i do like it.

Diver · 03-19-2013, 01:53 PM

I think the old one is more recognizable as a signature, but it is possible the experts found something wrong with it.

hinckley · 03-19-2013, 02:05 PM

omg, they pay people for this stuff??

Holander · 03-19-2013, 02:05 PM

If old sound reminds e30

M3 new reminds that electrick fwd concept car what they called it..meh I don´t care.

flyga3 · 03-19-2013, 02:08 PM

Hmmm....while the old one sounded too teutonic (cold mallots), this new one is the other extreme: buzzy video games, or the ending to a movie trailer!
I guess with all their sound engineers, BMW must appeal to the younger generations and resonate with their interests. I'm sure this is the result of years of testing; too bad it wasn't simpler, somehow incorporating the tones/chimes we hear in BMW software today.

Honestly, from a marketing perspective (as a marketing instructor), any sounds resonating back to the actual product is best to establish that brand impression and emotional connection. Intel's gong (and its evolution) has established long-term "acoustic brand" impressions for many years; you hear it and know exactly that brand. Acoustics makes better sense for a brand you can't see everyday, such as computer chips, but you know you see a BMW when you do.
Oh well, as long as I don't hear that in my BMW I'm fine. And since we enthusiasts are becoming more and more the minority of customers to the brand, we take what we get.

StuttgartM3 · 03-19-2013, 02:09 PM

The old one always made me think of a slow Law and Order sound logo which drove me crazy. No judgement passed on the new one but at least I won't have to think of that darn TV show every time I hear a BMW commercial on the radio.

03-19-2013, 11:55 AM	#1
Jason Administrator Drives: E90 M3 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: IoT Posts: 13,911 iTrader: (0)	BMW Ads Get New Signature Sound Logo. Here's How It Sounds BIMMERPOST NEWS BMW Ads Get New Signature Sound Logo. Here's How It Sounds 71 COMMENTS Tweet After 14 years, BMW is changing the signature sound logo in its ads. What's a sound logo anyway? It's the signature sound (double gong tone) that you have been hearing at the end of BMW commercials for years. BMW has now revealed its new sound logo (listen in the video below). “As part of the evolution of our acoustic branding, we are replacing the ‘double gong’ used for the past 14 years with a new sound logo, which gives the brand a distinctive modern, aesthetic and dynamic recognition factor and can be used in many different ways worldwide,” says Joachim H. Blickhäuser, head of Corporate and Brand Identity at BMW Group. “It was a very intensive process and a wonderfully exciting challenge right from the start,” sound designer Thomas Kisser of Hastings media music, commented on the development of the new sound logo. “The questions I asked myself at the outset were: What does the BMW brand sound like to me? Which sound themes represent the values I associate with BMW, such as Sheer Driving Pleasure, aesthetic appeal and power? And how can I create a sound logo that clearly differentiates the brand from other brands—especially other automotive brands? Important criteria for the development process included global cultural compatibility, variability of application, brand fit and recognition value.” That BMW would take great care about a signature sound logo comes no surprise. In the engineering process for its cars, BMW has sound designers (acoustic specialists) obsessing on every sound in the car, from the exhaust note to the window motors. This process was featured in CNBC's recent documentary on BMW - "A Driving Obsession". See the sound design process in the following segment from that documentary (starting at 1:25 of the video) Share this story OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT LIKE BMW 5 Series history. The third generation. E34. BMW M5 Drift Record Update: Video and Reaction from Driver Johan Schwartz No Competition. An M3 Film.
	Tweet

03-19-2013, 12:47 PM	#2
red-sauerkraut . Drives: m-car / x-car Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: northern hemisphere Posts: 2,744 iTrader: (0)	Why not __________________ Joy

03-19-2013, 12:57 PM	#4
Maz335i BMW 4 Life... Drives: 2012 335i M Sport (Special Ed) Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Mississauga, Ontario Posts: 2,462 iTrader: (0)	I like the old one! __________________ MODS: * / M Sport + Performance / Meisterschaft / Challenge / MORR / more to come! *

03-19-2013, 01:07 PM	#8
JL328i feening for an E90 Drives: E46 328i Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Salt Lake City Utah Posts: 452 iTrader: (0)	Definitely like the old one better. The new one sounds like a noise an old computer would make. Audi beat us on this one IMO, love their sound logo. __________________ The 328i that once was...

03-19-2013, 01:09 PM	#9
Zirenz2006 Really lookin forward to the weekend, you guys Drives: 12' F30 328i Sport Line Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: US - RI Posts: 3,057 iTrader: (0)	prefer the old one __________________ Current: F30 328i Sport Line Sapphire Black\|Black-red Retired: '09 E90 335i M-Sport AW\|Oyster, '07 E92 335i Graphite\|Saddle, '05 E60 545i TiAg\|Black, '01 E46 325i Jet Black\|Black

03-19-2013, 12:54 PM	#3
russoturristo New Member Drives: e39 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: SEA Posts: 21 iTrader: (0)	Meh

03-19-2013, 01:12 PM	#11
sonicbimmer19 Lieutenant Drives: E88/F10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 416 iTrader: (0)	I always thought that the "welcome" sound inside the car was pure sex. I always get great compliments from my passengers (non-BMW drivers) too. When I watched that NBC documentary and found out that they had a guy specialize in sounds, I was not surprised. By the way, the sound is shared with Rolls-Royce cars. I hope they never change that sound As for the logo sound, I always liked the old one and wondered why they don't use that double gong in the US. I don't hate the new sound logo, but doesn't sound luxury, premium, nor modern. I'll give dynamic sound though which I'm not sure should be a priority. But for some reason I do like it. Edit: Audi has by far the best sound logo, imo

03-19-2013, 01:19 PM	#12
Megabeast Manual Shift Supporter Drives: 2013 SG ZCP E92 M3 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 77 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2013 BMW E92 M3 ZCP [0.00] 2003 AUDI TT 1.8T ( ... [0.00] 2006 BMW 330i (Reti ... [0.00] 2009 AUDI A4 Quattr ... [0.00]	Keep the old one!!!!

03-19-2013, 01:21 PM	#14
ferrari6891 the original brown guy Drives: 08 E92 M3, 11 E90 M3 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: tenafly, nj/ boston, ma Posts: 955 iTrader: (3) Garage List 2011.75 E90 M3 [3.83]	ehhh what are we gonna do about it. it'll take some time getting used to that's for sure. __________________ 2011 E90 ///M3 AW/FR ACM Exhaust with CF tips, CF splitters, CF mirror caps, OEM Performance CF trunk Spoiler, gloss black side markers and hood vents, AW painted reflectors, matte black kidney grills, OSS-ACM Headlights, ZCP/GTS matte black wheels Future: tints, RD sport springs, turner test pipes, CF roof vinyl

03-19-2013, 01:42 PM	#15
Vector Pilot First Lieutenant Drives: 2011 E92 335xi + 2011 Z4 35i Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chicago Metro Posts: 347 iTrader: (0)	Wouldn't you think they have better things to do. Highest Regards __________________ 2011 E92 335i + 2011 E89 35i

03-19-2013, 01:42 PM	#16
dreamspeed Lieutenant Drives: M3 E92 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 481 iTrader: (0)	the new one has a more futuristic/tech/electric vibe to it __________________

03-19-2013, 01:50 PM	#17
DriveHard Lieutenant Colonel Drives: 128i M-Sport Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,917 iTrader: (0)	Sounds like a pre loaded ring tone from one of those cheap disposable cell phones. But i do like it. __________________ '11 128i M-Sport Pkg, Sport Susp., 6AT w/paddles, BMW Perf CAI,Charcoal Filter Delete, BMW Perf. Big Brake Kit, BMW Perf. Exhaust, Ferodo 2500's, Titanium shims,135 trunk lip, BMS-PBX Box-Map 3, Castrol RBF600 ,e93 FSB, , f30 Backing Plates,GC Camber Plates, Hankook RS-3's (Track setup)

03-19-2013, 01:53 PM	#18
Diver Colonel Drives: Black '12 135i DCT PPK Msport Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Texas Posts: 2,029 iTrader: (0)	I think the old one is more recognizable as a signature, but it is possible the experts found something wrong with it. __________________ See my photography at http://ronscubadiver.wordpress.com

03-19-2013, 02:05 PM	#19
hinckley Second Lieutenant Drives: MY13 M5 6MT Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Boston, MA USA Posts: 296 iTrader: (0)	omg, they pay people for this stuff?? __________________ MY13 Sakhir Orange M5 6MT Retired - MY08 E60 550i 6MT / MY04 E60 545i 6MT / MY98 E39 540i 6MT / MY94 E34 530i 5MT / MY84 E28 528e 5MT

03-19-2013, 02:05 PM	#20
Holander Private Drives: bmw mit Lsd & L6 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Europe- Posts: 85 iTrader: (0)	If old sound reminds e30 M3 new reminds that electrick fwd concept car what they called it..meh I don´t care.

03-19-2013, 02:08 PM	#21
flyga3 Geboren zu Fahren! Drives: F25 X3 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Scottsdale, AZ Posts: 221 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 BMW X3 [0.00]	Hmmm....while the old one sounded too teutonic (cold mallots), this new one is the other extreme: buzzy video games, or the ending to a movie trailer! I guess with all their sound engineers, BMW must appeal to the younger generations and resonate with their interests. I'm sure this is the result of years of testing; too bad it wasn't simpler, somehow incorporating the tones/chimes we hear in BMW software today. Honestly, from a marketing perspective (as a marketing instructor), any sounds resonating back to the actual product is best to establish that brand impression and emotional connection. Intel's gong (and its evolution) has established long-term "acoustic brand" impressions for many years; you hear it and know exactly that brand. Acoustics makes better sense for a brand you can't see everyday, such as computer chips, but you know you see a BMW when you do. Oh well, as long as I don't hear that in my BMW I'm fine. And since we enthusiasts are becoming more and more the minority of customers to the brand, we take what we get. __________________ 2011 F25 X3 2.8 (in service) 2009 E90 328i (retired) 2007 E92 335i (retired) 2005 R53 MINI Cooper S (retired) 2002 E53 X5 3.0 (retired), 1999 E46 328i (retired)

03-19-2013, 02:09 PM	#22
StuttgartM3 Private Drives: 2011 M3 E90 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Germany Posts: 84 iTrader: (0)	The old one always made me think of a slow Law and Order sound logo which drove me crazy. No judgement passed on the new one but at least I won't have to think of that darn TV show every time I hear a BMW commercial on the radio.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search