Leading mobile chipmaker Qualcomm has announced its first Snapdragon sonic logo (a branding element sometimes also known as an audio logo), a move that comes as it preps to launch its Snapdragon X Elite chips that will intensify its competition with the likes of Intel, AMD, and Apple. From reading its blog post, Qualcomm hopes the “new sound of Snapdragon” will be as successful as those associated with companies like NBC, Netflix, and McDonald’s. However, Qualcomm’s efforts are barely musical, with its sonic logo assembled from a tuneless assortment of finger snaps and beats. Listen below.
It is easy to dismiss sonic logos as trivial marketing fluff, but in today's rich-media communications, having a logo that lacks an audio element is sub-optimal. With Qualcomm’s work in audio-first platforms like streaming and podcast equipment, where visual logos aren’t seen, a sonic brand identity is all the more important.
To create the Snapdragon audio signature, Qualcomm teamed up with an outfit called Made Music Studio. Apparently, the sonic logo you can hear embedded in this article came from a meeting of minds between creatives, researchers, and select Snapdragon customers.
The Qualcomm blog also tries very hard to almost scientifically justify its new sonic logo. Perhaps some skepticism is expected. “Sonic branding is more than just a catchy tune or a snappy jingle — it's a meticulously crafted system of sound and music assets that express the essence of a brand. It's concept-driven, research-based, [snip] and designed with intention,” asserts the Qualcomm Snapdragon blog. “Sonic branding connects the dots between customer touchpoints to form a cohesive experience that stimulates visceral, emotional connections.” There are two more paragraphs of this type of marketing blurb...
In the coming months, Qualcomm promises that people will start to hear its Snapdragon sonic branding popping up in social media posts and at live events. We would also expect to see and hear the brand presence in upcoming adverts and collaborative projects with hardware partners.
Snapdragon sonic vs the Intel bongs and the rest
When Qualcomm listed some iconic sonic logos from other brands, notable by omission were probably the most famous bongs in the PC world - Intel’s five-note magnum opus.
We are also quite fond of the wonderful selection of Microsoft Windows startup (and shutdown) sounds that have been foisted upon us over the years. For balance, the Apple Mac startup sounds from 1980 to 2022 are also in our playlist. Meanwhile, retro gaming fans may also appreciate this video compilation of console start-up logos from 1977 to 2022.
