ConocoPhillips
As we embarked on an extraordinary collaboration with ConocoPhillips and the esteemed agency FutureBrand, we knew we were venturing into uncharted territory. Together, we undertook the task of crafting an audio identity that would resonate with audiences worldwide and amplify the company’s updated visual brand system.
ConocoPhillips is a U.S. headquartered multinational exploration and production company. The company has a significant global presence and embraces its role in responsibly accessing, developing and producing oil and natural gas to help meet the world’s energy needs, both today and throughout the energy transition.
Sonic Minds partnered with ConocoPhillips and FutureBrand to translate their foundational SPIRIT values and visual mark into a distinct global audio identity. We crafted an extensive sonic system including a master audio logo and a flexible suite of brand music tracks designed for global alignment across internal culture and external communication.
SPIRIT
At ConocoPhillips, the SPIRIT Values are foundational to the brand. SPIRIT stands for Safety, People, Integrity, Responsibility, Innovation and Teamwork. These values guide how work is done and are shared across the organization.
ConocoPhillips aimed to convey these values through sound and music, seeking a deeper connection with both their audience and employees. This presented a distinctive challenge, one that our team of branding specialists and composers eagerly embraced with a positive attitude.
Refinement
Besides the SPIRIT values, ConocoPhillips has a unique visual logo called “the mark.” One visual expression of the mark features ribbon-like long and flowing forms that are intertwined with each other; these served as core inspiration for how the overall sound should move and be experienced.
An instantly recognizable symbol, the mark can take on various expressions. Beyond the ribbon, linear, solid and three-dimensional marks express different aspects of the company. For example, the fluid three-dimensional variant in the ConocoPhillips logo represents the brand’s flexibility, dynamism and innovation. We referenced the brand’s expressions, colors, and stories to bring its sounds to life.
In creating the Audio Logo for ConocoPhillips we wanted to highlight the SPIRIT Values. As most of the SPIRIT Values couldn’t be directly transformed into sound in their original form, we broke down each value, collaborating with the ConocoPhillips team to identify key attributes that reflected each value and then seamlessly converting those attributes into sound.
Take a listen to the full master ConocoPhillips Audio Logo below:
Audio logo breakdown
Safety & Responsibility (Trustworthy & Stable): As with Responsibility, to score high in this attribute, the sound has to not feel pushy, and not call for a feeling of risk. In sound, this attribute expresses itself via utilizing elements that are stable in their voicing and have a soft attack. For the melody, we drew inspiration from the syllables of the ConocoPhillips name, ending in five distinct melody notes moving towards a home base chord that feels safe and trustworthy.
People (Purposeful, Thoughtful & Responsive): Being driven by and for people, it was important that the sound conveyed a sense of clarity and determination. After an intro, the audio logo leads into a cinematic impact that is satisfying and confident, giving a very “Purposeful” feeling to the listener with a precise hit emphasizing a new direction.
Integrity (Quietly Confident, Authentic & Expert): Suggesting self-assurance and poise without being loud or boastful. The audio logo starts out with a deep echoed sonar-like sound which gives a pleasant, strong pulse. This pulse feels steady and consistent, giving the listener a soft, warm framework of confident integrity.
Innovation (Transitioning, Multi-dimensional, Technological, Flowing & Explorative): Leveraging subtle electronic instrumentation to evoke a sense of modernity and progression. The first element you hear is a chord softly starting and morphing into a confident resolve, symbolizing the transformative nature of innovation across diverse sonic layers.
Additional Spatial Effects: Spatial dimensions and reverberations layered to create depth and distance between sonic elements.
Teamwork (Familial Warmth, Empowering, Cooperative, Respectful & Inclusive): Aiming for a communal feel, utilizing singable and recognizable elements played in a friendly, optimistic and warm tone that highlights the organic connection between employees.
“My thoughts behind the final audio identity is that it is confident yet understated, the rhythm of the melody perfectly suits the syllables of the brand name. It’s bright and friendly, yet has a strong and solid foundation. The melody is memorable. I’ve been dreaming about the melody for weeks now.”
Stian Vedøy
Composer
Sonic Minds
Music
We also crafted a selection of brand tracks for ConocoPhillips, that could communicate different sides of their personality in different ways. Here is the music we created.
Human: Highlights the understated confidence inherent in their audio logo, incorporating melodic and harmonic elements in a mostly acoustic instrumentation for an authentic, trustworthy feel.
Tech: Emphasizes the brand’s technological facets, combining electronic bass kicks and rich snare hits while preserving an acoustic essence reminiscent of the logo.
Epic: Designed to evoke inspiration, energy and empowerment through grand symphonic instrumentation and choir textures that emphasize familial warmth.
ConocoPhillips’ new audio identity, developed in collaboration with FutureBrand, encapsulates the essence of the company’s brand ethos: welcoming, amiable and confident yet subtly expressed, while rooted in a robust and strong foundation. The melody’s rhythm harmoniously intertwines with the brand’s syllables, fashioning a memorable and impactful sonic experience.
This carefully crafted audio identity bolsters ConocoPhillips’ standing as a Fortune 500 company, embodying an inviting and reliable presence across global channels and internal culture.
Ongoing multi-year partnership
Sonic Minds has expanded their sonic universe across multiple expansion projects, extending their auditory language across global events, brand music variations, and digital platforms.
Explore the extended ConocoPhillips audio identity projects below:
“We were very lucky to find Sonic Minds. They just had a very almost scientific process. Having music that we actually own is really powerful. It was another dream of a lifetime to work with a company like this. We truly had an enjoyable time working with them. I’ve never seen a brand visual system be this embraced by a company. For us to end up with something truly representative of the company is a dream come true.”
Scott Stone
Global Head of Brand, Creative & Digital Communications
ConocoPhillips
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