AEG Partners with MassiveMusic to Elevate Brand Through the Power of Sound

MassiveMusic, a Songtradr company and the agency of record for some of the world’s biggest brands, announces a new partnership with AEG, the global premium household appliance company. 

AEG chose to partner with MassiveMusic, known for creating iconic sonic identities for brands including TikTok, Philips and UEFA Women’s Champions League, to develop a unique suite of sonic assets that would strengthen the brand’s wider strategy to enhance its premium position in market, as well as its reputation for driving innovation across the sector. 

AEG and MassiveMusic identified that typically, throughout the appliance industry, music and sound was used predictably. They recognised an opportunity to leverage a unique sonic strategy that signals AEG’s legacy to consistently innovate and ‘Challenge the Expected’.

Noting that high end competitors leant into orchestral music tropes while more innovative focused brands used overly techy electronic music, MassiveMusic identified an opportunity for AEG to own a more distinctive and daring sound that is warm, modern and sophisticated. 

MassiveMusic crafted a sound that blurs the lines between elegant classical and bold electronic stylings by including session violinists and iconic analogue synths into the design process. The result is a branded track that challenges musical expectations, by creating tension and release and resolving in a way you don’t anticipate.

The sonic logo distils the concept of ‘Challenge The Expected’ into a short-form audio format, with the harmonically unexpected signature melody at the forefront. It will be this that will be heard across all of AEG’s content and communications. 

“We are proud to present a sharpened and more contemporary AEG brand”, says Tom Astin, AEG brand and strategy director. “Our consultations with consumers, together with strong product innovations,  have been translated into a bolder and progressive expression – through visual and sound – with a world where distinctive characters play a central role alongside a colour scheme that sets AEG apart from its competitors. The evolved colour palette pays homage to our beginning as a brand back in 1887 by continuing to use red, but now sees the application of darker hues to create more cut-through and distinction. This is a modern update that strongly conveys our premium position in the market.”

Laura Jones, general manager, UK and director, client services at MassiveMusic said, “This was a unique opportunity to bring contemporary edge and relevance to a trusted, household brand through sound. Taking inspiration from AEG’s heritage, design ethos and positioning, we blended warm, elegant strings with electronic textures, underpinned by a highly recallable melody. The result is a modern, warm and sophisticated, yet effortlessly cool, suite of sounds that are perfectly in tune with AEG's new visual identity.”

The distinctive set of assets have been validated by three rounds of consumer testing. The results place the suite in the 78th percentile for memorability and 80th percentile for appeal, resonating most effectively amongst AEG’s target audience globally. 

The new sonic assets strengthen AEG’s wider refreshed brand strategy led by the growth and transformation agency Prophet. Consumer research identified a misattribution problem in the sector with some specific categories scoring as high as 74% in this factor. This presented an opportunity and requirement to apply greater levels of consistency and distinctiveness to the way the brand showed up in market. The brand’s visual identity has been refreshed to leverage this opportunity and reflect AEG’s commitment to bold design and uncompromising innovation. The sonic identity adds an integral layer to the distinct positioning for the brand in the sector.

The suite of assets MassiveMusic has created can be flexed to cater to various use cases, from cut downs for shorter video formats to music for events. In time, AEG’s ambition is to feature the sound in its products, further enhancing its brand recall impact amongst consumers. 

AEG’s sonic identity will be heard for the first time at the IFA Berlin in September 2024, one of the longest-running and largest established tech conferences in the world. After which it will be used across markets including the UK, Europe and in the Asia Pacific region, as well as in product and advertising activity to enhance the holistic AEG experience. The new visual identity will also launch at IFA Berlin alongside a range of innovative new products.

Learn more about the project here.