Mastercard recently partnered with composer Duong Khac Linh to localise its award-winning sonic brand identity for the Vietnamese market.

For companies like Mastercard, it is vital to highlight the sense of security, safety and reliability across brands. With that in mind, when Linh embarked on localising the Mastercard sound, he leveraged Vietnamese traditional instruments like the flute, zither, and monochord to create a unique Vietnamese flavour while keeping the organic feel of the original melody. He also added strong drumbeats to reflect the urban vibe of modern Viet Nam.

"Sound adds a powerful new dimension to the brand identity and is a critical component to how people recognise Mastercard today and in the future. Mastercard is very proud to have the Mastercard melody adapted in Viet Nam in a way that is distinct and authentic. It is important that the sonic brand not only reinforces the brand presence but also brings a unique and priceless experience to local cardholders," said Winnie Wong, Country Manager, Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos, Mastercard.

In 2021, the sonic identity of Mastercard will be implemented in Sacombank's SoftPOS product in October, the Tiki app in November, and the Payoo app in December. These partnerships create opportunities to leverage Mastercard's familiar brand's reassuring effect to reinforce checkout trust.

In 2019, Mastercard set a new tempo for brand expression by debuting its sonic brand identity, a comprehensive sound architecture that signified the latest advancement for the brand.

Mastercard's sonic brand presence was created with five principles in mind: to be relatable and inclusive, to be passionate, to be surprising, to be delightful and to be captivating, which epitomise the attributes of the Mastercard brand.

Mastercard's sound has been incorporated as the sound of payment acceptance at POS points in many markets and Mastercard's omnichannel marketing strategies worldwide.

Mastercard sonic branding was awarded "Best Audio Brands of 2020" for the second year in a row by AMP, based on five key criteria for performance measurement: customer recognition, trust, customer experience, engagement, and customer belonging.

Mastercard also partnered with many musicians and artists worldwide to create versions of the sonic sound, including the talented composer from Linkin Park - Mike Shinoda.

Most recently, Mastercard joined forces with Producer Timbaland's Beatclub music creator platform, Executive Producer Niclas Molinder, and emerging artists who span a variety of cultures, languages and genres for the creation of its first-ever music album: Priceless®, launched on Spotify across 183 markets. — VNS