Massive brands: How Singapore’s favorite brands look and sound

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday wrapping up and Christmas on the horizon, sales have been abound. But in this highly competitive landscape, how can brands engage every sense to make a lasting impression? In this article, branding experts from Massive Music and Design Bridge & Partners cast their eyes and ears over the brand codes of gamers’ favourite, Razer, a global gaming icon with roots in the Little Red Dot.

Who: Razer  

What’s their thing:

From humble start-up to global icon, Razer rose to the top of the gaming peripherals market by consistently delivering quality products made with ergonomic design in mind.

What we see:

Brand design: When it first arrived on the scene, Razer’s aspirational and edgy look spoke to changing consumer sentiments about gaming. Where before, gaming was relegated to the fringes as a popular but ‘geeky’ hobby, now gaming has become a cornerstone of pop culture that people proudly identify with. Accordingly, the brand design emphasises this ‘cool factor’ – the neon green and black convey the bold competitive spirit required of gamers, while its infamous triple-snake logo amplifies the eye-catching intensity of the brand’s overall look and feel.

Brand experience: From a functional point of view, the extensive array of products on offer is enough to get any gamer bouncing off his specially manufactured seat. Whether you’re in need of proper chair support during gaming marathons or in-ear monitors for guaranteed audio quality, Razer has the goods to ensure maximum comfort and efficiency. Razer also stands out for its refusal to be hemmed in. Cross-category collaboration with brands such as Dolce & Gabbana and Lamborghini has seen them amass new audiences and generate fresh appeal. Association with these household luxury brands also serves to elevate their own gaming offerings, emphasising the high quality and craftsmanship of their products.

What we hear:

Audio logo:

Music and sound are integral to all of Razor’s products, yet to date they have no consistent sonic assets. In fact their logo often appears in total silence. This is a huge missed opportunity and just as Netflix has created a product sound to ‘own the moment’, the sound of Razor can be utilised to coincide with the heightened anticipation at the start of a gaming experience.

Brand music:

Razer have done a great job in matching the music aesthetic to the gaming world that they play in. Modern electronic tracks feature very consistently across all media, as well as imaginative sound design to compliment what we see on screen. You could shut your eyes and almost guess this was a brand from the gaming world. There is an air of quality that shines through the overall sound and gives the brand a slick, premium feel.

Brand voice:

Voice is rarely used in Razer’s content, instead opting for on screen supers to communicate messaging. This allows the brand to hero the music and sound design and also allows media assets to be easily adapted for different regions. Where we do hear a brand voice there is a typically Hollywood action trailer style voice which adds to the exciting hype of the brand.

What’s next?

With a slew of new players set to disrupt the market, Razer might run the risk of being just another brand in a crowded field if they don’t create distance between them and their competitors. A possible way to differentiate would be to invest more in an audience segment that has long been neglected – female gamers. With most lifestyle gaming brands adopting a more masculine identity, Razer could gain an edge by making more female-focused products and tailoring their messaging towards this specific segment.

What could Razer do visually

They could continue to build their global cultural cache through clever collaborations and partnerships. We’ve seen them move from solely gaming hardware into the apparel and athleisure space, so it would be interesting to see how they could push further lifestyle collaborations. Moreover, visually, their brand is edgy and cool, so they could very well build on their hype-beast image and really own the streetwear space.

What could Razer do sonically

Razer is ticking all the boxes in sound apart from one key area, a sonic logo. It’s unusual the brand has chosen to leave only one part of their films silent; the part where the brand is presented on its own. The existing brand lockup /end graphic can be supported well by a sound design-based approach for the sonic logo, which would nicely build on their already impressive use of sound across their communications

Who: Scoot

What’s their thing: As a low-cost Singaporean airline, Scoot believes travel is a joy to be experienced by all, regardless of age or income bracket.

What we see:

Brand design: Scoot was one of the first players to imbue irreverence and playfulness into their design language and messaging. In short, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, infusing fun into every touchpoint. One need only look at their signature, sunny yellow logo to get a feel for its carefree persona. The lopsided ‘t’ that hangs just outside that yellow circle similarly conveys their quirky, unconventional attitude, setting them apart from other more ‘serious’ airline brands.

Brand experience: In a bid to move beyond functional brand experiences, Scoot introduced their ‘Scootitude’ activities that come as part of the in-flight experience. Their goal is to not only offer impeccable service delivery, but also service with personality – this means ‘in-flight parties’ that range from momentous wedding proposals and Valentine’s Day shoutouts, to adorable Back to School commemorations for the little ones on board. These spontaneous, fresh experiences enhance guest interactions, fulfilling Scoot's brand promise to 'Escape the Ordinary' while flying with them.

What we hear:

Audio logo: Whilst Scoot don’t currently use an audio logo, we could imagine a role for one here potentially using group vocals. Not only is Scoot a singable word, a group vocal would also reinforce their ‘travel for all’ ethos. They are also universally associated with moments of celebration and joy which is the perfect emotion for Scoot to imbue at every step along the customer journey.

Brand music: Campaign soundtracks are typically fun, bright, energetic and also feature throwback kitschy vibes in quite a few examples. This relaxed feel stands out and suggests that Scoot offers the fun possibilities of budget friendly travel. There’s a great opportunity to use a distinctive track that can be adapted for advertising, airport terminals and inflight use. This will help remind customers of Scoot’s irreverent personality.

Brand voice: Typically Scoot cast a more youthful voice (25-40 years old), and mostly with a regional or local background. Investing in a consistent voice with Scoot’s playful, positive youthful characteristics would serve as a shorthand to the brand and add a consistent tone for the brand sonically.

What’s next?

What could Scoot do visually: Scoot could own their identity as a proudly-local brand by either engaging local talent to design their uniforms or the planes’ tail fins; even better if the new design heroes their signature yellow in a more striking way.

What could Scoot do sonically: Scoot’s playful nature shines through in their sonic choice. What is missing for the brand though is sonic equity. Tying the brand’s messaging together through a sonic logo would be a great start, and then considering various key touchpoints along the customer journey (think booking, pre-flight, boarding etc.) will reveal many opportunities to unite the brand’s sound in places they are heard by the public.This article was written by Pree Yap, market analyst, Design Bridge & Partners Singapore, and Ralph van Dijk, creative director, MassiveMusic Singapore.

This article was written by Pree Yap, market analyst, Design Bridge & Partners Singapore and Ralph van Dijk, head of music and brands, MassiveMusic APAC.