Topcoder Sonic Branding Audio Design Competition

Welcome to the Topcoder Sonic Branding Audio Design Competition. Many of the world’s most iconic brands have a memorable ‘Sonic Logo’ or ‘Sonic Branding’. Sonic Logos are the short audio sound-bites consumers associate with a brand. They are often paired with a ‘logo reveal’ and are used at the ends of commercials, in social videos, or at the loading screen of an application.

If you’ve ever seen an LG, Samsung, or Intel commercial or ever started a movie on Netflix, then you have experienced a Sonic Logo.

This is a different challenge than we usually run at Topcoder. We're looking for members that have some audio skills and are up for trying something new. Jump in and give it a try!!

Round 1

Initial sonic logo ideas and submissions

Round 2

Refined sonic logo submissions based on the checkpoint feedback and additional direction
What do Sonic Logos contain?
Most sonic logos are just notes of some sort, paired together in a memorable way. 

Here are some famous examples:

• LG - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7Ajix6rWSY&list=PL4C8E950814120411&index=3
• Sony and Intel - (back to back in this video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3QT543xVzg&list=PL4C8E950814120411&index=4
• T-Mobile - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPB-2RwqH0U&index=8&list=PL4C8E950814120411
• XBox - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjT2hAydPnk&list=PL4C8E950814120411&index=12

Some sonic logos will incorporate the name of the brand or a small lyric jingle to accompany the notes. While we aren’t looking for lyrics in our Sonic Logo, it is good to understand the variety that exists. Here is a famous example: McDonald’s - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBlD2N_AwgI

Characteristics of a successful sonic logo:

• They are very concise typically, 2 to 6 seconds
• They often use memorable, familiar tones
• They can feature heavy syncopation 
  • Syncopation Definition - placement of rhythmic stresses or accents where they wouldn't normally occur creating a sense of surprise
  • Syncopation Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9QnepxnMNU
  • T-Mobile link above is a good example of syncopation
• They often use higher register notes (think of notes played up ‘high’ on the piano towards the right hand side of the instrument)
• They can be dramatic or ‘sweeping’ - Intel and XBox are good examples of ‘dramatic’ sonic logos
• They are memorable !!!

When you create your submissions for this challenge we encourage you to experiment! This is a competition where you can let your creative juices flow and submit multiple times if you care to! 

Here is the animated Topcoder logo you’ll be creating a sonic logo for:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=14dKvdL0jVNpl1AAp8Fk8sOQGJCoQFZT9

We encourage you to think deeply about the Topcoder brand and what matters to us.

• We are a global community
• We solve big problems
• We use bright colors, with an artful mix of primary and secondary colors (how can those colors translate into sounds - well that is your job here!) 
• We are in technology and often are selling to technology companies
• We help companies and entrepreneurs ‘take flight’ and go from idea to real solutions! 
• We are bold and groundbreaking

We are not looking for you to add sound effects to the animated logo. Think musically, not sound designing the animation itself.

Take that inspiration and put it into your Topcoder sonic logo! You are not required and will not be judged on any paired animation of our logo with the audio Sonic Logo. If you feel pairing your audio submission with an animation helps to enhance your submission, then please feel free to submit an animation. 

Notes:

• You must use your own work.
• You can, of course, be inspired by other brands, but the concept and execution of the audio concept must be wholly original.

Submission Guidelines:

• Please submit your files in .wav or .mp3
• If you want to showcase a demo of the Sonic Logo to a paired animation, please submit in a .mp4 file
• Again, the paired animation is NOT required.