Moment Branding: Why Every Experience Needs a Signature Sound
We’re living in an experiential time where brands are increasingly defined by immersive interactions and real world experiences. More than ever before it’s about being in the moment – or often creating the moment – with your audience. From live events to fan experiences, activations, sponsorships, and more, brands are finding unique ways to engage through moment branding – and as always, sound plays a pivotal role.
Key moments like historical celebrations, live performances, and sporting events create powerful opportunities to connect with audiences. This is because these moments often produce a collective emotional response, referred to by psychologists as collective effervescence [Source: Frontiers] – e.g. a stadium erupting for a game-winning goal, concertgoers singing a hit song in unison, a crowd anticipating the launch of an innovative new product. These experiences give brands the opportunity to forge deep connections with audiences, and the right sound can add even greater impact.
Sound is one of our most powerful senses. We process it faster than any other sense, and in the area of the brain responsible for emotion and memory. When it comes to branding, it’s hard to beat that combination – fast recognition, emotional connection, and lasting recall. Sound, when experienced with others, is also known to produce high levels of oxytocin [Source: NIH], making us feel more connected to those around us. It’s as if music were created specifically to bring people together.
Traditionally, the aim with sonic branding is to create an emotional connection and develop recall through repetition. Sometimes, however, if the moment is powerful enough, recall can be instantaneous. Take for instance John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” which Rocket Mortgage used to create an iconic sing-a-long moment during Super Bowl LIX. Although already a well-known song, it will forever be tied to that moment of togetherness and celebration – serving not only as a reminder of the Super Bowl, but also of Rocket Mortgage and what the company stands for.
Brands are not the only ones that can utilize sound to their advantage. Events themselves can become bigger and more emotional when music is used strategically. Blockbuster films do this all the time with epic scores that trigger audience emotions at just the right moment. Here are a few recent experiential projects SAM has worked on that do just that:
CNN | The Fourth in America: Celebrating 250
CNN set out to reimagine its 4th of July coverage and called on SAM to compose a custom music package to underscore the network’s multi-day broadcast events – The Fourth in America: Celebrating 250. The result is a package built for the 250th milestone that gives CNN a versatile sonic identity for years of Independence Day coverage to come.
World Cup 2026 | 30 Rock Fan Village
When it comes to sports, it doesn’t get much bigger than the World Cup – unless you’re creating immersive sound for an 850 foot projection at the NYNJ World Cup 26 & Telemundo Fan Village at Rockefeller Center! SAM worked closely with Quince Imaging to create original sound design for nine unique projection experiences spanning the entire facade of 30 Rock.
MLB All-Star Game | Hank Aaron Tribute
Image Engineering was asked to create an immersive, projection-mapped, pyrotechnic-filled tribute to Hank Aaron for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, and they turned to SAM for music and sound design that would drive it all home. Our cinematic score, sound design, and restored archival audio moved audiences and helped make the experience unforgettable.
In the world of moment branding, whether you’re shaping a corporate brand, an event, or an experience, sound can be used as a powerful extension of your messaging – elevating experiences and creating meaningful audience engagement.