Mastercard Unveils its First-Ever Music Single, Delivering Latest Evolution of its Sonic Brand Identity for the Next Decade

Company opens sonic brand architecture to global artists for custom curation

Built on trust and passion, Mastercard is redefining how people interact and recall the brand with the drop of its first-ever sonic-integrated music single. As experiences increasingly define the brand in the eyes of the consumer, Mastercard is designing consumer journeys that cater to the senses and reinforce the brand in new and differentiated ways.

Mastercard is collaborating with songwriter and producer Niclas Molinder to engage with up and coming global artists. Together, they will commission them to build upon the Mastercard sound architecture to curate an auditory experience that brings new meaning and purpose to the brand. Introduced in 2019, the company’s sonic melody is a critical component to how people recognize Mastercard today and in the future and was derived with a flexibility that enables it to live across musical genres and cultures while also maintaining familiarity.

For its first song drop, Mastercard is engaging with Swedish artist Nadine Randle to organically and authentically integrate the company’s brand values and sonic identity into a first-ever musical output. Debuting at Live @ CES, an event in partnership with iHeartRadio on January 8, the single, titled “Merry Go Round,” tells the story of a new beginning and fresh start enabled with Priceless possibility.

“Sound is our next frontier for brand expression and a powerful way for us to reach consumers through the passions that connect us all. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Nadine on ‘Merry Go Round’ to integrate the recognizable sonic melody – underscoring the many ways that the branding can be used beyond traditional means,” said Mastercard chief marketing and communications officer Raja Rajamannar.

Mastercard has reimagined how sound can manifest as a brand expression, while also serving as an audio reinforcement of payment security and authenticity – to drive consumers’ peace of mind in a retail setting, today the sonic melody is integrated at more than 7.6 million payment points worldwide. According to research conducted by Mastercard and GfK Global, seventy-seven percent believe the Mastercard sonic sound made the transaction and retail environment more trustworthy.

You can stream “Merry Go Round” in the RADIO.com app, listen on YouTube, and download soon after on your favorite music streaming services. “Merry Go Round” is the first single for an upcoming album released by Mastercard integrating sonic, due to launch later in 2020.

QUOTE SHEET

“We are passionate about music and the energy, excitement and deep connection it brings to listeners. Mastercard’s bold emphasis on music, from the launch of sonic last year to its continued evolution with the launch of its first-ever single and forthcoming album, is exciting to see. As a part of our shared ethos in identifying the ways to best reach the consumer, we’re pleased to build upon our relationship with Mastercard at Live @ CES.” – Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia.

“The launch of this sonic-integrated song project is one-of-a-kind and signals the way that music and consumer consumption is changing. The recognizable sonic sound architecture has an incredible way of transcending genres and geographies, while continually evoking excitement through its expressive melody. It’s a pleasure to work with Mastercard on this exciting project and I’m looking forward to more song releases soon.” – Niclas Molinder, songwriter, producer, and founder of Session (formerly Auddly).

“I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Mastercard on its first-ever single. The uniquely flexible sonic melody adds a dynamic dimension to ‘Merry Go Round’ that conveys both passion and optimism – two key tenets of Mastercard’s identity, and important takeaways from the song itself.” – Nadine Randle, singer and songwriter.

About Mastercard

Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. Our global payments processing network connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MastercardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.

Mastercard Media Contact: 

Sarah Ely | Sarah.Ely@mastercard.com | (914) 249-6714

Biz Cozine | Elizabeth.Cozine@mastercard.com | (914) 249-2707