Mastercard Has Dropped an Album. Will People Listen?

It’s been a decade since consumers began conversing with voice-activated assistants Siri and Alexa. In all that time, brands have continued to struggle to find their own voices in this sonic revolution. Mastercard believes it’s cracked the code on breaking through. In a presentation at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Mastercard unveiled an album of 10 songs by 10 artists from around the globe. The title, naturally enough, carries Mastercard’s corporate motto, “Priceless.” Mastercard’s foray into pop music represents another in a series of steps designed to use marketing to penetrate consumers’ five senses. Recent examples include a TV spot for the visually impaired to promote its notch-based Touch Card and the creation of bespoke Mastercard macarons—the tasty French meringue-based confection that also makes for a natural visual counterpart to its logo. The idea for the album grew out February 2019’s release of Mastercard’s pulsating, New Age-y “sonic logo.” How a Little Ditty Written as a Goof Became One of TikTok’s Biggest Hits “Our first-ever music album featuring the inspiring, original work of 10 rising artists takes our innovative sonic branding approach to an even higher, unmatched level,” said Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard chief marketing and communications officer, told Adweek. “Each of the artists integrated our melody into their songs and created something that we are all truly proud of. We hope others will enjoy these songs as much as we do.” Numerous brands have issued recorded music as a promotional showcase to attract customers since the album was invented over a century ago. Still, Mastercard is aiming for something more original than a hot collection of random tracks. The sound—and soul—of Priceless The album, which is being made available on all streaming platforms starting with Spotify, sports an image of the brand’s familiar concentric orange and yellow orbs. The unusual thing here is that each song incorporates the six notes of the melody played when Mastercard is swiped or tapped at checkout. The album is meant to transcend the notion of “Priceless” in a way that visuals and the written word can’t. “Priceless is the soul of our brand,” Rajamannar said after his Cannes presentation. “Since introducing Priceless 25 years ago, we have been creating extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime moments for fans, bringing them closer to the people and experiences they love most. For music fans, that passion is unmatched. We’re thrilled to create a platform for emerging global artists that celebrates their passion for music.” The global array of young, largely unknown artists were brought in Swedish by producer Niclas Molinder, who has worked with Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus. In addition to the two tracks contributed by Timbaland, Mastercard is also supporting the artist's entrepreneurial side project, Beatclub, an online marketplace connecting musicians for business and creative collaborations. It's a way for Mastercard to continue aligning itself with emerging musical acts and producers. The choice of artists from around the world was intended to burnish Mastercard’s image on both a global and local level. The decision to make the announcement at such a high-profile event is also reflective of the sense of connection Mastercard is hoping to strike. “Partnering with emerging global talent who span a variety of cultures, languages and genres was a core element of the album’s identity, and the artists featured on the album are the perfect representation of that,” Rajamannar said. “This week's Cannes Lions is about celebrating the optimism, innovation and creativity of the marketing industry. Introducing our album here makes perfect sense—we’re able to reinforce those meaningful themes while championing artists from around the world.” Coinbase’s Floating QR Code Wins the Direct Grand Prix at Cannes Lions

Branding

Mastercard Has Dropped an Album. Will People Listen?

With Spotify, Timbaland and a range of international artists, the financial services brand aims to capture 'Priceless' sounds

David Kaplan

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

David Kaplan