Goldman Sachs
Structure, Strategy & Sound for Content
Goldman Sachs is one of the world’s leading investment banks and financial services companies. The firm has cemented its position as a trusted thought leader through its carefully curated suite of content. We worked with Gretel to develop a functional music toolkit to sonically unite Goldman's content – and further its effectiveness.
Both visually and sonically, Goldman Sachs' content franchises are guided by the phrase "relentless clarity," referring to direct and actionable communication, a culture of continual improvement and advancement, and the rigor that is at the heart of everything GS does.
To ensure clarity of messaging within Goldman Sachs' content, Antfood first designed a blueprint that informed how music and mnemonics could work together to achieve a polished tone and solidify brand attribution in each piece of content.
Musical Style
To elicit GS' prestigious reputation and convey relentless clarity, Antfood designed a musical style for the brand that leans heavily on pizzicato and spiccato articulations on violin, which are succinct and clear.
We combined traditional classical instrumentation, such as strings and piano, with modern production and arrangement techniques, evoking both Goldman’s legacy and vision for the future.
Sounder
Guided by our defined musical style, Antfood developed a sounder—a sonic mnemonic that precedes all content—serving as Goldman Sachs' signature and the most recognizable thread that ties together all content reflecting the firms's identity.
The sounder begins with a single note on the violin, then as the pace accelerates, the plucked melody repeats, each time adding a new note. This represents the pursuit of knowledge, of ideas compounding and building off each other in a cyclical and iterative manner as we strive toward insight.
Content Music
Antfood composed musical themes and beds for Goldman Sachs' four key content franchises, with each piece crafted to reflect the unique characteristics and target audience of each franchise.
For "The Markets," Goldman Sachs' weekly analysis of key market trends and future outlooks, Antfood composed a dynamic theme with a sense of urgency, reflecting the time-sensitive nature of the information. A propulsive kick drum provides a contemporary pulse, while pizzicato and spiccato strings add an element of elegance and precision.
Exchanges features extended conversations between Goldman Sachs experts about significant macroeconomic trends worldwide. To reflect the depth and fluidity of these discussions, the theme music is more flowing, incorporating various percolating layers that symbolize the exchange of ideas and inspiration in these high-level dialogues.
Goldman Sachs' Great Investors Franchise is closely tied to Exchanges, and the two sonic worlds share common material and tonal themes. Great Investors presents influential investors who provide deep insights into their investment strategies and long-term market perspectives. To convey the extensive breadth of knowledge and information, we emphasize legato textures in this piece while incorporating delicate plucked textures to highlight moments of clarity.
Talks at Goldman Sachs is a video series and podcast sharing conversations with pioneering business and cultural leaders about their unique insights into their respective industries. Given the wide range of topics and guests, from Malcolm Gladwell to David Letterman, the music for Talks is designed to have broad appeal with an expansive and inviting tone. Legato strings and tasteful electronics blend seamlessly to create a rich, inspiring, and thoughtful soundscape.
Credits
Goldman Sachs
Gretel
Antfood