What does legacy sound like? The pulse of ambition. The quiet before the reveal. The thrill of winning. A soundscape crafted to reflect the prestige of The Clios while channeling the spirit of the sound of celebration.

This sonic branding project set its sights to capture the prestige of The Clios while amplifying the energy of celebration across every moment of the awards experience.

Challenge

Designed to live far beyond the stage, the sound needed to work seamlessly across broadcasts, live moments, digital content and event environments thus creating a cohesive, recognisable audio identity that elevates one of the creative industry’s most iconic awards.

The biggest challenge was creating a sonic identity that was both representative of The Clios' brand as well as distinctive among a crowded landscape of prestigious awards ceremonies in the creative industry.

In addition to this, we had to ensure their sonic identity would serve to enhance their award show. It needed to be distinctive without overpowering, celebratory without cliché and flexible enough to enhance the ceremony across all audible touchpoints; supporting the experience rather than distracting from it.

Approach

MassiveMusic approached the project by developing two distinctive creative concepts for The Clios sonic branding and audio identity. The first, 'Clios Odyssey: A Sonic Tribute,' draws inspiration from the Greek Muse of History, Clio, symbolizing the hero’s journey of creativity from conception to recognition in sound.

The second concept, 'The Sound of Creative Impact,' focuses on how music and sound design can tell the story of how a single idea can make a big cultural impact on a global scale.

To ground the creative direction, we worked closely with The Clios about their values, audience and desired emotional impact. This allowed us to understand not just what The Clios represent as an awards institution, but how the brand should feel across every audible moment.

We ​mapped ​out ​the sonic identity as a journey, designed to mirror the creative arc celebrated by The Clios. It begins with a bold, signature “call” that acts as a creative ignition point, followed by a layered, resonant progression of sounds that reflect influence, impact and celebration. Drawing on the mythological roots of Clio, we incorporated musical devices to illicit recognition and reward.

This journey is built around:

  • A distinctive sonic “call” that signals arrival and creative momentum

  • A layered progression of sound representing influence, impact and celebration

  • A triumphant clarion motif inspired by Clio, symbolising recognition and reward

Throughout the process, MassiveMusic collaborated closely across composition, sound design and brand teams to ensure that every musical choice reflected the brand narrative.

Solution

The end result was a bespoke sonic identity that only The Clios can claim as their own. By blending classical musical references with contemporary production, the sound captures both the prestige of the awards and their relevance in today’s creative landscape. The sonic identity feels ceremonial without being dated, confident without being grandiose.

Designed specifically for a live award show environment, the sound captures the right kind of celebratory energy and was built as a flexible system rather than a single composition. The sonic ecosystem includes:

  • A 90-second full brand DNA track

  • A 3-5 second sonic logo

  • Modular musical moments that can be isolated and used as stingers, transitions or background beds

This idea was to create a toolkit of sonic assets that felt unified, regardless of how or where they’d be used.

This is a sonic story that embodies a mission of celebrating creative excellence across diverse industries and brings to life Clio herself in sonic form. For ​the ​Clios, an organisation whose entire existence is about creativity and legacy, having a powerful sonic signature wasn’t just important, it was inevitable.

In the press

Muse by Clios ↗
Listen Up! The Clios Launched a Sonic Identity Celebrating Creativity and Its Cultural Impact

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