case study:
corona
the big picture
Corona has built one of the most unique and distinctive brands in the world. Known for their iconic flint bottle, unique lime ritual, visual branding and ownership of the beach, their highly successful brand architecture lacked one key element: an ownable sonic brand.
With the consumer shift towards audio-first and “sound-on” platforms, AB InBev identified the development of distinctive audio assets as a critical next step to futureproof their brand.
Corona’s global sonic identity, created by Made Music Studio, transports you to the heart of the brand, and captures the same feeling you get when you drop a lime into a bottle of Corona: that of active relaxation. It is an emotional trigger that transports you there, instantly, setting the vibe and building appreciation for everything the brand stands for.
the challenge
Prior to engaging Made Music Studio, Corona had been licensing a commercial track for their global campaigns. But despite the investment over many years, it had poor brand attribution and wasn’t ownable. They needed a strategically crafted, flexible, and ownable sonic identity what would increase emotional connections with global consumers across all brand communications, activations, and formats.
the approach
To capture Corona’s authentic, natural, and genuine sound, we took a cue from their visual brand. It needed to be social, inviting, and genuinely captured — distinctly human and untouched by artificial intelligence. So we assembled musicians from all over the world, allowed for moments of serendipity in the studio and recorded the old-fashioned way: real instruments played live with analog gear.
The instrumentation pays homage to beach culture. In fact, live beach recordings add a little outdoor grit to the mix. The rhythm of congas and bongos add a distinctly tropical feel and the smooth, reverb-drenched guitars echo surf-rock. There’s even a beaten-up acoustic guitar in there, the type you’d throw in the trunk of your car and play around a campfire.
“If you see a Corona ad, within two seconds, you know exactly who it's for. Our assignment was to make music that did the exact same thing.”
— Danielle Venne, ECD, Music Production, Made Music Studio
the results
Corona’s sonic logo acts as both an iconic audio signature and a powerful memory trigger. The first chord is like the crest of a wave, the last chord is a relaxing payoff — smooth and distinctive. The superpowers of this bite-sized earworm have been proven to uplift brand recall, attribution, and appeal in media assets. Data from Ipsos’ audio research platform demonstrated uplift across the board: a 22% boost in brand linkage, a 65% boost in association with active relaxation, and a 37% increase in performance overall.
In addition to the brand theme & sonic logo, there is a complete package of social beds and tonal variations in Corona’s sonic toolkit. One of the sonic secret weapons is their Lime Drop Moment, designed to emphasize the emotional connection between the audio cue and Corona’s signature ritual.
Corona’s new sonic identity will underscore every campaign across the globe, and it’s flexible enough to be used in advertising, social & digital content, influencer content, and live events. It has already received overwhelming fan feedback in Canada, China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Italy, Peru, South Africa, and the UK.
awards
The new sound of Corona has received several sonic branding honors across the globe, including:
Transform Awards North America - Best audio brand (Gold)
Clio Music - Best Use of Sonic Branding (Shortlist)
AMP Awards - Outstanding Sonic Branding / Mnemonic (Shortlist)
creative team
Danielle Venne – Executive Creative Director
Alexis Cuadrado – Senior Music Producer
Daniel Dávila – Composer + Music Co-Producer
Alex Coutts – SVP, Head of Experience
Zuzu Boisson – Senior Project Manager
Joel Beckerman – Founder + Music Producer
Ben Arons, Dennis Wall – Mixing and Mastering Engineers
Wieden+Kennedy – Advertising Agency