National Maritime Museum Sonic Identity
The National Maritime Museum (Het Scheepvaartmuseum) in Amsterdam houses an internationally renowned collection. From its monumental building, the museum shares stories from the maritime world through a human perspective. As a welcoming home port for everyone, the museum shares knowledge and fascination for the waters we navigate and experience.
The museum commissioned Big Orange to develop a sonic identity that would reflect its core values: connecting, multifaceted, investigative and innovative.
Challenge
How do you translate the identity of a modern maritime museum into sound without falling into obvious maritime clichés? The sound logo needed to bridge past, present and future, while remaining accessible and surprising.
Process
After extensive research into the core values, target audiences and character of the museum, we chose an innovative approach. The connecting element is expressed through a movement from classical violin to contemporary electronic sounds. The human voice of a beatboxer combined with body percussion represents accessibility and multiple perspectives. The open melody, based on a major 7 chord, reflects the investigative character.
Result
The result is a surprising and versatile sound logo that brings together the different facets of the museum. The logo is used across various applications, from audio tours to podcasts, and from commercials to presentations. It's a fresh, contemporary translation of what the museum stands for: a place where people and worlds come together.
