Goldman Sachs
Structure, Strategy & Sound
Goldman Sachs is one of the world’s leading investment banks and financial services companies, and the firm has cemented its position as a trusted thought leader through its carefully curated suite of content. Antfood partnered with Gretel and Goldman Sachs to create a functional sonic toolkit that unifies Goldman’s thought leadership franchises, strengthening their salience and resonance.
Both visually and sonically, Goldman Sachs' content franchises are guided by the phrase "relentless clarity." This refers 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 give Goldman’s content a distinct and consistent voice, we developed a blueprint that shows how a branded sounder and bespoke music work together naturally. The pairing of a sounder and tailored music creates a polished, refined identity that is unmistakably Goldman, and across podcasts and videos, the framework we designed guides teams to maintain cohesion.
Musical Style
We designed a musical style that emphasizes the sharp clarity of pizzicato and spiccato violin, complemented by clean, precise piano.
Combining traditional classical instrumentation with modern production and arrangement techniques, Goldman's music style evokes both its legacy and vision for the future.
Sounder
Guided by our defined musical style, we created a sounder—a short sonic mnemonic that precedes all content and serves as Goldman’s musical signature.
It opens with a single plucked violin note, which repeats and gradually quickens in pace. With each repetition, a new note is added, symbolizing the pursuit of knowledge and the way ideas build and evolve through iteration.
Goldman Sachs’ music style uses timeless instrumentation to convey trust and reflect its legacy of excellence. Antfood built on this foundation, creating a versatile sonic system—including a branded sounder, original music, and guidelines—to ensure cohesive impact across all content.
Content Music
We 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.
Talks at GS
"Talks at Goldman Sachs" is a series sharing conversations with business and cultural leaders about their 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 and thoughtful soundscape.
The Markets
For "The Markets," Goldman Sachs' weekly analysis of key market trends, we wrote a dynamic and urgent theme that reflects the time-sensitive nature of the information. A pulsing kick drum provides a contemporary beat, while pizzicato and spiccato strings add elegance and precision.
Exchanges
"Exchanges" features conversations between Goldman Sachs experts about significant macroeconomic trends worldwide. To reflect the depth of these discussions, the music is built from percolating layers that interact, grow, and evolve.
Exchanges: Great Investors
Goldman Sachs' "Great Investors" series is a part of the "Exchanges" franchise, and the two sonic worlds share common musical material. "Great Investors" presents influential investors who provide deep insight into their investment strategies. To convey this extensive breadth of knowledge and information, we emphasized legato textures while incorporating delicate plucked elements to represent moments of clarity.
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Goldman Sachs
Gretel
Antfood
