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Basic Elements

Deutsche Bahn AG · Corporate Design · Basic Elements · Revision: 26.07.2017

Contents

About this Guide

Rhythm

The Tonal Level

The Sound- and AV Logo

DB Brand Music and Music Library

Legal Notices

What is corporate sound?

As markets become more and more complex and the daily flood ofinformation we face keeps growing, a consistent and clearly designedbrand identity establishes trust and provides guidance. This identityconsists of more than just visual media. Brands communicate to manysenses and are perceived that way too. We see them on billboards andnewspaper ads, but in image films, TV- and radio ads or even telephonewaiting loops, they also become acoustic experiences.

Gewinner 2014

In sound branding, the identity of a brand is translated into soundusing a strategic process. The result is a Corporate Sound.

The essential tasks of a corporate sound in this context are to:

clearly position a brand through sound,enhance its recognition in acoustic and audiovisual media,differentiate from competitors,achieve higher media efficiency.

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As part of a corporate identity, a corporate sound has a high value for us, asit makes the Group and all its divisions more comprehensively experienced.

Our goal is, over many years, to use this sound across media in all audio- andaudiovisual media, thereby establishing a close connection between brand andsound. Just hearing the brief sound logo should trigger associations with theDeutsche Bahn brand in the listener’s mind.

In the future the Deutsche Bahn corporate sound will be available forexperiencing several thousand times daily on TV and the radio, apps,websites, events, podcasts, image films, telephone waiting loops etc.so as to fundamentally condition the brand’s acoustic perception.

Download the DB sound logo here:

DB Sound Logo as ring tone

About this Guide

This guide describes the corporate sound of Deutsche Bahnand helps music,- sound- and film producers in creatingbrand-appropriate audio-based applications such astelephone waiting loops, image films, podcasts, e-learningtools, radio spots, trade fairs, events etc.You’ll also find ready-to-use material for direct usein acoustic and audiovisual media.

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Rhythm

In every business area—rail transport, car sharing, Call a Bike and logistics—it’salways about movement. Rhythm as the translated idea of mobility is the coreelement of the audio brand identity of DB. Rhythm defines the business modelof Deutsche Bahn, and stands for clear, managed processes and definite timing.

The rhythm of the DB sound is dynamic, driving, syncopated and sharp.The core sequence consists of six beats.

DB rhythm notation

The DB rhythm defines the DB corporate sound and isconsistently used in acoustic applications. The recurringrhythmic sequence is catchy and easily recognizable.

The rhythm sequence can be applied within acousticapplications as single sequence or as a recurring rhythm.

The rhythm’s acoustic coloration, instrumentalarrangement and tempo are not preset. Yet the basicsequence remains recognizable.

Handling the DB rhythm freely and openly enables flexibleuse of the corporate sound. There are no genre-specificrestrictions to obstruct the creative storytelling of certainapplication formats.

This diversity also reflects DB’s broad fields of business.

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The Tonal Level

The core motif of the Deutsche Bahn corporate sound is based on the two tonesof ‘D’ and ‘B.’ They hark back to the original tonal interval (descending third)of the long-familiar ‘platform ding-dong.’ With added rhythm, the static ‘ding-dong’ becomes a dynamic, driving motif.

DB motif notation

This sequence of notes in the above-defined rhythm shouldbecome an integral element of all DB musical pieces.The motif can be placed in the fore- or background,depending on the application.

The motif is especially suited to being reproduced as a bassline. This way the motif is less melodious. Instead ittranslates the basic feeling and atmosphere of traveling,the experience of mobility (e.g. as the abstractly translatedsound of traveling by train on rails). This is where theidentity-giving sound of Deutsche Bahn has its wellspring.It is muscular, atmospheric and lively.

At higher registers, played by melodic instruments,the motif has a more direct, conspicuous and ‘jingle-like’effect. So as not to endanger the value and durability ofthe Deutsche Bahn corporate sound, the more melodiouslyplayed motif should be used sparingly.

The scale of the DB corporate sound is B major.

The Sound- and AV Logo

A sound logo is the prominent element of a corporate sound.It makes the brand audible in fewer than three seconds.It can be used in both a purely auditory way (e.g. in a phonewaiting loop or radio spot) and audio-visually (in TV adsand image films).

At its core the sound logo of Deutsche Bahn consists ofthe Deutsche Bahn rhythm and the tonal Deutsche Bahnbass motif. It is augmented by subtle sound design thatgives the overall effect the necessary modernity.

This is where you’ll find files for professional applicationof sound- and AV logos for downloading.

The download menu option is reserved for a restricted user group.

Sound and AV Logo, Downloads

Sound logo

The sound logo is commonly used as a closing at the end of a production.It has a duration of 1.8 seconds and can be used for all DB Brands.The sound logo is available for download in various formats.

Download: DB Sound Logo File format: ZIPFile size: 938 kB

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AV logo (audiovisual logo)

In addition, there are animated, audiovisual logo files available. The AV logo doesnot contain any spoken or written claim (exception: AV logo DB Schenker).

Integrating the sound- and AV logo

Only the provided audio- and AV files may be used for the endingof an audio or audiovisual Deutsche Bahn application.

Use of the sound logo can lead to a perceived break from the previous storytellingmusic. The tonality of the music does not necessarily have to match the soundlogo’s muscular tonality. In the ending, however, the sender brand appears withassurance and displays its full size and power of expression. To avoid breaks intonality, the music—if produced specially for the application—can be composed inthe same scale (B major) as the sound logo and use the Deutsche Bahn rhythm.

Please note:Do not change the sound logo.

Attaching the sound logo to the previous music/sound trackshould take place as follows:

Inserting a brief pause of up to about 0.5 seconds betweenmusic/sound track and sound logo

Insert a brief pause of approx. 0.5 seconds before running the sound logoOtherwise the music can fade out approx. 0.5 secondsbefore the sound logo runs.

Please note:Avoid directly attaching thesound logo to the music/soundtrack with a hard cut.

DB Brand Music and Music Library

Another element of the DB corporate sound is DB brand music. It makes thebrand acoustically experienced in about 2.5 minutes. This music line can be usedin diverse applications. It is suitable as music for image films, in phone waitingloops, for events and much more. The music line can be shortened, cut and‘looped’ at your discretion, so as to optimally fit the application in use.

To prevent the music from seeming old quickly, a DB music library with severalready-to use musical pieces in various scales will be made available. This way wecan meet a broad range of communications requirements.

DB brand music is not currentlyavailable for downloading. Its useis decided on a case-by-case basis.

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Legal Notices

DB AG has acquired the rights of usefor the corporate sound for all mediawithout restrictions in time andgeographical location. In principle,however, transferral of GEMA rightsof public performance in this contextis void.

For any and all use of the sound logofor radio, TV and movie theater ads,the following GEMA data must bereported to the attending agency.However, separate fees will not berequired as the media costs alreadyinclude these fees

Title: DB Sound Logo (Database number: 148 06 416)Composers: Johannes Lehniger (GEMA:141515)Holger Schuhmann (GEMA: 812805)Alexander Wodrich (GEMA: 913908)

Title: DB Brand Music (Database number: 148 06 416)Composers: Johannes Lehniger (GEMA:141515)Holger Schuhmann (GEMA: 812805)Alexander Wodrich (GEMA: 913908)

For other applications, specific reports of the DB Corporate Soundto GEMA are not required.

published: 25.06.2014

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