Song of Cathay

To produce the track, our project team collaborated with Sixième Son, a sonic branding agency that underlines sound’s importance for brands. “In today’s world, to be seen, you must be heard,” says Laurent Cochini, Global Managing Director of Sixième Son. With the agency’s team of composers, we set about creating a song as distinctive as our brushwing logo.

The project started with a simple direction. “The high-level brief was around capturing that sense of who we are, but not just by looking back,” says Bell. “The sound had to give a sense of where we’re going, our future.” It needed to celebrate our proud history, all while communicating the ambition that moves us forward.

After a series of discovery sessions, Sixième Son’s composers flew to Hong Kong to capture the sounds of the city, recording everywhere from the steps of the Big Buddha to the bustling bird market. “When we reviewed the soundbites we gathered from our trip, one thing was clear: Hong Kong is a city of contrasts – contrasts between local and international, contrasts that you can see, feel and hear,” says Vincent Turbé, the agency’s Group Creative Director. A city that’s modern and traditional, powerful and elegant, energetic and calm – all at once. “We took these contrasts and wove them into the composition,” he says.

The result is a song that captures the essence of our brand, as well as the beautiful nuances of our home city. “The piece was conceived as a waltz – a musical odyssey that tells the brand’s story to move people both emotionally and forward, elevating life to greater heights,” says Turbé. “The instruments are played to create a real emotional connection, and the three-beat, waltz-like pattern allows the audience to be transported while, at the same time, offering very soothing breaths.”

While the piano leads you on the journey, it’s the layers of string instruments, played by the Asian Youth Orchestra, that add warmth, texture and energy to the composition. Given our three-decade-long relationship with the orchestra, it was only natural that they featured in the song. “We always want to shine a light on up-and-coming talent,” says Bell. “There’s something really special about listening to them play and knowing they’ve got their whole careers ahead of them.”

While the track is new, it’s worth noting this isn’t our first venture into music: the late composer Ryuichi Sakamoto recorded an album for our Heart of Asia campaign in 1994. Since then, we’ve selected different songs for various campaigns, but we’ve not composed a single track that captures the brand’s spirit – until now. “We’ve found a new melody for new times,” says Bell.

This is the new sound of Cathay and the new soundtrack to your journeys. “I hope it evokes in people the memories of what’s great about travel and what’s great about travelling with Cathay Pacific,” says Bell.

He continues: “When you think about it, a lot of the greatest memories we have in our lives have got something to do with travel. It’s about discovering new places or coming home to your loved ones.

“I think a great sound really binds these moments.”

Learn more about Song of Cathay and how it was made here.