Sonic ID & UATL Sonic ID
Sonic Branding
Project Overview
By fusing vintage typewriter sounds with modern sound design, the AJC and UATL sonic IDs create a timeless bridge between the newspaper’s storied past and its digital future.
Details
In collaboration with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s in-house team, Matchstic, and Syn USA, we helped shape a new sonic identity for one of America’s most storied newspapers. As the AJC transitioned from a heritage print institution into a modern digital news brand, the mandate was clear: create a sonic language that honors its rich past while confidently stepping into the future. The resulting sonic IDs for both AJC and UATL embody this fusion—rooted in tradition, but unmistakably contemporary.
Central to the creative concept was the AJC’s tagline, “The Substance and Soul of the South.” To bring that spirit to life authentically, we sought out the textures of real history. Our team conducted field recordings at a vintage typewriter museum in Japan, capturing the tactile, mechanical rhythms of bygone newsroom culture. These organic sounds—key clicks, carriage returns, and the gentle machinery of analog journalism—were then processed, transformed, and reshaped into sleek, modern sonic signatures. The result is a soundscape that carries both the weight of legacy and the clarity of forward momentum.
The UATL sonic ID, composed by Alan Mawdsley, establishes a bold, digital-first voice for the AJC’s modernized brand presence. The core AJC sonic ID, composed by Nick Wood, builds on this foundation with a sense of refinement and editorial authority. Together, they provide a cohesive audio ecosystem that spans news, digital content, and brand
communications.
This project is enduring because it bridges eras: the tactile nostalgia of print journalism meets the immediacy of the digital age. The sonic identities not only reflect the evolution of the AJC but also stand as a timeless expression of its place in the cultural fabric of the South—and its vision for the future of news.
Central to the creative concept was the AJC’s tagline, “The Substance and Soul of the South.” To bring that spirit to life authentically, we sought out the textures of real history. Our team conducted field recordings at a vintage typewriter museum in Japan, capturing the tactile, mechanical rhythms of bygone newsroom culture. These organic sounds—key clicks, carriage returns, and the gentle machinery of analog journalism—were then processed, transformed, and reshaped into sleek, modern sonic signatures. The result is a soundscape that carries both the weight of legacy and the clarity of forward momentum.
The UATL sonic ID, composed by Alan Mawdsley, establishes a bold, digital-first voice for the AJC’s modernized brand presence. The core AJC sonic ID, composed by Nick Wood, builds on this foundation with a sense of refinement and editorial authority. Together, they provide a cohesive audio ecosystem that spans news, digital content, and brand
communications.
This project is enduring because it bridges eras: the tactile nostalgia of print journalism meets the immediacy of the digital age. The sonic identities not only reflect the evolution of the AJC but also stand as a timeless expression of its place in the cultural fabric of the South—and its vision for the future of news.
