Air India is currently in the process of reinventing itself, which includes a rebranding. This has included everything from a new livery, to new employee uniforms, to a new safety video. As the latest development on this front, Air India has just unveiled a new brand track, which I kind of love…
In this post:
Air India’s energetic new brand track
Air India has just published its new brand track. Let me just share the carrier’s description, since I don’t think I could paraphrase it any better:
Across cultures and continents, music has a way of bringing people together. Air India’s new brand track echoes this universal bond through a harmonious symphony of classical Indian tunes with global melodies.
The track, created by the Grammy Award-winning singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan, the legendary percussionist Taufiq Qureshi, and the two-time National Film Award winner Prasoon Joshi, in collaboration with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London, reflects the sound of a bold, vibrant, and confident India.
With Yaman Raga at its core, experience this unique ‘jugalbandi’ (musical collaboration) as notes of the composition flow like different stages of a flight.
You can listen to the song for yourself below.
Below you can see a behind the scenes look at how this was produced, which is pretty cool as well. Here’s how that’s described:
Grammy-winner Shankar Mahadevan, legendary percussionist Taufiq Qureshi, and National Film Awardee Prasoon Joshi along with the over 40 musicians from the iconic Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London come together to create a vibrant symphony of classical Indian tunes with contemporary global melodies.
Watch the recording of this track at the iconic Angel Studios in London, which has hosted memorable TV and film score sessions including The Lion King, Downton Abbey, Moulin Rouge, Adele 21, Pride and Prejudice and Planet Earth, amongst many others.
What a cool track, well done, Air India!
Admittedly a brand track is a minor detail in the overall scheme of running a successful airline. But I can’t help but continue to be impressed by how substantial and detail-oriented Air India’s rebranding is, as the airline is seemingly considering everything.
This song is just so fun — it’s energetic, upbeat, and oh-so-Indian (and it’s awesome to see Air India continuing to lean into that).
Now, one thing I’m not entirely clear on is what exactly this brand track will be used for. Will the airline use this as boarding music, or are there other plans for this…?
I’m perhaps the only person on earth who cares about airline boarding music, and I even keep a list of my favorite boarding music tracks. I tend to think boarding music is a great, subtle brand element, and people tend to associate memories with music.
Now, while I love Air India’s new brand track, I’m not sure it actually makes good boarding music. Boarding is the most stressful time of a flight, and I think the best kind of boarding music is soft and calming. When I listen to this Air India brand track, I’m tapping my foot and am moving my head, and you don’t necessarily want to make people less calm when they’re boarding, given the kind of behavior we already see. Then again, it’s a unique and memorable track, and it’s one that I’m sure people will enjoy.
Bottom line
Air India has unveiled a new brand track, which has quite some big names behind it. This is such a fun song, and I can’t help but listen to it on repeat. I continue to be impressed by Air India’s transformation, from the big picture changes, to the little details.
What do you make of Air India’s new brand track?
My favorite was Ethihad airways boarding music of 2012 timeframe
I think YOU are the only person on Earth that even thinks about airline music. I didn’t know there was such a thing. Please give us more airline music from different airlines. It’ll just be another thing that we can argue (which airline has the best music) on these pages! P.s. this is written very tongue in cheek!
Wow! … it reflects the soul of India - passionate, harmonious, warm with brotherhood … as if conveying “the world is my family”!
Hopefully this becomes as synonymously associated with Air India as "Rhapsody..." is with United.
And as "Adiemus" should've become, for a certain southern USA carrier who foolishly dropped it.
I don’t think there’s any airline in the world that I’m rooting for more than Air India! They represent a beautiful nation, and have so much potential as a carrier. You can clearly see how proud people are of the carrier’s efforts to improve. Their new safety video was uploaded a WEEK ago and already has FIVE MILLION VIEWS. Which is very impressive for an airline safety video! I’m super excited to see where Air India is going.
I look at this like an overture at the start of a musical, it lays out the musical themes that will run throughout the rest of the coming performance.
Wow - absolutely love the track! Most airline themes are forgettable or not distinct enough to identify the airline associated with. If one were to hear this track on the aircraft, they would unmistakably be able to identify Air India. It has the melodrama and musical flair associated with the country and its festivities. Love the start, as if attending a worship, before increasing in energy.
I absolutely listen to and collect good boarding music tracks!
You do? You must be bored.
Great observations.
Ben - the emphasis on music as a means to communicate brand messaging is far bigger in Indian culture vs here in the West. It is a common vehicle even outside of product use instances. You’ll see that emphasis in tv ads too. Bollywood movies tend to have way more songs than Hollywood. Wouldn’t be surprised if the sole purpose is to rally the crowds behind the brand. Well done though, I agree.
Love it. Frankly I like the upbeat energetic beat which exudes the energy and dynamism of the nation.
Hold music, boarding music, deboarding music, background music in ads, intro music to safety videos... Everywhere that United put "Rhapsody in Blue", AI will put this.