Michaël Boumendil, President & Chief Creative Officer
Founder of Sixième Son, Michael founded the agency in 1995 and invented the idea of audio branding. Today, more than 450 brands around the world have trusted Sixième Son to create the sound of their brand: Paris Airport, AXA, Castorama, Chanel, Coca-Cola, FDJ, Fnac, France Telecom, Michelin, Peugeot, Roland-Garros, Royal Air Morocco, Sanofi, and the most widely known, SNCF (the French national railway)…
Every day in the world, more than 2.2 billion people hear at least one of the agency’s creations. Sixième Son remains the leading player in the fields of audio branding and musical design.
The birth of A Musical Journey
Boumendil was born on the outskirts of Paris and, by the age of 11, was already composing songs. By 13, he joined his first rock band, an experience that fueled his passion for music throughout his life.
At 19, Boumendil developed the idea of creating a new form of communication for brands—an idea that would soon become the foundation of his career. After graduating from the prestigious Edhec Business School in 1994, he combined his two passions, music and brand strategy, and created Sixième Son—the first agency dedicated to sonic branding
A New Language for Brands
The mission was clear: to translate a brand’s expertise, values, and positioning into a unique sound. This music-based branding would not only attract attention but also differentiate and create awareness for brands.
Global Expansion and New Frontiers
In 2017, Boumendil moved to the United States to expand Sixième Son’s reach, developing its New York office and growing the brand across North America. By this time, he was not only an expert in sonic identity but also in vocal identity.
International Growth and Thought Leadership
Under his leadership, Sixième Son has expanded internationally with offices in Canada, Spain, and Singapore. Boumendil is a regular speaker at global conferences, advocating for sound as a powerful, meaningful, and effective universal language for brands.
He recently introduced the concept of “emotional decency,” a principle emphasizing that brands should avoid amplifying audience anxiety or exploiting vulnerabilities, especially in challenging times. Boumendil’s extensive research has led to the development of a proven methodology for measuring the performance of a brand’s sonic identity.
Author and Thought Leader
In June 2017, Boumendil published his first book on sonic branding, Musical Design and Brand Strategy (published by Eyrolles). He also contributed to Audio Branding: Using Sound to Build Your Brand (KoganPage 2017) and Global Brand Management by Laurence Minsky and Ilan Geva (KoganPage 2019). His latest work, Le siècle du son, was released in June 2023.
