06-07 Tools With The Band BROUGHT TO YOU COURTESY OF 08-09 Campaigns Dua Lipa/Major Lazer, Alice Cooper, Primephonic/Ludwig 10–14 Behind The Campaign- Kara Marni
IN ASSOCIATION WITH sandbox NOVEMBER 11 2020 | Music marketing for the digital era ISSUE 264
...... how lo-fi hip hop brands are chilling out millions of devoted listeners LO-FI, HIGH IMPACT COVERFEATURE
en years ago, lo-fi hip hop was the domain of underground hip hop Tproducers in Detroit and LA and their limited – but devoted – fan bases, a postscript to one of the world’s most brazenly commercial musical genres. Fast forward to 2020, however, and lo-fi hip hop can lay a claim to being one of the fastest growing musical phenomena of the streaming age: with playlists dominating Spotify and whose leading brands – like ChilledCow and Chillhop Music – are well on the way to becoming familiar names. But first, a little musical context. There are two strains of lo-fi hip hop, separated by a decade of technological and cultural change, and whether they are in fact one and the same is open to ...how lo-fi hip hop brands are chilling out debate. The low-key and often wonky strand of hip hop production pioneered millions of devoted listeners by the likes of Madlib in the 2000s may share certain stylistic traits with the woozy beats offered up today by brands like ChilledCow, College Music, Chillhop Music etc. – but today’s version of lo-fi serves a fundamentally different purpose. Madlib et al - for all their wobbly LO-FI, tendencies - made music to be actively listened to, whereas ChilledCow’s playlists and YouTube streams are designed to HIGH IMPACT blend into the background. It is music - to Lo-fi hip hop is no longer simply a crackly, jazzy sub-genre – it’s a huge business, with millions subscribing to playlists of atmospheric lo-fi songs. As its popularity has rocketed, brands are creating multi-platform playlists and albums for people to relax, study, chill and sleep to. We explore how this unassuming background music has quietly grown into an enormous DIY empire, how making music with a specific mood in mind is resonating with a ready audience – and how the major labels are starting to want in. We also unpack the “constant stream of content” that propelled Kara Marni to prominence during lockdown, and check out how artists like Dua Lipa and Alice Cooper are pivoting their campaigns during the continuing absence of live performance. Finally, we chat to With The Band, a platform that enables artists to create Fan Crews – and new revenue streams by offering exclusive content for a variety of paid-access tiers.
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that, according to Jenkins. “It’s a long-term hour going through all of our individual trend we have talked about for years around uploads they would be watching one or contextual playlists, playlists created for a two adverts every song they listened to,” context, ” he explains. College Music co-founder Jonny Laxton Consumers, Jenkins argues, want explains to Music Ally. “So relatively to put music on and have a “consistent speaking there is very little money to be experience”, rather than the mixture of made from the live streams.” moods - from ballads to rockers - that a Monetisation features on YouTube like traditional album serves up. He believes SuperChat can bring in some revenue. this may have always been the case - But Luke Pritchard, College Music’s other certainly, this is something that many radio co-founder, says that SuperChat “isn’t stations have long tried to provide - but it propping up the company. We might get is only now, with the rise of streaming and $10 here or there”. Ryan Celsius, whose playlists, that consumers have been able lo-fi hip hop / vaporwave channel to enjoy unbridled access to music that is Ryan Celsius Sounds has more than tailored to specific contexts. 490,000 subscribers on YouTube, says that SuperChat does generate “significant quote the name of ChilledCow’s biggest entirely independently of the mainstream Music designed for people revenue in the realm of lo-fi music streams Spotify playlist - “to relax / study to”; music business. who prioritise moods - but not as significantly as merchandise”. music with a use that is designed for a At time of writing, around 70% of the and for brands to make money “In my experience, SuperChat is less specific context. tracks on ChilledCow’s flagship playlist The growth of music streaming has clearly about increasing revenue and more about come from its own label, a figure that rises been important to the rise of lo-fi hip investing in increased engagement,” he Chilling, relaxing and studying – to 100% on Lofi Fruits’ leading list. When hop. But the genre, in its present form, adds. “Giving passive listeners or active by the millions these brands release vinyl - as they do owes its existence to the advent of live And it is growing fast. In February 2020 surprisingly often for what are, on the face streaming on YouTube, which has allowed ChilledCow’s flagship Spotify playlist had of it, very digital businesses - they come brands to create 24/7 live-streaming 1.2m followers; in autumn 2020 it has 4.3m via crowdfunded campaigns on Qrates, channels to pump out the constant burble – enough to make it the most popular while discussion around lo-fi hip hop tends of lo-fi sounds. Some of these brands third-party playlist on the platform, to take place on IM and VOIP platform have amassed vast audiences on YouTube according to Chartmetric chief commercial Discord. - ChilledCow has 6.7m subscribers on officer Chaz Jenkins. Lofi Fruits’ “lofi The rather nervous world in which we YouTube and, at time of writing, 45,000 hip hop music to relax, study, chill, vibe, live has, without doubt, contributed to the people are “watching” its “lofi hip hop groove to” playlist has, in the same rise of lo-fi hip hop’s musical relief. “I view radio - beats to relax/study to” stream. But time, jumped from just over 1m Spotify lo-fi beats as a necessity in today’s world the financial rewards from YouTube are followers to 3.5m. filled with constant anxiety, especially with scant and YouTube channels also run the The success of these lo-fi hip hop the events of 2020,” says DJ and Mixtape constant threat of the takedown notice, brands is all the more remarkable Monopoly CEO GENIUS. “Lo-fi beats with ChilledCow’s channel temporarily considering its DIY and very self-contained create a safe space to focus, while still vibe shut down in February 2020 due to “non- path to commercial victory. Companies like on a subconscious level. I find it relaxes compliance on YouTube’s Terms of Service”. ChilledCow and Chillhop have created my mind, but not to such a deep state as a “You can watch one advert on the live their own music industry bubbles of label, meditation sound. It fits a unique space for stream and watch for an hour or a whole brand and merch that operate almost hip-hop fans.” But there’s more to it than day, whereas if people were spending that
2 | sandbox ISSUE 264 11.11.2020 COVERFEATURE fans the option to interact directly with useful piece of symmetry for these lo-fi channel curators, or other people within hip hop brands, allowing them to promote the live chat, gives them another reason to and distribute their own music. With this stay on the stream and a way to engage.” symmetry, however, comes questions. As a result, most lo-fi hip hop brands Do, for example, the lo-fi hip hop brands have moved beyond YouTube into other have too much control over artists, who additional areas to raise funds, launching may be forced to live entirely within their labels, selling merch, creating fan-funding ecosystems? And is there a potential campaigns and organising the occasional conflict of interest? live event. Van Leeuwen says that, as a label and “Nowadays, if you are just staying on curator, “you’re inevitably biased to a YouTube you are almost being left behind. certain extent; we release the music we Judging on consumer trends, almost release because we like it and we put everyone now is listening to music on music we like on our platforms”. But he Spotify,” says Laxton. says that Chillhop is driven by musical, “From an artist’s perspective, when Lo-fi music, function more as an umbrella lifestyle rather than commercial, instincts. “For our we upload a track to our YouTube page or highly-diversified businesses brand.” biggest Spotify playlist we’ve always made to the lo-fi stream, that is great for their But he believes that over-reliance on one The Chillhop label, rapidly closing in room to feature other artists; about half of exposure and for them getting involved in platform, both culturally and financially, on its 100th release, is perhaps the key to the tracks aren’t from our label,” he says. the scene as a whole. is a mistake. “I think it’s important to not the whole operation. van Leeuwen calls it “When it comes to other music we feature, “But when we add their music to a rely too much on one platform for your “a huge step for us”. “As a promo channel we select music we like. We don’t put any playlist on Spotify with X number of income; you never know what will happen – how we started initially – we would music in there because of politics, playlist followers, that gives them more of a and it’s not within your control,” he says. find the music and upload it and that’d be swapping or any other motives other than direct benefit. The streams that get pulled “Financial reliance on a specific platform it,” he explains. “In those first few years I the music being good – and the person through our rope on Spotify transfer can also corner you into creating content spent the majority of my time talking to making the music being someone we feel directly and get added to their overall specifically for that platform. Creating artists and seeing how I could help them. deserves it.” stream count of that track.” content for a specific platform isn’t a bad I felt like I could (and wanted) to do more This might sound like a rather idealistic Chillhop Music CEO Bas van Leeuwen thing in itself but if you rely so much on than just promote the releases and was view but it makes a lot of sense, given how says that YouTube hasn’t been his a platform that you have no other choice already helping some of them on levels competitive the world of playlisting can company’s main income stream since than to follow their developments, it starts beyond promo.” be. If your current channels are already 2016, when they launched their own label. to hinder creative freedom.” And this, he says, pushed him towards successful, it makes little sense to risk this That’s not to take anything away from Chillhop has its own online store, launching the label. “At that time for a lot by focusing exclusively on your own label’s YouTube, though, which he calls “a great selling clothing, vinyl, accessories and of these artists things like distributing the music, after all. platform”. art and the company is even set to open music online, creating good cover art and “I would say I value it more than the a café, which van Leeuwen says is “80% pressing vinyl was something they could A genre where the brands popular audio-only music streaming ready” - although Covid-19 is probably use help with,” van Leeuwen explains. “So and labels are the stars - platforms when it comes to expressing going to prevent it from opening this year. in addition to having our platforms for and majors are prowling ourselves as a brand, as it allows for “The café is an idea I’ve had for a long exposure, being able to get more involved in The artists signed to these labels, way more interaction with the audience time and it’s a way to extend the Chillhop the whole process and provide more value meanwhile, find themselves in an intriguing through social features and the video atmosphere into a physical space,” he for the artists pushed me to start the label.” position whereby they are essentially format just provides more room for explains. “While it will carry the Chillhop Owning both label and channel (albeit guaranteed hundreds of thousands of creativity,” van Leeuwen explains. atmosphere, it will have a new name and on third-party platforms) is, clearly, a streams and the ensuing financial rewards,
3 | sandbox ISSUE 264 11.11.2020 COVERFEATURE but from a position of relative anonymity, in changing the way the music industry with the channel itself very much the focus. markets its wares. “[These consumers] Van Leeuwen says that most artists accept are not so susceptible to the usual this. “Looking at the popularity of the music music industry marketing tools of big there relatively aren’t too many artists that new releases and everything we do to have really grown big,” he says. “It’s not promote those big new releases,” he everyone’s goal either to become a public says. “Our focus has always been on personality, a lot of artists like the position creating impactful stories and tools to which they are in.” promote specific music, in the hope that Nevertheless, he says Chillhop’s goal is consumers remember and are inspired to to develop artists. “We want to showcase seek out whatever artist and music we are the personality behind the music more in promoting. the near future as I feel there’s a need for “Perhaps we need to focus more on the it in order to add more context and life to where, why and when that consumption the music,” Van Leeuwen explains. this release.’ For us, we try to keep them they could easily line up songs to suit will take place. The heavily pre-curated Chaz Jenkins argues that the concept at arm’s length, because the major labels their lifestyle. “Labels used to refer to contextualised approach to playlisting of breaking an artist, in the traditional typically have ulterior motives, with these the threat of ‘decoupling the album’ that makes it so much easier for the consumer music industry sense of raising awareness niche genres.” he says. Laxton adds, “It playlisting represented but in the process, to be able to listen to the right music, at around them, is “an almost meaningless does seem to be almost a matter of time did we miss the message that playlists were the right time in the right place without concept these days”. “Do we measure that until the majors start knocking on the a response to wider disinterest in the way having to recall or search.” breaking point by traditional media buzz door of ourselves and the other lo-fi pages that albums were being curated?” he asks. As such, he sees the trend for lo-fi hip and exposure which may often be limited and labels.” hop to be part of a far wider and more to exposure in only one country, or do Jenkins believes labels could learn Understanding lo-fi important shift in listening patterns that we measure it by the number of people from lo-fi hip hop brands - and contextual hip hop could help you the music industry must pay attention globally who may be listening to an artist music specialists in general - when it unlock brand new audiences to. “It’s not just lo-fi hip hop,” Jenkins or a track?” he says. “Because the two comes to marketing music. “Along with “The rise of lo-fi hip hop music has concludes. “That is just one of the many most certainly no longer always coincide.” fitness brands and EDM DJs and labels, demonstrated that people want music to different genres that have accelerated What the rise of lo-fi hip hop means they have been consistently proving that be contextualised for their environment over the last six months. Music that fits for the mainstream music industry is an curating music is not just something that and activity,” Jenkins adds. “There is a contexts: relaxing music, music to study interesting - and increasingly pressing - is done by DSPs” he says. “As an industry, lot of growth still to come [in streaming] to, yoga music, running music, music that question. Spotify has been pushing its we always talk about what is hip, now and although as an industry we may need to suits a task or an activity.” own lo-fi hip hop playlists, while Pritchard new. Traditionally the music industry has learn how to better cater for consumers As for lo-fi hip hop itself, Laxton believes says that College Music has increasingly marketed new releases and priorities. An who never previously cared enough to spend it will endure. “The future? It’s always been attracting attention from labels, album has a dozen tracks by an artist: a much on music but are willing to subscribe if tricky to say. Because it [lo-fi hip hop] is largely thanks to the rise of what he calls ballad, a radio hit, a mixture of moods. But the music they can listen to fits their lifestyle. an internet phenomenon at the moment “vocal lo-fi hip hop” and the success of is that really relevant for how consumers Most people like music, but our historical you can never quite be sure if it is going to Craymer and AIIVAWN’s cover of “Can’t are listening to music today? And was that focus has only ever been on catering for be a phase and a trend that lasts for a few Take My Eyes Off You”, which became a ever really the case, or did that formula the smaller number of consumers who years – or if it is here to stay,” he says. “At Tik-Tok hit. simply suit our business objectives?” really, really like music. We need to think the moment I think it is going to be here to “That Craymer song, it was doing Covid, he believes, has accelerated a bigger and think how we engage broader stay. I guess in 10 years’ time many of the well on TikTok, the major labels come in trend that began 20 years ago when Napster audiences.” things we see going now will still be going straight away and say, ‘Let’s team up on enabled consumers to create playlists, so The answer to this, he believes, lies in a relatively similar fashion.”: )
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Birocratic Q&A
Music Ally spoke to Birocratic, a producer who has recorded for Where do those streams come from? Chillhop Music: The breakdown is: 6% from my profile and catalogue; 21% from the listeners’ own playlist and library; 38% - which is the biggest chunk How do you feel about the term “lo-fi hip hop”? If someone - from other listeners’ playlists, that means, you’ve got the Chillhop describes what you do as “lo-fi hip hop” do you agree? Records playlist which is probably the biggest driver of traffic; I have complex feelings about that. I have never openly embraced 14% Spotify editorial; 20% Spotify algorithmic. a sudden, major labels are knocking on our door saying, ‘Hey could the term “lo-fi hip hop” for my music. There are a few reasons we have a tape? Could we have a song?’ ‘Are you going to give us for that, the main ones being, I have never necessarily attempted And does that give you enough money to live on? better terms than the labels that we are working with already?’ And aesthetically to create lo-fidelity as a function of my artistic Yes... granted, I do live in New York City, so I do supplement my the answer is by and large no. They literally couldn’t compete with expression. income with other things. But if I lived somewhere else in the the terms from the Chillhops, the ChilledCows etc. And that to me If I ever have done that it has been by accident. The genre, as country that was a little bit cheaper, this would absolutely cover my is incredible. its hallmark, the popular inception is there is some sort of tape living expenses. hiss or vinyl crackle and a shitty Bill Evans jazz piano loop, that’s You said there were misconceptions the stereotype of what lo-fi sounds like. Partially because that is Do you ever worry about relying on Chillhop, around this music: what are they? so unflattering, that is not how I approach my music at all. I do in terms of recording for the same label that operates If you go, for example, on YouTube and check out the live streams my best to distance myself from the label “lo-fi hip hop”. But I also the Spotify playlist which you get the most plays from – – especially on Chillhop’s – they have two constantly running live have to fully acknowledge that’s the community I am a part of, in and generally being too dependent on them? streams, like radio stations. By and large the community in the chat many ways. I am not worried about it. But that is because of how I have set room is extremely wholesome and, for a lot of people who are there, up my own career and having good influences – I have a manager you can tell how invigorating it is to connect to a community – on A lot of these lo-fi hip hop channels offer music to relax to, who has always been aware of that. She does work in the industry the internet, no less! – that is moderated and managed, and is truly study to and even sleep to. How do you feel about your and she has always turned a healthy skeptical eye towards the just about wishing each other well… There is obviously a contingent music being labelled in that way? ecosystem that Chillhop has created. Not because we don’t love of people in this world who need a boost and they will go there to I’m OK with it. One thing that I have learned over years of doing this it and believe in it. But just because of that sheer control that they talk to somebody else. It’s a little bit like a loneliness antidote. is you learn how to separate your music’s perception from what you have. It’s not necessarily a ship that I want to go down with. My put into it. I started doing this before this ecosystem really existed. career is bigger than Chillhop, fortunately, and I intend to keep it How important is Discord to the lo-fi hip hop community? Naturally I have my own feelings and emotions and expressions that that way... we are distinctly aware of the control that they have. As a very new and surface-level user of Discord I can just tell you I put into my music. And also because of the optics. I never necessarily set out to be from my experience. Discord is new. And what I like about it is it has But at the end of the day ... I understand why it is going to be “chill boy”, it’s not the label that I necessarily want to associate with this “private chat room” vibe about it… If the Discord server is well- associated with those kind of things. my music. run, there are different channels with different topics being discussed. I do approach my music in a way that I would prefer people to So you have this semi-formal structure for how to engage with other listen to it more actively. I actually create music that I think is a very Have you seen more interest from the mainstream music people. It’s one of the most democratic platforms that I have come rewarding repeat listening on headphones. I try to layer things like industry since lo-fi hip hop has started to take off? across and experienced on the internet. And everyone’s voice is able that. But I also recognise that you have to get people in the door. For sure. Recently I have started to hear some major labels have to be heard. You can chat with random people. But you are there for a actually reached out to form their own lo-fi hip hop compilation very specific reason. Discord isn’t quite mainstream enough that it How many plays do you get on Spotify a month? tapes. Which to me is the funniest thing in the world because, this is filled with people who aren’t really there for the stated purpose. It is The number of streams in the last 28 days, is 1.64m across the has been five years running, and there has been a lot of dismissal: very intentional… It creates a safe haven for them to explore, either entirety of my catalogue. not treating this phenomenon like it is anything legitimate. And all of the topics or the emotions that they want to engage with.
5 | sandbox ISSUE 264 11.11.2020 TOOLS With The Band
In 2017, Sarah Beth Perry developed the York and L.A., but Perry said that many idea for the “fan engagement” platform managers and labels’ heads of digital With The Band while she was studying reached out to explore what they could do Entrepreneurship and Music Business “besides Instagram Live streams”. at Belmont University in Nashville. The So the team spent the summer building app and website, launching in January out a fan engagement platform that could 2021, “enables artists to create their own be described as a convergence of the ‘fan crew’ – our modern-day version of a community focus of Reddit or Discord, fan club”, says CEO Perry. The platform with the subscription payment models of creates a new revenue stream for artists, Patreon or Only Fans. who can offer exclusive content for a Crucially, With The Band is both a variety of paid-access tiers. platform for artists to drive revenues from their fan community, and a platform for Perry founded the platform when she where fans Band together those fans to create a community to chat, noticed how digital spaces to mobilise and share and create fan-driven experiences communicate amongst fan communities like local meet ups. had vanished. Artists can offer as many or as few “With social media, fan forums payment tiers as they like, and have disappeared. I remember fan groups complete control over pricing. Setting creating fan projects which became a up a Fan Crew is free – and once a fan fairly informal thing on Twitter. When I purchases a membership to a Crew, 75% tried to find platforms that would enable of that revenue will go to the artist, 21% fans to create a community, I couldn’t find to With The Band and 4% to the payment anything. We wanted to rebirth the idea of processor. For comparison, OnlyFans’ a fan club.” To launch the platform, Perry revenue share is 20%, while Patreon’s organised a fan activation with 16,000 comes in at 5-12%. signs reading, “Thank you for coming back With The Band argues that their model to us” being held aloft at Jonas Brothers’ offers a modern, all-in-one solution: “While comeback show in Nashville in September there are other membership tools like 2019. Patreon and Memberful, these are used On the back of that success, Kacey by small indie artists who need to make a Musgraves’ management team reached supplemental income. With The Band is out to coordinate an experience for her targeting the medium-to-larger tier artists show in Nashville, turning the crowd into ... these artists’ current “fan club” options a rainbow during her song of the same only include a simple newsletter, an title. The coronavirus pandemic hit With outdated forum website, or an expensive The Band’s first events planned in New custom mobile app.”
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by artists – and others that encourage interaction between the fans. The platform plans to allow fans to create their own channels in the future – although at the moment they can get together in groups for direct messaging. The platform’s dashboard gives insights into revenue analytics and fan data: the number of members, where paying fans are located, the number of fans in each tier, and their activity within the Fan Crew. Fans can be filtered by Crew engagement, and artists can see top engaged and highest spending fans. This data is owned by the artist and can be used to create Lookalike Audiences / Similar Audiences on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube – helping them grow an audience based on their most valuable and most engaged fans. virtual meet-and-greets. – the artist can take control, incentivising Some of the platform’s features could Here’s where artists can encourage fans to help with promotion and leverage arguably also be used in a similar way on a fans to pay for different tiers of access: these highly-motivated street teams. platform like Instagram: artists can create a each post or livestream can be made This direct-to-fan ethos extends Close Friends group to send DMs to - and available to fans depending on their level to artists being able to send push fans have long been able to chat beneath of subscription. (It’s akin to the feature on notifications to their Fan Crew, so that the posts. However, a Fan Crew creates a safe Centralisation of these fan community Facebook where artists can make certain most important supporters always stay space for fans, far away from social media experiences is also important: many posts only available to followers with a up-to-date with what the artist has going trolls – and is an exclusive community that artists using Patreon also set up a Discord “Top Fan” badge.) on. CEO Perry says: “We want to make the fan can enjoy feeling part of. channel to let fans communicate – a One of the most interesting use-cases sure to teach artists how to use their fans In the future, the company will add communication feature that is baked into here is the ability to individualise posts for to promote their music, as not enough of more live-focused features when the With The Band. different locations. them do it. Once you start a Fan Crew, industry restarts, and they are already The platform will feel familiar to users: For example, if an artist wanted help to you can have a monthly meeting with your working with artists such as Lauv and The fans can access an artist’s feed of exclusive promote a song on local radio, a post could account manager so we can help you pan Naked & Famous to launch Fan Crews in news and content, and artists can create encourage the local fan crew to call in and out ideas.” time for the platform’s January launch. different, Slack-like channels – whatever request the song. Fans can communicate amongst each Founder Perry is a passionate fan, and they like. On the example Fan Crew that Fan groups are sometimes called to do other in these channels, which is where member of fan communities herself, and is Sandbox was able to look at, there were this via Twitter, but it might feel a tad too the platform becomes more like a Reddit a firm believer in the unique feelings and channels called #ArtistPosts, #Backstage “promotional” in such an open platform. thread or artist-focused Discord channel. powerful experiences that they bring: “I’ve and #Setlists - and in these channels, However, in the exclusive environment of Artists can turn the ability for fans to post met so many of my best friends through artists can post status updates, images, a Fan Crew – where the artist knows only themselves on or off for each channel, music – and I wanted to enable this for videos, polls, and even host livestreams or the most engaged superfans congregate leaving some channels exclusively run other fans through With The Band.” :)
7 | sandbox ISSUE 264 11.11.2020 The latest projects from the digital marketing arena CAMPAIGNS DISCO-MBOBULATED: DUA LIPA OPENS STUDIO 2054 AND MAJOR LAZER GIG VIRTUALLY
The moves to fill the increasingly widening gap left by the cancellation of festivals and tours has seen pop stars try all manner of things, from wholly virtual shows to more audience- participation hybrids of gigs and meet & greets.
To try and replicate the excitement of both live music and clubbing, Dua Lipa is opening up what she is calling Studio 2054 on LiveNow on 27th November. It describes itself as “more live movie than regular live show”. The name, of course, is a very heavy nod to the legendary New York club that Each timezone perform a replica of their scuppered had the infamous Man In also has a VIP world tour using Supersphere’s The Moon figure whose nose tier, costing ArcRunner AR production platform. would become very sparkly £15 each. For The band had a 50-show world when a giant spoon was put that, you get tour planned before the pandemic in front of it (for some reason). everything on forced them to cancel and so they are using McCartney and Wiz Khalifa, as well as Michelle There are four different the normal tier ArcRunner to recreate what the show could have Obama. geo-gated streams: for as well as access been. “This pandemic made everyone rethink The productions here are clearly ambitious UK and Europe; for South to behind-the- how they were going to pursue their career from ones and this is all part of a general thrust America; for Central and North America; and for scenes footage before the show as well as access now on,” said Ape Drums from the group. to make such shows unique in terms of their Asia Pacific. Each one costs £8.99 to access. For to the after-party where Dua Lipa and other The show, taking place on 18th November, architecture, adapting them to the medium rather that, you get a single-access pass, the stream in guest DJs will be playing music. can only be accessed through the Venues app on than simply trying to transpose a standard concert full HD and the ability to watch on your TV via It will be shot in a warehouse and have custom- the Oculus Quest platform. “Using ArcRunner for into a livestream. This feels like the bedding in of Chromecast. There is also, somewhat alarmingly, built sets that include “surreal tv shows, roller production, the group can fully and accurately virtual and augmented statement shows. free customer support which means, one can discos, ecstatic raves, trashy rocker hang outs, digitally recreate and perform inside all of the The speed of innovation here, arising out only presume, that those behind the production voguing ballrooms and diva style dressing rooms”. show elements from their planned tour including of necessity, in the last six months has been are expecting a percentage of viewers to face Alongside the live band and dancers, there stage layout, set design, lighting grid, special nothing short of incredible and suggests that either technical problems or be let down by will be skaters, aerialists and acrobats as well as effects, and more,” says the press statement on the multi-dimensional livestream could have a their own technical limitations if they have not the promise of “surprise superstar guests”. the show. real future as an added layer when touring gets streamed an event like this before. But at least Meanwhile, Major Lazer have partnered with Supersphere has been behind shows from back to normal - and become more than a digital the support is there should it be needed. immersive streaming platform Supersphere to acts such as Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Paul placeholder.
8 | sandbox ISSUE 264 11.11.2020 The latest projects from the digital marketing arena CAMPAIGNS FLIP YOUR ‘WIG: STREAMING SERVICE PRIMEPHONIC GHOULS OUT: ALICE COOPER DEALS OUT HALLOWEEN CARD GAME OFFERS BEGINNERS’ GUIDE TO CLASSICAL
Long before Marilyn In an completes it can – reluctantly Manson and Slipknot, unboxing or effusively – call themselves a Alice Cooper was video, Cooper “classionado”. America’s dark prince introduces the Thomas Steffens, CEO of of hyperbolic horror in game. “Minions, Primephonic, said, “To ensure rock, starting in the late you know me the genre’s survival amidst the 1960s with live shows – I’ve never digital revolution, we also need and records designed to played games to make it more accessible for whip up a moral panic – with you… until those with less knowledge but doing so with forked now,” he says. about the genre, tongue very much in “This is my new especially since the bloody cheek. card game, Described as a “10-week digital education system HorrorBox. It’s a crash course” in classical music, has dramatically To coincide with horror-themed Ludwig has been set up by high- lowered coverage of Halloween, Cooper card game res classical music streaming classical music in its has partnered with with questions, service Primephonic to help curriculums.” FITZ Games to launch the answers and dares. Let’s take ease new or tentative listeners A continuing HorrorBox game that works akin to a look inside.” He then, with into the genre. problem for DSPs the moral-stretching Cards Against a knowing look, pops out a is that music, not Humanity game. In brief, players flick knife to open the box. “Adopting a new approach to learning just classical, is often served up devoid pick cards that mix and match “Paper? Cards? No spiders? No about classical, Ludwig is 99% listening of context and, even if there is some questions and answers, with points snakes?” The Hammer Horror- and just 1% reading,” it says. “Combined editorial wrapped around it, the details are being awarded for the funniest style camp is dialled up to the with a flexible curriculum that allows you invariably scant. You hear a fantastic new resulting combinations. highest level and, as such, is to study whenever and wherever you like, artist in a playlist but the onus is on you The basic game, costing $25, perfectly in tune with what students can build their knowledge in a to find out who they are, what they stand comes with 420 cards, but there are he’s been doing for over half a way that suits their lifestyle.” for and where they fit into the wider music suitably spooky expansion packs century. In that sense, it is like a distance scene. available, costing between $12.95 It was, however, missing a learning course for classical. To carry DSPs are fantastic gateways to discover and $14.95 each. These include full digital angle as the game on the analogy, the “study units” and music you might like, but they are still cards covering classic movies, modern – or at least a teaser of it – could have been “modules” include a weekly podcast telling terrible interpreters: they serve you music, movies, iconic characters, the supernatural, built for online and have that serve as a way the history of classical via 10 composers, but they do not explain what it means or monsters, aliens and more. There is even to push sales of the physical product. bi-weekly email lessons, carefully curated why it works the way it does. Hopefully an Alice Cooper-themed pack. For the The biggest question, however, that one playlists and unlimited access to the this move by Ludwig will be the start of superfan, there is a deluxe bundle with all the has about it all is this: why has it taken until music on Primephonic. It costs £17.99 a new type of DSP-led arts criticism that expansion packs in a single set for $123. now for it to happen? for the course (with payments stretched gives proper meaning to the music you over three months) and everyone who hear.
9 | sandbox ISSUE 264 11.11.2020 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN KARA MARNI BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNKARA MARNI
UK singer-songwriter Kara Marni studied at the Brit School but dropped out in order to focus on her career, releasing her first EP in 2018. She had signed with First Access Entertainment – who discovered her through a cover of Minnie Riperton’s ‘Loving You’ online – and began working with The Invisible Men (the songwriting and music production team made up of Jason Pebworth, George Astasio and Jon Shave). LAURA LUKANZ (EVP, First Access Entertainment) and RACHEAL EDWARDS (head of marketing, First Access Entertainment) explain how she was developed, why her Shed Sessionz took on a life of their own in lockdown, the role collaborations played and where TikTok influencers as well as a range of brands got involved.
Putting Kara into development to her on Instagram and they formed this LL: She came out of the Brit School relationship. She sent him a song [‘Young and we started writing with her and Heart’] she had just written to see what developing the live proposition. We’ve he thought about it. He jumped on it released two EPs with her since then immediately, doing the vocals on it within [Love Just Ain’t Enough in 2018 and No 24 hours of her sending the song to him. Logic in 2019] and she’s done a European Russ has been so supportive and tour as well as selling out Bush Hall in genuinely a true supporter of new London. talent. She did a collaboration with Nitin We’re an independent record label and Sawhney a while back [‘Changes’ from the so we’ve been able to just take our time Mowgli: Legend Of The Jungle OST ], but with everything. this was for her own record.
She puts up lots of acoustic versions Setting up the ‘Young Heart’ of her songs on Spotify and the other single campaign DSPs. Russ heard the acoustic version of RE: How we worked this campaign was very the song that she wrote, ‘Lose My much a reflection of lockdown and what was Love’ , and was blown away by her happening. She’s always had something of vocals and the writing. He reached out a skeletal setup in her garden shed. She was
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Targo Embargo [a first play by DJ Target], so it was released on 15th July. The track got added to 1Xtra’s C-list playlist and then quickly moved up to the B-list the following week and stayed on there for four weeks. Because this is a collaboration track we wanted to make sure that Russ was in the video, so we thought an animated version of the video would be great. We got an amazing animator on board, Ivan Dixon, who had done the Childish Gambino ‘Feels Like Summer’ video. He loved the song and worked with our budget – an independent budget. It is now on just under 1.5m views and is her biggest video by far. quick to jump on it and so became We wanted to prolong the fully self-sufficient in her shed. life of the video so we had this In the week following lockdown idea to gamify the video and she launched what she called her create a game version of it. Shed Sessionz. At the same time we The video features Russ and were encouraging Kara and all of Kara as pixel characters. We our artists to [livestream]. We knew wanted to make a game using that with lockdown there would be those characters and also for no live shows, so the importance of the backdrop of the game to maintaining that visibility and that be their cities – London and engagement with your fans was really Atlanta. The game came the important – having a regular schedule of virtual festival in early July. The single was week after the video launch to help content and livestreams. due to come out on 17th July, so it was prolong the life of the video, to encourage She opened up to fans by getting them perfect timing. We launched the pre-save that engagement and drive back to the to choose what song she should cover in around that Wireless Virtual Festival video ultimately. the Shed Sessionz and they would go out performance, giving us a two-week lead- The game itself was web-hosted and on a Wednesday around 7pm. up to utilise that content, still continuing there was a version of it available on The format is still going with a monthly with the Shed Sessionz and teasing the Facebook and Instagram Stories. Kara Shed Sessionz, but during lockdown she single in whichever way we could. and Russ also shared the game on their was doing them a bit more regularly – Stories. Russ has over 3.4m followers so every week or every two weeks. We knew Creating an animated video we knew that would drive a huge amount we were going into the single campaign for the ‘Young Heart’ single of engagement. with ‘Young Heart’ in July and this all and then gamifying it In order to play the web version of the started in March. RE: The single ended up being pulled game, you had to enter your email address Laura got her on the Wireless Connect forward because we had a Radio 1Xtra and also opt in to stream the track from
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Working with TikTok influencers RE: We engaged in an influencer campaign on this track on TikTok and it led to a ‘Young Hearts’ dance which was seen by over 3m people. We spoke to a number of influencer agencies, but we wanted to work with someone who actually could develop things. Kara lives and breathes Instagram now and that is where she feels most Spotify or Apple Music. When you play comfortable – so with TikTok she didn’t the game, you’re streaming the track and want to get it wrong. they are chart-eligible streams. Also on We wanted influencers who are a lot Spotify, when you opted in you would also more hands-on and who can develop automatically follow Kara on there. The her rather than just engaging the biggest game ended up getting 15,000 unique influences and throwing some money at it, users – so 15,000 unique visits meant hoping it will work. 15,000 email addresses. It was a really We know that doesn’t work. We’ve impressive number for this game. had other acts – bigger acts – that we’ve done that with and it didn’t work. Extending the track with What we do with Kara is a lot more an acoustic version, a remix organic. and an Instagram filter that using Twitter Q&As. RE: The next piece of content was the The track has had 5m combined acoustic video which Kara recorded in streams – 2.5m of them are from audio her very self-sufficient studio set up. We streams and 2.5m are from the video, so filmed the actual visual on a rooftop at it is by far her biggest track. The track had her home with our in-house videographer. over 100,000 saves on Spotify alone. We premiered it on YouTube and it was It is a number we haven’t seen on Kara the first time she’d ever done a YouTube before. She gained over 30,000 new premiere. social followers. She’s now got 150,000 In terms of additional assets that we combined on her socials. We saw such rolled out, we had a remix from Jarreau great leaps for the first time on her socials Vandal , the Dutch producer and artist. and her streaming. We also created a Love In Lockdown The content is really important, but filter with a compatibility test on the artist has to back it up. They have to Instagram. ‘Young Heart’ is about long- be visible, present and engaging. That’s distance love as well as love in this most the true organic way to foster those confusing time. It very much tied into the relationships and to get fans re-streaming themes of what love in lockdown might your music. When you have live, you have look like and the complications around an opportunity to connect your audience; it. We were able to have a lot of fun with without live, you don’t have that.
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There were 2bn of these videos and it was in prime position. That, for Kara, was Under the such a boost – knowing that you can be featured that way. influence We just wanted to make sure there was a constant stream of content and TikTok influencers Kara worked engagement. with... Before the acoustic video and a couple • Kirakosarin of weeks after the official video, we shot an exclusive video with Hunger magazine. • Savanah Moss It ticked the box of having Kara and Russ in a visual together and we were able to • Kylie Cantrall make it during lockdown. We collaborated • Mia Hayward with Hunger to create an exclusive visual – a beautifully shot performance video. We • Pearl Delapaz were able to drop that a couple of weeks • Reggie Fisher after the official video. Hunger pushed it out across all of • Giulia its channels and she got a good month’s worth of profile across Hunger and its • Anne Jannette social properties. We then followed it with the acoustic video. Again, it was just a been her main partners in the studio. constant stream of content. We’ve got quite a few records to drop between now and the EP. We want to just LL: She did a great editorial shoot as keep building and to keep dropping music. well that had incredible imagery and We don’t want big gaps so we’re just going photography to run alongside it. to keep releasing music. Some of them will She’s always had a fantastic relationship just be tracks that we drop but aren’t like with brands but never so much as over this proper singles. Then we’re going to have period. We have facilitated so much live another one or two focus singles before content for Karl Lagerfeld, for Puma, for we drop an EP early in 2021. :) Levi’s and for Asos .
RE: It’s definitely one of the most WANT TO FEATURE IN exciting campaigns we have worked on. BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN? We thought the dance route was a Using media shoots With all its challenges it produced the best Marketing people: do you have a campaign you are working good idea and there were a few dance to feed social platforms creative results. on that you would like to see featured in Behind The Campaign influencers that she spoke to who were RE: The real win recently was when Kara in a future edition of sandbox? If so, send a brief synopsis of it really willing to create a dance for it (see did a Wonderland shoot. There was a clip Next steps to Eamonn Forde for consideration and your work (and your box). Kara is very much still developing on from that Wonderland shoot which she LL: We’ve got a new record which we are words) could appear here. that platform, but we were really happy just put up on her TikTok. That clip was going to release in November and work Email: [email protected] with the campaign. number one on TikTok Fashion Month. together with The Invisible Men who have
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