Exclusive: Inside the Australian ’Ghost Stories’ campaign

Coldplay have had a legitimate claim to the title of ’Biggest Band In The World’ since at least 2005, when the band’s third album X+ Y became the highest-selling record of the year, worldwide. Since then, the band have only risen in stature; their 2011 album – the positively avant garde Mylo Xyloto – topped the charts in 34 countries, with their tour of the same name grossing $171.3 million.

With sixth record Ghost Stories released today, the band have gone underground somewhat, not granting any interviews throughout the promotional cycle, and only doing select appearances, including a Sydney show next month at the Enmore Theatre. For a group that routinely sells out stadium, this 1,600-seater show represents a level of intimacy matching Chris Martin’s most personal set of lyrics to date, dealing as they do with his recent separation from Gwyneth Paltrow. Since a machine the size of Coldplay can’t shut down completely, without the band doing the interview rounds, Parlophone Australia have had to get inventive with the album roll-out. Mark Poston, Managing Director of Parlophone Australia, spoke to TMN about launching Ghost Stories in Australia.

Poston: It’s brilliant to start the first morning of album street-week with number one on iTunes Albums and three singles inside the Top 40 [Magic, A Sky Full Of Stars and Midnight], to have the #1 most added song at radio with A Sky Full Of Stars, and to announce the band will be here next month and playing one night at The Enmore Theatre – which which is the hottest ticket in the country – if not the world right now. This is one extraordinary campaign plot. We’re also expecting locally and globally to smash a new first-week digital sales record.

It seems the more experimental or intimate the band gets the wider their appeal. Whereas Mylo Xyloto was a dense concept album, grand in concept and far removed from the everyday lives of the band, Ghost Stories is a more personal affair, which nevertheless sees the band stretching out stylistically. The rollout begins with Midnight, a track built upon an unfinished recording made by the band more than a decade ago.

Poston: I’m so pleased for the band. In a world of short attention spans, bluntness and directness, instead of being predictable, they are dealing in restraint, subtlety and emotional truth. That is no mean feat to pull off when you are the biggest band in the world; there’s a sense of discovery and mystery to this project. One of the reasons for their massive success,connection and longevity is that you can’t fake those things: people are smart. More than ever on this album you can feel this; it’s a brave, astonishing and personal record. It’s the album the band needed to make right now.

The launch campaign started with Midnight. It exceeded expectations as a reset track that suddenly dropped, and heralded an exciting new chapter for the band. It was wonderful to wake up to artists like James Blake and Disclosure saying how much they loved it on social media. It entered inside the Top 5 on iTunes and came armed with stellar remixes by Giorgio Moroder, Henrik Schwarz and Phones.

Magic follows Midnight and is immediately added to commercial radio in Australia. The single peaks at #5 on the ARIA Charts, and paves the way for third single, the anthemic A Sky Full Of Stars which was co-produced by EDM superstar Avicii and is almost unrecognisable as a Coldplay track, despite Martin’s unmistakable vocal.

Poston: I’ve worked on every Coldplay album either here or in the UK, and Magic was the fastest uptake on a Coldplay single ever. It’s been a multi-format smash and is on its way to double-Platinum sales. Again, considering its intimate, confessional and more subtle musical DNA, it’s been pleasing on many levels. I think it’s one of the band’s finest songs and it’s wonderful on many levels to see it really connect and get into the public consciousness like it has. The clip – directed by Jonas Ackerland and starring Ziyi Zhang [Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon] – was also a beautiful piece of film art on its own. It’s been a song that’s converted a lot of people who haven’t been fans of the band before.

Then of course we turn another page and start another chapter with A Sky Full Of Stars which is one of the most optimistic and euphoric Coldplay songs ever. We’re really confident about this track and see it as a major key to album sales. The video and a stellar mix package will compliment the plot for this.

The band will be heading to the country for a week of promotional duties, beginning June 16, but next week will see the most activity Coldplay-wise in Australia, despite the band’s absence.

Poston: In what I think might be another first for this market we have a holistic TV launch with Channel 7, nationally, which is going to reach millions of Australians and augment what we have going on with launch marketing and PR heat. On their Sunday Night program [at 7.30pm] they have a world exclusive interview with the band and the making of the album. Tuesday night is their season finale of Resurrection, which could pull as many as two million viewers and Magic is being used on all promotion for the show. Following that [at 9.45pm] will be an exclusive airing of Coldplay : Ghost Stories, a one hour concert special.

I cannot wait for people to see this concert film. It’s extraordinary, in both the performances and in the way it’s so beautifully shot and directed. It creates a kind of ’other immersive world’ that magically compliments the songs. It all came from an idea Chris dreamt up. It gives even more light and shade and beauty to this incredible body of work they have made in Ghost Stories, and there’s a few greatest hits thrown in as well.

All of these properties are being co-promoted across the network’s airtime and everything drives towards Tuesday night’s Coldplay special. Were all incredibly excited about this and it’s great for the industry to have music in prime-time on free-to-air, connecting with millions of Australians. Graham Donald [director of on-air promotions at Channel 7], as everyone knows, is a huge believer in the power of music and artists and it’s been refreshing to feel that across the broader team, collaborating with them on this project.

I’m incredibly proud of the launch campaign. What’s been so wonderful about this project is the care and attention to respect the aesthetic of the album which has been driven by the band – and it’s something we at Parlophone have taken a lot of care and attention about.

Ghost Stories is out today.