Five reasons why Arcade Fire’s ’Everything Now’ marketing strategy is this year’s best yet
Think what you like about Arcade Fire and their fifth studio album Everything Now, but this album release cycle is one for the record books.
The quirky and satirical approach to publicity has seen the bandtackle everything from merchandise to music reviews with originality, calculation and just a hint of sass.
If the indie-iconsix-piece haven’t been on your radar, here’s a masterclass in marketing taught by Arcade Fire.
1. They’ve created their own universe
The primary reason Arcade Fire have been able to pull off the stunts they have recently is because they’re operating behind the safety of the fictional universe they’ve created. There’s a reason why the video clip for the album’s title track looks like aliens have landed –it’s to reinforce the fact that whenever Arcade FIre appear in the “real world” we question whether their actions are human, or from anextraterrestrial force.
The band is reinforcing the reality of their created universe by wearing outfits with the Everything Now logo on them – a uniform reminder that they are a force you don’t want to mess with.
2. Their merchandise is, well, everything
USB fidget spinnerswith the album loaded onto them? You’ve got it.
T-shirts that flip the script on a famous familycoming under fire for misappropriating images of musicians? Yeah, Arcade Fire did that too.
The band’s quick response to pop culture fads andcelebrity news is truly inspired.
The biggest irony is that the band is selling the usual merchandise at their shows emblazoned with the Everything Now Corporation logo – designed to show usthat we will voluntarily become part of something without a second thought.
3. The attention to detail is brilliant
In the age of fake news, Arcade Fire are beating everyone to the punch and just publishing their own.
They created a fake music review siteStereoyum(complete with fake advertisements and every feature of theStereogumsite, right down to the “Heavy Rotation” section), and submitted a“premature premature evaluation” of their albumEverything Nowon the spoof site.
The review included: “Well, we might have published our anti-Arcade Fire jeremiad a little too early. At the time, we had only heard one track from the new album. Now we’ve heard four, and we might be changing our minds. We’re not entirely sure yet—it’s still a little early—but it seems likely that, by the time we get around to writing our actual Premature Evaluation, we will find ourselves predicting that Everything Now will eventually be evaluated as one of the best albums of the year.”
The bandalso “submitted”a fake list of demands toThe Late Showahead of their appearance on the US TV show that would rival Mariah Carey in the diva stakes. The demands include the band needing every dressing room on the floor and that the first three rows in the studio audience be filled with“diehard, young, energetic Arcade Fire fans”.
4. Theygot Apple Music in on the joke
Arcade Fire’s lead singer Win Butler is also a co-founder of streaming service TIDAL, but in the past has been vocal about his thoughts on the management of the company and the launch of the platform. So the only logical thing to do with a new album release is to approach a competitor, right?
That’s exactly what Arcade Fire did, and Apple Music agreed to be part of the action. Not only are Apple sponsoring shows, but the technology giant is also playing along with thesatirical side of the release. From fake dress codesfor shows to performances at kitschy venues, Apple has attached their name to it all.
5. They earned a #1 on the Billboard Charts
Yep. 10 years after the group’s first song on the Billboard ranking,Arcade Firehas achieved its first No. 1 song on a U.S.chart, sitting on top oftheAdult Alternative Songs airplay chart. The band also looks set to claim some of the top spots on album charts around the world, including Australia.