Barbiecore might be over, but Charli XCX has turned this summer into a BRAT world with her innovative and immersive album launch strategy. BRAT is everywhere – on the tube, at Lot Radio in Williamsburg, across SSENSE memes, on our ForYou, as well as Instagram’s Explore pages. The puke-green square and four blurry letters has won over the internet as popstar Charli XCX and her latest album ‘Brat’ captured the zeitgeist this summer.
Since the album’s June release, Brat has generated $22.5 million in media impact value (MIV) (via Launchmetrics) along with searches for items in Brat-style “slime green” surged 17% in the past two weeks (via Lyst).
From fashion and beauty brands releasing green products, merchandise and memes to Vice President, Kamala Harris, who’s also jumped on the internet trend for her upcoming election, everyone is having a brat summer.
In terms of the album’s out of home marketing, a wall in New York’s Greenpoint neighbourhood was painted Brat green to share messages and announcements about the album launch. On TikTok, “Brat Wall” has been featured in over 5.7 million posts.
Here’s how she did it, and what we can learn from her approach.
Building Your Community
One of the most critical elements of modern marketing launches is creating a sense of community around the brand or the individual. Whether you’re launching an album, publishing a book, or dropping your new collection, the principles remain the same.
Leveraging Culture
Successful launches often tap into broader cultural moments to amplify their impact. Charli XCX’s campaign integrates her album release with current cultural moments, much like how luxury brands such as Loewe leverage moments to generate consumer excitement – think Challengers and the ‘I TOLD YA’ T-shirt. Charli’s striking lime green colour ties her campaign to a bold visual trend, similar to Prada’s use of unexpected colours in their campaigns. The viral slime shade is everywhere, including fashion week runways.
Surprise and Innovate
In marketing, the element of surprise can generate significant interest and excitement. Charli XCX’s strategy included unexpected collaborations, surprise drops, and unique experiences that kept her audience engaged and curious. This “expect the unexpected” approach has proven successful for many brands and is a key driver in Charli’s campaign. Think Jeremy Allen White and Calvin Klein – this is how you break the internet.
Emotional Engagement
Engaging the audience on an emotional level is crucial for building deep connections. Charli’s social content and fan experiences resonated deeply with her audience, fostering a personal connection that goes beyond the music. This emotional and multi-layered engagement drives stronger loyalty and higher conversion rates, turning casual listeners into dedicated fans.
Key Lessons from Charli XCX’s BRAT Phenomenon
Charli XCX’s ‘BRAT’ is a masterclass in modern marketing. Here are the key takeaways:
- Authenticity Matters: Charli’s personal involvement in the campaign created a unique and impactful narrative. Authenticity resonates deeply with audiences and creates genuine connections.
- Focus on Quality: ‘BRAT’ is a pop masterpiece, and its excellence has fuelled engagement and loyalty. Prioritising quality ensures that the product justifies the buzz.
- Cultural Velocity: Charli’s use of lime green and bold typography immediately captured attention and drove engagement. Rapid cultural adoption is achieved through striking visuals and a strong narrative.
- Empower Your Community: Charli invited her fans to become part of her world through her meme generator at bratgenerator.com, which enabled them to create their own personalised Brat themed content. Giving the community a role in shaping the narrative creates multi-layered engagement.
Charli XCX’s BRAT campaign is a blueprint for marketing in the age of content. By fostering community participation, encouraging authentic co-creation, and leveraging the power of cultural moments, Charli has turned an album launch into a global movement.
