Viral Marketing and Charli XCX: What Marketers Can Learn from ‘BRAT’
What can we learn from viral marketing campaigns on social media? The answer, unsurprisingly, is a lot. When Charli XCX released her sixth studio album ‘BRAT’ in June 2024, it started a social media movement that has gone on to be called ‘Brat Girl Summer’, a trend epitomised by a chaotic Y2K aesthetic that taps into the power of FOMO (or fear of missing out). This blog will explore how and why ‘BRAT‘ had such an effective marketing campaign and what brands and digital marketing agencies can learn from its success.
For further information on this case study, listen to our QuadCast episode on Spotify or YouTube.
Will the real Charli XCX please stand up…
You’ll be forgiven for not knowing Charli XCX, the British-born singer who rose to prominence in 2014 with the “Songs of the Summer”, ‘Fancy’ and ‘Boom Clap’ and has subsequently toured the world with artists like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and Coldplay.
Charli XCX has always had a counter-culture appeal. Her first album ‘True Romance’ was an electro-pop-punk album that showcased a brash yet sensitive persona, while her follow-up ‘Sucker’ was more of the same. Then, she pivoted, releasing throughout 2016 and 2017 the EP ‘Vroom Vroom’ and mixtapes ‘Number 1 Angel’ and ‘Pop 2’, works that were heavily inspired by the PC Music group that was pioneering a new genre and sound that would come to be known as Hyperpop.
Her eponymous 2019 album ‘Charli’ continued her Hyperpop exploration but featured more prominent artists like Lizzo, HAIM and Christine and the Queens, being influenced by their musical style and combining it with her own to create an artistically cohesive work. Her 2020 lockdown album ‘How I’m Feeling Now’ was made over a three-week period in April and May 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The album was her most sonically aggressive yet lyrically intimate and personal at that point, highlighting exactly how she was feeling at that time when there was so much uncertainty.
2022’s ‘CRASH’ was her first album that really appealed to the mainstream, becoming her first UK number 1 album. ‘CRASH’ drew heavily from 80’s pop influences, such as Janet Jackson and Madonna, while also maintaining Charli’s more brash sentiments that she had become known for. While Charli has been more known for self-assured, somewhat cocky songs, she also has her fair share of emotional songs and ballads – she would epitomise on finding the perfect blend of both on ‘BRAT’.
Charli later announced that she was working on her next album but played coy about pretty much everything else until the Summer of 2023 when she was featured in a British Vogue ‘What’s in My Bag?’ YouTube video, incidentally sharing that she was working on a new album and had signed a new contract with her label. Cut to February 2024, when Charli released ‘Von dutch’, the album’s lead single, an electroclash track that lyrically refers to embracing being the object of someone’s obsession – regardless of whether that obsession is healthy. It was a taster of what was to come, and social media was obsessed. Then, Charli tweets, “Brat – this summer. 15 songs. 41.23 minutes long. On repeat.”
All about BRAT’s marketing campaign
There was no guarantee that ‘BRAT’ would be a success, other than that Charli’s fanbase had grown considerably as a result of her previous album’s huge success. The marketing campaign for ‘BRAT’ was nothing short of a masterclass in innovative and authentic branding. Leveraging controversy, fan engagement, and a deep understanding of her audience, Charli turned ‘BRAT’ into a cultural phenomenon that deeply resonated with Gen Z, the LGBTQ+ community, and most importantly, the chronically online.
The campaign’s visual identity was defined by a striking lime green colour, a bold choice intended to provoke and stand out, challenging typical album aesthetics and expectations. The album cover is impressively simple, and fans read it in two extremes:
- “The album cover is lazy”, and,
- “The album cover is genius”.
So, what is it? The cover is a plain green monochrome, with the word ‘brat’ in all lowercase and blurred. That’s it. There’s no image of the singer and nothing particularly eye-catching to grasp on to. It is so incredibly simple…but that’s the point. Charli would go on to say that the album cover’s intention was to represent the lack of an album cover and act as a rejection of the typical expectation that she would make some kind of sexy pose, akin to her prior album ‘CRASH’ which has her donning a black bikini, draped over the bonnet of a car.
The Brat Generator was launched, an interactive tool for fans to create their own art in the style of the album cover; this went viral and was adopted by brands (AlphaQuad included for this blog’s cover image), further engaging her audience. Charli also created the @Brat_360 Instagram account to connect deeply with superfans, offering exclusive behind-the-scenes content, thus fostering a more personal connection with younger audiences familiar with private accounts.
Strategic collaborations with rising stars and pop culture icons significantly amplified Charli’s reach and relevance. Addison Rae, a TikTok ‘It Girl’ and singer was featured on a remix of ‘Von dutch’, while the music video for the opening track of the album ‘360’ included cameo appearances from more internet ‘It Girls’ including Julia Fox, Rachel Sennott, Chloe Sevigny, Emma Chamberlain, Gabbriette, Alex Consani and Hari Nef – a cast described as the “Mount Rushmore of internet cool girls”. These collaborations helped highlight Charli’s ability to blend her style with those of other influential artists and internet personalities.
Moreover, the long-awaited collaboration between Charli XCX and Lorde on the remix of ‘Girl, so confusing’, a song that Charli wrote about her anxieties over a friendship with a fellow female artist to whom she had been compared since the early days of her career. Speculation that the song was about Lorde began almost immediately, so when the Lorde remix was released, and together the pair sang, “And when we put this to bed, the internet will go crazy”, they were absolutely right. Giving the fans what they had wanted for so many years was a great way to maintain interest in the album after its release. We live in a time now where audiences want instant gratification from the media they consume, so maintaining momentum can be one of the trickiest aspects of any release strategy; however, when it is done with careful consideration about what the audience actually wants, as opposed to guessing what you think they want, the momentum can not only be maintained but heightened.
TikTok has revolutionised music promotion by enabling artists to reach vast audiences quickly through viral trends, challenges, and user-generated content. Songs often become hits as users create and share short videos, stories, dances, and memes. This organic engagement amplifies the music’s reach and drives streaming numbers, propelling tracks to mainstream success. While you can never truly predict what songs will go viral on TikTok, there is a recurring theme of the songs that do go viral coming from artists typically known for their authenticity, as authenticity typically attracts organic engagement. A few recent examples include Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush, Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey. Charli capitalised on her own authenticity, which allowed some of the album tracks to go viral on TikTok, thus driving the songs’ streaming numbers and giving her some of her biggest hits in a decade.
The speed at which ‘BRAT’ spread through culture was remarkable, with the term brat becoming synonymous with Charli XCX and achieving the ultimate cultural social media accolade by being widely meme’d and entering the general vernacular and lexicon. The rapid cultural diffusion was a testament to the campaign’s effectiveness.
By embracing the niche and ignoring mainstream definitions of success, Charli XCX managed to achieve both commercial and cultural significance with ‘BRAT’ going on to become the best-reviewed pop album of the 2020s so far with a score of 95/100 on review aggregate site Metacritic. ‘BRAT’ has demonstrated how the power of authenticity, community engagement, and strategic partnerships and collaborations can result in a cultural phenomenon.
Impact, FOMO and Brat Girl Summer
When ‘Barbie’ was released in Summer 2023, a wave of bright pink clothing, disco music and hyper-feminine aesthetics dominated social media. The so-called “Barbiecore” aesthetic helped the film to become one of the most culturally dominant films of the year. When a piece of media is able to capture the zeitgeist in such a compelling and intriguing way that compels a person to want to be a part of it, then the thing can become increasingly popular. FOMO is a great marketing tool.
So, cut to Summer 2024, and ‘BRAT’ is out, bringing with it the Brat Girl Summer aesthetic. This new wave promotes authenticity and individuality, celebrating a grungy, DIY vibe influenced by chainsmoking, raving, and a ripped Y2K aesthetic featuring clothing like baggy jeans and frayed tank tops and being unapologetically chaotic. TikTok played an undeniable role in the album’s reception; the opening track ‘360’ has Charli singing about how her individuality and self-assuredness are her strengths and how she embraces her flaws. This message resonated with a wide audience, in addition to ‘360’ just being a really good song.
Moreover, the song ‘Apple’ received its own viral TikTok dance that, by July 2024, had been done over 75,000 times. This type of organic, fan-driven content amplified the album’s reach and solidified its cultural impact. Fans and influencers alike embraced the Brat Girl Summer aesthetic, posting content that ranged from outfit inspirations to makeup tutorials and lifestyle vlogs, all centred around the album’s themes of self-expression and rebellion.
The success of Brat Girl Summer demonstrates how a strong, authentic message combined with savvy use of social media can create a powerful cultural phenomenon. It shows that when an artist or brand taps into the core desires and identities of their audience, they can generate not just fleeting trends but lasting movements.
Understanding the effectiveness of ‘BRAT’
The success of ‘BRAT’ and its viral marketing campaign can be attributed to several key factors that stand out in an oversaturated digital landscape for music marketing.
Authentic Engagement
Charli XCX maintained an authentic connection with her audience by sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses and personal insights into her creative process. This transparency built trust and deepened her fans’ emotional investment in the album. In a time now where media has become commodified to an extent where everything is personalised and curated to suit everyone’s individualised taste, audiences are craving authenticity from the media they consume more than ever. Charli aligns herself with that authenticity by rejecting typical expectations of the ‘pop star’ and just doing her own thing.
Minimalist and Provocative Visuals
The minimalist album cover sparked conversation and debate. Its simplicity was a deliberate choice that contrasted sharply with more conventional, highly produced album covers. Sparking conversation around the product before much information was known about it was great, as it was essentially free marketing. While Charli has said that a great deal of thought went into the album cover, it was arguably one of the most effective marketing tools she used.
Leveraging Social Media and User-generated Content
Charli XCX effectively promoted the album on social media platforms like TikTok. The aesthetic and themes inspired a wave of user-generated content, with fans creating videos, memes, social media challenges, and other posts that amplified the album’s reach. Using album tracks in the videos made the songs more accessible, thus boosting streams.
Creating FOMO
The anticipation built around the album’s release date and the mystery surrounding its content generated significant FOMO among fans. The strategic teasers and cryptic posts kept the audience eagerly waiting for more. Charli would tweet innocuous, self-assured statements like “This is the album of my career” that only sought to boost hype surrounding the release of ‘BRAT‘. Thankfully, this worked in her favour!
Cultural Relevance and Timing
‘BRAT’ capitalised on the nostalgia of the Y2K aesthetic, which has already gained prominence in the 2020s throughout fashion and pop culture. By aligning the album’s aesthetic with this trend, Charli tapped into a broader cultural movement.
Collaborations and Media Features
Collaborations with influences and celebrities, such as singers Addison Rae, Troye Sivan, Robyn, and Lorde, helped boost the album’s visibility and credibility amongst those outside Charli’s immediate fanbase.
What are some key takeaways for brands?
So, what can brands learn from ‘BRAT’? Why does any of this matter? There is much that can be said of the success of the viral marketing campaign for the album, but here are some key identifiable takeaways:
Be Authentic
Share your brand’s story and engage with your audience in a genuine way. Authenticity fosters trust and loyalty. Communicate your values and the people behind the brand, creating a relatable and trustworthy image.
Embrace Simplicity
Don’t be afraid to go against the grain with minimalist and provocative visuals. Simplicity can stand out and generate discussion. A clean, simple design can often be more memorable and impactful than a cluttered one.
Leverage Social Media
Use platforms like TikTok to encourage user-generated content and create viral moments. You can’t force a viral moment, but you can encourage it! Engage your audience with creative and shareable content. Social media is a powerful tool for amplifying your message and connecting with a wider audience.
Create FOMO
Build anticipation with strategic teasers and limited-time offers. Create a sense of urgency to drive interest and engagement. By making your audience feel like they might miss out on something exclusive, you can motivate them to act quickly.
Align with Trends
Stay current with cultural trends and incorporate them into your campaigns. Timing your marketing efforts to coincide with relevant trends can enhance their impact. Being culturally relevant helps your brand stay relatable and engaging.
Collaborate and Feature
Partner with influencers and seek media coverage to expand your rewatch and credibility. Collaborations can introduce your brand to new audiences and boost your campaign’s effectiveness. Media features can provide additional validation and exposure.
AlphaQuad’s own social media marketing helps brands and businesses develop and implement a carefully thought-out social media strategy to boost your online audience. Check out our social media marketing services here.
The success of Charli XCX’s ‘BRAT‘ provides a blueprint for how brands and marketers can leverage viral marketing, authenticity, and strategic engagement to create a cultural phenomenon. The campaign’s impact was rooted in a deep understanding of her audience, the power of simplicity, and the strategic use of social media to generate organic fan-driven content.
Leveraging social media, particularly TikTok, was crucial in promoting ‘BRAT‘. The album’s aesthetic and themes inspired a wave of user-generated content, with fans creating videos, memes, social media challenges, and other posts that amplified its reach.
By embracing her niche and ignoring mainstream definitions of success, Charli XCX achieved both commercial and cultural significance. The success of ‘BRAT‘ demonstrates how a strong, authentic message combined with savvy use of social media can create lasting movements. Brands can learn from this by being authentic, embracing simplicity, leveraging social media, creating FOMO, aligning with cultural trends, and collaborating with influencers. In an oversaturated digital landscape, these strategies can help brands resonate more deeply with their audience and achieve significant impact.
