This artist added her fans to her close friends list on Instagram. See how it turned out!
I love this strategy because it encourages marketers to come up with radical and witty strategies. Today, I’ll highlight an example of a campaign that a musician cleverly pulled on her fans! Ready to know more? Continue reading below! |
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This artist added her fans to her close friends list on Instagram. See how it turned out! Billie Eilish is an American singer-songwriter and musician who made her musical debut in 2015. Since then, she’s gone on to become one of the most influential and prominent musicians of her generation due to her musical style and distinct identity. It was also the same musical prowess that enabled her to receive many accolades such as two Academy Awards, nine Grammy Awards, a couple of Golden Globes Awards, and 20 Guinness World Records. Simply said, Eilish is both famous and accomplished! … and due to her fame, it would be easy to assume that she no longer needs to market herself and generate hype for her music, right? Well, Eilish doesn’t think so, as she came up with a unique strategy to generate hype for her album launch in 2024! Close Friends
Imagine this: What if the person you looked up to suddenly added you to his or her “close friends” list on Instagram? [For those who may not know, the “close friends” list on Instagram is a feature that allows users to share stories only to a curated list of followers.] Sounds impossible, right? … but what if it actually happened? That’s what Eilish did in April 2024 as she added over 100 million of her Instagram followers to her “close friends” list on Instagram! Those who were added to the list saw stories that teased her then-upcoming album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” The first image showed a tattoo that hinted at her album. Meanwhile, the story that followed contained a cryptic image showing a hand reaching upward in the deep blue sea.
Within a few hours doing this, the hashtag #billieeilishclosefriends trended on X (formerly known as Twitter) as fans talked about being added to the artist’s “close friends” list. The guerrilla marketing stunt also took TikTok by storm as many users in the platform made posts about Eilish’s stunt. Eventually, the mainstream media picked up on this, with entertainment websites like Vulture and Billboard publishing stories about the tactic. That said, was Eilish’s “close friends” list a success? YES! Eilish gained an additional 8 million followers within a two-day span on Instagram. The stunt also drew more interest not only for her album but also her song titled, “Birds of a Feather,” which became the most-streamed song of 2024 on Spotify. Talk about a clever and successful stunt! — Social media platforms like Instagram have long been used to foster fan interaction and generate hype for musicians. What made Eilish’s stunt unique is that she put a creative spin on Instagram’s “close friends” feature—a function that’s usually reserved for the closest of circles. By leveraging this feature in an out-of-the-box manner, Eilish was able to foster fan interest and hype in one fell swoop… and while thousands were added to a feature that’s meant to be exclusive, the mere act of being added to the list was a meaningful gesture for fans. Taking this into account, it’s no surprise the stunt was such a success. … and the best thing about this? Eilish and her marketing team didn’t need to spend a dime! All they had to do was give what every fan yearns for: Inclusion. Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing! Do you want to know how one campaign gave voice to women experiencing domestic abuse during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic? See it in next week’s article! |
Miles Everson
CEO of MBO Partners and former Global Advisory and Consulting CEO at PwC, Everson has worked with many of the world's largest and most prominent organizations, specializing in executive management. He helps companies balance growth, reduce risk, maximize return, and excel in strategic business priorities.
He is a sought-after public speaker and contributor and has been a case study for success from Harvard Business School.
Everson is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants. He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a B.S. in Accounting.
