How Atlantic Records Tuned Up its Grammys Giveaway
Warner Music Group wanted a great invitation for its Grammys party this year— to wow jaded music execs and show Warner’s polished style. One idea rose to the top: a B.Y.O.G. (“Bring Your Own Grammy”) carrying case.
“The corporate guys all thought it was hysterical, so we had to do it. But we were stuck with a problem: How could we get it made?” said Liz Barrett, VP-creative services at Warner’s Atlantic Records division. “It’s easy to make one comp and sell someone on it, but to make 1,200 is a huge endeavor.”
A tight timeline and budget added to Barrett’s stress. Vendors couldn’t handle the turnaround, or the disparate components: a wooden box, foam insert (shaped like the Grammy gramophone) and printing. Barrett tapped marketing materials producer Graphography, New York, which turned around 1,200 invitations in 45 days.
Then Warner brass decided to throw a pre-Grammy party showcasing new Atlantic Records artist James Blunt. Atlantic wanted the invitation to reflect its heritage, since the label returned to private ownership two years ago. Atlantic’s designers suggested a boxed T-shirt; Barrett wanted more.
“We’re very particular over here,” she admits. “We wanted a vintage feel; we didn’t want a fresh, crisp-smelling T-shirt coming out of the box.” Graphography washed the shirts before packing them— 1,500, and then another 250 to sell at the party.
Atlantic also went vintage last month to woo 40 advertising creatives with a series of seven promotional items, one for each day of an industry conference, from a T-shirt with Atlantic’s classic label to a drawstring bag decorated with custom-made pins, all to reinforce Atlantic’s roots. “We want them to see how forward-thinking we are,” and consider Atlantic artists for ads Barrett said.
