Branding Research

7 Artists who nailed their branding campaigns:

1 - Taylor Swift

Swift then teased fans with images of a snake that flipped her previous bad press as a sneaky back-stabber into someone who was unapologetic, ruthless and inspiring. It’s certainly one way to reinvent yourself.

Reinventing herself for each album release has become a mainstay for Swift

2 - The 1975

 Samuel Burgess Johnson is responsible for most of their designs, which often include a rectangle surrounding their name across a multitude of their releases

The shape has become synonymous with the group, with fans tattooing the shapes on their bodies and the band regularly using it for merchandise and tour imagery. 

3 - Paramore

Paramore’s 2017 release After Laughter completely reinvented the band’s image from pop-punk kids to a glossy, 80s-inspired group. 

Created by LA based designer Scott Cleary, After Laughter used bold duotones, clashing patterns, and zine sensibilities to completely transform Paramore's image

 Juxtaposing colourful imagery with an album that comments on mental health issues and isolation is a brilliant move. 

 

4 - Slowthai

Northampton’s Slowthai is a perfect example of grassroots branding done right.

the grime artist had billboards placed all over the UK with facts about the country’s problems (climate change, homelessness, the gender pay gap, hate crime, mental health)

Where you can, seek to engage and challenge your audience.

5 - Christine and the Queens

Christine and the Queens is very much a character that the pop star adapts as artistic expression but for her second album, she evolved into Chris: a fluid identity. 

The album, also titled Chris, was first teased with a crossed out Christine and the Queens logo, prompting an immediate marketing buzz. The scribbled typography went on to cover the artist's merch and encouraged a message of being yourself no matter what. 

6 - Arianna Grande

upside-down branding extended throughout Grande’s video for the lead single while merch was adorned with upside-down portraits of the singer. It makes a case for literally flipping an image for a simple and strategic campaign that works – as Desigual did recently with its logo. The singer also adopted her own Instagram filter for the branding campaign, which is a sure-fire way to engage fans and intrigue others. 

7 - Ed Sheeran 

 Sheeran returned to Instagram, posting a simple plain light blue square. Of course it caused a stir and marked the beginning of the branding campaign for his album Divide. It took the singer almost an entire month to post again, this time officially announcing the record. This use of one bold colour along with a simple divide symbol made this one of the singer’s most successful branding campaigns. 

Branding Power of Music Artists:

Going beyond just the music as heard on the radio, videos enabled artists to convey a more comprehensive message, portray an image and create a brand for themselves. 

Accessable

Fans can search out their favorite artists and videos and watch them over and over again, whenever they are in the mood. This embeds the look and sound of the artists into the minds of the fans. 

Artists need to be extremely mindful of their look and feel down to every last piece of clothing. For up-and-coming artist, this access gives their fans an outlet to constantly keep up with their progress. For already established artists it gives them the opportunity to evolve their image and do it in a way that does not require extensive additional forms of marketing.

Shareable

 I can now take a video and show it to my friends within minutes of first seeing it.  This ability gives the artist an incredible amount of control and power over their brand that did not exist just ten years ago.

The branding power of the web may still be well undervalued as less money is spent now on music videos than in prior times.

Tyla's Branding 

Key elements of Tyla’s branding include:

• Y2K & Streetwear Fusion: Her style is heavily influenced by the 2000s, featuring cargo pants, denim-on-denim, crop tops, bodycon dresses, and distressed details.
• "Water" Era Signature: The 2024 "Water" era introduced a focus on wet-look fashion, sandy textures, and sculptural, form-fitting pieces like her 2024 Met Gala Balmain look.
• Dynamic & Provocative: She embraces "main character energy," choosing outfits that are bold, often featuring excessive cut-outs, micro-mini skirts, and low-slung waistlines.
• Luxury & Modernity: Tyla frequently wears vintage Chanel and modern Versace, showcasing a blend of high-fashion luxury with contemporary, youthful trends.
• Authentic & Confident: She emphasizes a healthy, relatable, and confident body image, using her style to celebrate curves and promote self-expression.

Tyla’s branding style is a high-octane blend of 2000s (Y2K) nostalgia, sultry Y2K glam, and South African flair, often featuring cut-outs, distressed details, and low-rise fashion. She defines a "Gen Z icon" aesthetic that is unapologetically bold, blending luxury brands like Versace with streetwear to create a dynamic, "messy-but-perfect" image.

 

Tyla's official instagram broadcast channel, often titled "TYLAxTYGERS", is a direct communication channel where she shares updates, behind-the-scenes content, and messages with fans (Tygers). it is accessible, through her instagram profile via a joinable link, usually found in her stories or bio, featuring exclusive content updates.

Tyla did a collab with stanley, officially released on nov 26 2024. it features a metallic gradient design in shades of orangey brown, with tiger scratches all over it 

She also was on the cover of many magazines

https://www.glamour.com/story/tyla-women-of-the-year-2025

 https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/tyla-british-vogue-interview

https://www.elle.com/culture/music/a62047022/tyla-cover-interview-2024/