Moscato

3y

Man LinkedIn now has people writing think pieces about music artists? What the f*** is going on

IPullRank

3y

Was expecting a more interesting read not a 6th grader’s essay on their favorite artist

AR15

3y

Hes not saying s*** lol

AR15

3y

Hes not saying s*** lol

Jbreezyondeck

3y

LinkedIn had potential to be professional but once I started to see posts talking about God and b****es showing their ass I knew it was over

Jbreezyondeck

3y

LinkedIn had potential to be professional but once I started to see posts talking about God and b****es showing their ass I knew it was over

HURRY UP TWO

3y

It’s just Facebook for people that want you to know they have an LLC

HURRY UP TWO

3y

Pretty sure that’s from a Rolling Stones interview or some magazine

youngtubesteak2

3y

The Weeknd’s career is a classic case study in mystery marketing. “Even no branding is branding,” he once said in an interview. Here are the tactics that helped him become a superstar.

In 2010, his first three songs—‘The Morning,’ ‘What You Need’ and ‘Loft Music’— were uploaded to YouTube by the anon user, ‘xoxxxoooxo.’

There were no traces of his name or face. He hid everything.

The Weeknd was so anonymous that his co-workers at American Apparel listened to his music at work without realizing it was him.

“I didn’t want to put a face to it,” he once told Forbes. “I wanted to create a fan base that loved me for my art.”

After his YouTube debut, Abel dropped ‘House of Balloons’, a free mixtape that sent his growing fanbase into a frenzy.

He finally shared his stage name, but still, no photos of the man behind the music.

After its release, Drake tweeted the download link to his fellow Toronto artist’s new project and featured it in OVO Sound’s blog. The mystery artist got more attention than ever before.

In 2012, The Weeknd finally showed his face in his music videos for “Rolling Stone” and “Wicked Games.” This was a huge step, but those cryptic videos helped maintain a low profile.

As the year progressed, Drake and The Weeknd’s friendship bloomed. Abel was heavily featured on Drake’s album ‘Take Care’ and it seemed inevitable that he would link up with Team OVO.

But Abel felt differently.

“I don’t want to sign under another artist because I feel I can be just as big or bigger.”

In 2012, The Weeknd launched XO Records as a joint venture with Republic Records, where Drake himself was also signed.

By this point, The Weeknd’s hair was full-on Basquiat-level. The hair was its own persona. It took attention away from Abel himself, which helped him maintain that mysterious edge.

His first setback came in 2013 when Kiss Land, his debut album, underperformed and had mixed reviews. He went back to the drawing board.

He wanted to make music that appealed to mainstream audiences. That required more exposure, which negated his brand so far, but he found the right balance.

Teaming up with pop music hitmaker Max Martin, he and Ariana Grande began recording sessions.

In 2014, The Weeknd and Ariana released ‘Love Me Harder,’ Abel’s first top 10 song on the Billboard Hot 100. That led to ‘Earned It,' ‘The Hills’ and ‘Can’t Feel My Face.’

His 2015 album, ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’ marked a watershed between his early fans and the masses.

While he lost some fans from his early days, he expanded to new audiences, which is a cycle every superstar goes through.

The Weeknd’s 2020 album, ‘After Hours’ was a return to the dark persona. He takes on a new identity with every project. He stays in character. The mystery continues.

He’s performed on the biggest stages. He’s dated famous celebrities. And still, we fully don’t know the true Abel Tesfaye.

What are your thoughts on The Weeknd's branding tactics?

Jbreezyondeck

3y

I’d be cool with that as long as they removed the feature to let you see who viewed your profile so I can show off my bad coworkers to my friends lmao

Jbreezyondeck

3y

LinkedIn had potential to be professional but once I started to see posts talking about God and b****es showing their ass I knew it was over

Jbreezyondeck

3y

LinkedIn had potential to be professional but once I started to see posts talking about God and b****es showing their ass I knew it was over

Oblivion X

3y

I dont think this will work in 2022 tho. Feel like there's far too much competition and you gotta actively promote urself to be notice like that

JeffersonSteelflex

3y

Wait hold up, wasn’t his face revealed in 2011? lol

SEGA GOON

3y

KTT went from reposting Twitter to reposting LinkedIn hawt dam

le epic poster xD

3y

Founder of Trapital: insights on music, media, and culture

CKL TML

3y

Pretty sure yea

CKL TML

3y

When ovo blog posted the first 3 records on the site late 2010

Jbreezyondeck

3y

LinkedIn had potential to be professional but once I started to see posts talking about God and b****es showing their ass I knew it was over