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
Photo from Unsplash
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.
Photo from Reddit
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!
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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.
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Fridays: Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing”
Jay Conrad Levinson (1984) said that Guerrilla Marketing “works because it’s simple to appreciate, easy to execute, and inexpensive.”
Guerrilla Marketing is unconventional.
Looking beyond the traditional ways of advertising, marketers and advertisers need to spice things up in order for their brand to have campaigns that not only make an impact but also stick to their target market’s mind.
Guerrilla Marketing usually aims to have direct contact with consumers.
This type of direct contact should spark an emotional reaction that leads to consumers effectively remembering the brand.
It’s about making a big impression and making that impression last a long time (if not forever).
Guerrilla Marketing can be inexpensive.
The effect of this is being able to create a buzz around the brand, and the strategy used to market it. Almost everything is passed around through word-of-mouth.
Word-of-mouth is one of the greatest outcomes and it usually doesn’t cost anything.
This is every business’ or brand’s dream!
Every Friday, we publish tips, examples, and other useful content on unconventional ways of marketing and promotion.
Learn more about how to grab your target market’s attention and make an amazing first and lasting impression without having to spend a lot of money.
Businesses don’t really need to spend much for a guerrilla campaign. You do not need a big budget to be successful. You just need creativity and a good imagination.
Hope you find this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Friday’s “Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing!”
Cheers,
Dyane Diasanta
Senior Content Writer
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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