STARSET
DIVISIONS
STARSET truly redefines the concept of immersive music entertainment. The brainchild of PhD candidate Dustin Bates, the band built a resonance early on with the gaming community and UGC creators, aiding them to amass over 1 billion YouTube views, and simultaneously attract a cult-like rabid following and casual fans drawn by both the intricate narrative and rock radio hits.
The goal of the DIVISIONS campaign was to satiate and grow both fan groups, with enough seeded narrative to excite the core fans without alienating those coming in from the airwaves. At most times requiring R&D more than A&R, the project required turning the traditional approach to music marketing on its head while bringing the vision to life. The ability to execute on ideas was crucial, and while at times the constant experimentation and need to pivot was dizzying, it was one of the many reasons why it was such a thrill to be so intrinsically involved in creating what felt at times like nothing short of magic.
"It needs to be believable. Weaving an intricate storyline into a music campaign can’t sit wholly in the traditional channels of promoting music - it needs to expand beyond that and touch every facet to feel real. Think of it as marketing a movie rather than an album."
— “One Billion YouTube Views? The Story Of STARSET” in FORBES
PHASE -1 & “MANIFEST”
Captivating the core fans from the conception of the DIVISIONS campaign was key to building a foundation for the campaign. Taking all their socials to blackout, the band’s website that would become the hub for the central narrative was taken down, replacing it with a console that asked for a password to bring it back online. Fans all over the world scrambled to guess the correct entry, only to be met with a multi-security camera live stream of a white room containing a display case and a 3D replica of the art for first single “MANIFEST”. Working together online, thousands of fans rallied to use subtle visual clues to identify the location, leading one fan to appear in person, find a code within the display case, and type it into a laptop to unlock the video trailer for “MANIFEST” and launch the new branding and album announcement. It was a breathtaking race to the finish line for all those involved, and an impressive kick-off for the campaign.
“WHERE THE SKIES END” & “DIVING BELL”
Fans that had purchased the foil vacuum-sealed deluxe version of previous album Vessels were activated and blown away to discover there had been an NFC chip embedded in the packaging all along. When a phone was placed on the sleeve, a website opened with a video sounding out a phone number with Dual Tone Multi Frequency touch tone sounds. When dialed it led to a voicemail for The Starset Society and a “hold music” first clip of second single “WHERE THE SKIES END” audio.
Third track “DIVING BELL” focused on data capture and a push to pre-save the album and gain shares / follows of STARSET properties in order to “sink” an online diving bell. The more fans interacted, the lower the online diving bell would sink – when it hit the ocean floor, the track was released to fans early ahead of the official launch on DSPs.
Each album cycle sees STARSET’s image evolve, and for DIVISIONS it split in two – the futuristic feel of those pushing the takeover of the technology dubbed NEW WEST, and the gritty, post-apocalyptic feel of the REBEL side resisting it. The dual theme was carried through all visual assets, content, and their live shows that alternated at random between two different looking and sounding sets depending on which side in the narrative had assumed control. Creative team TNSN DVSN did an incredible job of taking Dustin’s incredible vision and distilling it into a vast palate of visual assets to use across all branding, ensuring a crucial consistency throughout the campaign.
“STARSET is a story of musicians using new technology to create an appealing, innovative, and holistic product offering for its target audience. A classic example of building brand resonance.”
— “One Billion YouTube Views? The Story Of STARSET” in FORBES
Weaving in creative use of tech is a running theme through all elements of STARSET. The band upgraded their own AR-integrated app that enabled posters around the venues and handouts distributed on entry on their tour of live shows - named Demonstrations - to come to life. Printed materials sent to top fans and inserted into relevant publications and music stores around the country also interacted with the app, giving fans a string of Easter eggs to discover. Think of the live show being akin to a theme park attraction vs a carnival ride – the key is to immerse the audience in every element of experiences with the band, from the music to the art to content to products to live show.
To further encourage fans to spread the message of STARSET online, an “orientation packet” of music and visual assets was created for UGC use, and a physical version with printed materials including posters and stickers was made available on their Merch store, selling out in record time.
“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.”
— Carl Sagan
It seemed an apt for an artist aligned so closely with space to send their logo above Earth’s atmosphere for DIVISION’s release week. Debuting the content with Billboard Magazine, it was a striking visual to mark the launch of the album. A fitting wow moment, it embodied the band’s pioneering spirit and those that came before them that inspired STARSET’s conception, those that just like the man with the vision at the center gazed up at the stars and saw possibility in the vastness.