Now that it's officially summer, we can start calling 2024 summer BRAT. Charli XCX's sixth studio album, released June 7 via Atlantic Records, has taken the internet and dancefloors by storm, spawning memes, jokes and posts galore, all colored the fluorescent “green arm” on social media — and that's before you even get into the music. The record itself is a dance-pop triumph that not only ignited Charli's legions of fans, but gave her the biggest debut week of her career, moving 82,000 equivalent album units in the United States to debut at No. .3 on the Billboard 200.
It's a testament to the support that Charli has cultivated and that her management team, creative and design teams and Atlantic Records have helped grow. The album arrived on 14 different vinyl variants and a number of exclusive editions, helping to sell 45,000 copies (the biggest sales week of Charli's career) while becoming almost inescapable in the cultural discourse. It also proved that Charli is a true innovator who is much more than the hits “Boom Clap” and “I Love It” a decade ago, or even the songwriting superstar she's been for other artists throughout her career. All that hype and success helped Atlantic's vice president of marketing Marisa Aron win his title Advertising sign's Executive of the Week.
Here, Aron discusses his marketing plan and development BRAThow Charli helped build hype for the album more than a year ago, and the massive support — including a giant record store listening party in more than 170 stores across the country three days before the album's release — that led to BRAThis debut. But as the solstice passed just this week, there is much more to come: as Aaron puts it, “BRAT The summer has just started.”
This week, Charli XCX BRAT debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 82,000 equivalent album units, its biggest first week ever. What key decision did you make to help make this happen?
His success BRAT it's a testament to Charli's incredible artistry and vision. Not only did he create the most culturally significant pop and dance album of the year, but he also delivered a masterclass in art direction and marketing strategy. Charli has an amazing team and along with unwavering support from our team at Atlantic, we all worked to execute her vision to the fullest. Our key decision? To trust her implicitly. We fully embraced her vision, her plan, her ideas and helped her bring BRAT in life.
What was the overall marketing plan for the release?
The marketing plan for BRAT it's about amplifying Charli's authentic voice and connecting directly with her fans. We knew we had an incredibly important album on our hands, one that was innovative, bold, fun, powerful and would generate a lot of conversation. We wanted to create a campaign that captures that energy and puts BRAT in the cultural zeitgeist. The plan doesn't end with the release of the album. stay tuned, more to come.
The album also sold 45,000 copies, her biggest sales week ever, including 14 different vinyl variants. What was your boys approach to physics for this album and how did it pay off?
The physical release plan was so much fun to put together. It was a collaborative effort between Charli. [creative director] Imogene Strauss; design team SPECIAL OFFER, Inc. Charli's management team. and our team at Atlantic. From the beginning, we wanted to create a series of limited edition drops that would keep fans excited throughout the campaign. It was important that each variant felt unique and distinct both in design and release.
We kicked off the campaign ahead of the album and artwork announcement with limited edition 360_brat vinyl, initially released only to Charli's followers on her private Instagram. This moment helped set the tone for the rest of the campaign. When the official album pre-order went live, we partnered with major retailers like Target and Urban Outfitters, as well as local record stores, Blood Records and more, to create exclusive variants that gave fans more options to choose from.
On Tuesday, June 4, we released BRAT into the world a little early. Thousands of Charli fans flocked to their local record stores for a first listen, three days before the official release. It was a massive undertaking—Atlantic's largest listening event campaign—with 179 outlets across the country.
BRATIts physical release wasn't just about sales figures. it was about creating a deeper connection with fans. From the unique packaging you have to dive into to get to the music, the events and the limited editions, it's a reminder that in the digital age, the physical album can still be a powerful, personal and meaningful experience.
This album almost instantly became a cultural touchstone and was a huge talking point online, with fans creating memes of the cover art and color palette seemingly everywhere. What was your approach to digital marketing for the project?
The BRAT The campaign kicked off in February when Charli threw a legendary Boiler Room in Brooklyn with AG Cook, George Daniel, Finn Keane and Doss, garnering a record 40,000 RSVPs — the most in Boiler Room history. There were surprise appearances from Addison Rae and Julia Fox. This was the first time people heard a few tracks from the upcoming album, making it one of the most viral moments of the year and really setting the tone for what was to come.
The approach was about creating truly memorable moments both online and in real life, from surprise DJ sets, exclusive Club Angel events, single rework with Addison Rae, Robyn, Yung Lean, Skream and Benga to one of the most talked about music videos of the year (“360”) and many more. We carefully planned everyone's schedule.
The “brat green” we all have filling our timelines right now goes back to Charli's brilliant vision for BRAT work of art. Once the artwork was revealed, fans started recreating it themselves, which inspired us to launch the man generator. From there it really started to take on a life of its own. We continued to incorporate brat green into all of our marketing. One of the funnest pre-album moments in the campaign happened in Brooklyn a few days before the release of “360.” Type of cloth [from the digital team] he had an amazing idea to paint a huge wall of “brat green” during a live stream, and thus the “brat wall” was born.
It's been 12 years since Charli first entered the Hot 100 top 10 with her appearance on Icona Pop's “I Love It” and 10 years since Charli's first solo Hot 100 top 10 with “Boom Clap” . Her career is now bigger than ever. How did you activate those daytime fans and attract new ones in preparation for this release?
Speaking from my own experience, it's honestly a lot of fun to be a Charli fan. For example, a full year before the album campaign even started, Charli brilliantly started a new private Instagram account, @360_brat. Everything that appears on this account is strictly confidential, so I won't give too much away. But Charli's early vision and authenticity have BRAT an undeniable phenomenon that resonated with her early fans and then brought in new fans throughout the campaign.
