DEVO

"Something For Everybody"

ALBUM LAUNCH CAMPAIGN

To launch Devo's first album in 20 years, Mother NY was tapped to develop an innovative approach that would ignite fan excitement and continue the prophecy of de-evolution. As creative director, I was not only challenged to find interesting new ways to connect with fans, but also to convey them in the Devo aesthetic and tone. Working closely with Gerald Casale, Devo's founder,  our campaign mission ultimately evolved into a deeper statement on art and commerce in the realm of music marketing. The following case study breaks down the near year-long process in to 5 phases.

Agency: Mother NY

PHASE 1

SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE

To kick off the campaign, we established a figurehead for the Devo corporation to act as the voice for all things Devo; a COO if you will, by the name of Greg Scholl (who is actually a corporate leader in real life). We released communique videos on YouTube throughout the launch that would guide fans through the campaign as it evolved and get them excited about the upcoming release.

PHASE 2

FOCUS GROUP TEST EVERYTHING

Next, we conducted real focus group tests with people online as well as in person at our own Los Angeles testing facility. We tested everything from color preferences, shapes, textures as well as the new Devo single 'Fresh'.

   ( Click The Tablet )

Jacob, The focus group leader

Additionally, we created a character named 'Jacob' to conduct the tests and be the face of the process. Jacob went on to commandeer a digital apparatus that measured crowd enjoyment of Devo which can be seen during performances at Coachella, Regis and Kathy Lee and the Colbert Report.

PHASE 3 

MAKING THE BRAND CAMPAIGN

Once we had collected enough data, we created a fancy (yet fictional) LA ad agency called 'Mother LA' that would spin it all into marketing gold.  They even had their own website, which confused a lot of people in the ad community. First, they changing the Devo Energy Dome color from red to blue. The new domes were unveiled at the Vancouver Olympics where thousands of people wore them for Devo's Olympic performance. 

THE OOH CAMPAIGN

Next, Mother LA continued to develop creative communications using the learnings from the focus group testing results. To reach the widest swath of America, they placed ads in NY, LA and Waco, Texas. From the findings, they crafted ads based on what people like: The color blue, mint flavor, emotions, Sex, glamour, babies.

Photography: Josh Dalsimer

ALBUM ARTWORK FOR 'Fresh' SINGLE

For Devo's new single 'Fresh', we also incorporated the focus group learnings to develop album artwork that would appeal to everybody. The packaging included 12" cyan blue vinyl and was released on National Record Store day to a huge fan response.

PHASE 4

TEST THE SONGS + RELEASE THE ALBUM

Before officially releasing the album, we conducted one more focus group test : The actual songs. Through a virtual polling site, hosted by Jacob, fans were invited to vote on which of the 15 new songs would make it to the 11 song cut for 'Something for Everybody'. The results were then announced to the world and the final album was actually released accordingly.

   ( Click The Tablet )

NEW BAND PHOTOS

We captured Devo’s new focus-group tested look in a series of promotional photographs featuring their new uniform and blue energy dome iconography.

Photography: Josh Dalsimer

'SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY' LP ALBUM ART

Incorporating the new Devo band and promotional imagery, we developed the packing for their official LP release - fully tested and ready for public consumption.

PHASE 5

THE REALITY SHOW

To document the entire journey of Devo's album launch, we created their very own online reality series called 'Devo Makes Something for Everybody'. The five-part series rolled out each week on YouTube in the finally days of the launch, ramping up excitement for the album and offering a taste of the new tracks. Episodes featured real Warner Bros executives, revealing backstage footage, confessional interviews and an exciting balloon launch with local Los Angeles children.