Unilever's grooming brand for men, Axe, teamed up with SoundCloud to introduce a new campaign called 'Axe the Label' that gives emerging rappers and producers the opportunity to co-create tracks with artists Lil Yachty and Zaytoven. As part of this campaign, up-and-coming artists are being given the opportunity to "rise from anonymity to stardom."
Axe the Label is the first project from Axe under its AXE Music platform and the initiative coincides with the release of 'Anarchy,' a new track from Lil Yachty. As part of the first phase of the contest, fans can submit lyrics for the hook of the new track via the SoundCloud commenting feature and one winner, selected by Lil Yachty, will get a co-writing credit. In the contest's second phase, Zaytoven will be sharing two instrumental tracks for rappers to put their own creative spin on, also for the opportunity to get a production credit on the finished track.
Collaborative Rapper Campaigns
Axe & SoundCloud Introduced Axe The Label to Help Emerging Artists
Trend Themes
1. Collaborative Music Campaigns - The collaboration between Axe and SoundCloud showcases the trend of brands partnering with music platforms to give emerging artists opportunities.
2. Co-creation in the Music Industry - Axe the Label demonstrates the trend of artists and fans coming together to co-create tracks, blurring the lines between artist and audience.
3. Rise of Emerging Artists - Axe the Label taps into the trend of providing platforms and opportunities for up-and-coming artists to gain recognition and success.
Industry Implications
1. Music Streaming Platforms - Music streaming platforms like SoundCloud play a crucial role in enabling collaborative campaigns and empowering emerging artists.
2. Branding and Marketing - The collaboration between Axe and SoundCloud highlights the potential for brands to use music partnerships as a marketing tool to engage with their target audience.
3. Music Production and Promotion - The Axe the Label campaign presents new opportunities and challenges in music production and promotion, offering disruptive innovation opportunities for industry players.