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If Your Brand Were a Lead Singer, Who Would It Be?

03/08/2017
Advertising Agency
Madrid, Spain
212
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INFLUENCER: Brands should embrace their inner Dylan, Joey Ramone and Madonna, says LOLA MullenLowe's Lucas Rodriguez

What do Dylan, Joey Ramone, Madonna and Julio Iglesias have in common?

They are all recognisable within a fraction of a second. 

They are all loved or hated. 

Often imitated, never duplicated. 

They are icons. 

But above all, they are all pretty mediocre singers.

It’s not the quality of their skillset that matters. What matters is the uniqueness, character and personality that defines those sets of vocal skills. If not, we would only have the Freddy Mercury’s becoming icons. 

Each of them shattered the notions of what their respective roles were supposed to be; A singer-songwriter, a rock-n-roll singer (in the case of my beloved Joey), a Diva, and a Latin crooner. All shattered. 

And that’s what turned them into the icons they are today. It’s crazy to look at the imprint they left in the hearts and minds of people all over the world; All because they embraced their mediocrity. All because they believed in what they were doing. 

How many wannabes have surfaced and disappeared since each of them came onto scene? How many imposters? How many inauthentic spin-offs that count their triumphs in the form of one-hit wonders? 

But these guys, they are the real deal. 

So why the hell are we finding it so hard to have our brands find their own voice? Are we that afraid of living up to our real potential? Are we that afraid of veering off the beaten track?

I’m guessing it’s because of our fear of becoming mediocre singers. When clearly that’s the part that matters the least. Being able to hit five different octaves in a world where everybody can, will get you nowhere. But sadly that’s what we spend the most time doing, perfecting the art of singing. 

Constantly asking people what they want to hear, what they want to see, what they think, what they love, what they dislike, what their beliefs are, who their favourite candidate is, what colour they prefer, what car they’d imagine themselves driving in the future… 

Can you really imagine Dylan going around asking people what type of voice or music they like in order to become an icon? Joey Ramone was known to record bouncing basketballs and listen to them on a Walkman…Can you imagine him sitting in a focus group trying to define what his singing style should be like in order to appeal to the masses? Bitch please. 

Icons don’t ask. Icons do what they feel. And people can sense that. And they’re attracted to it. They’re drawn to it, precisely because it’s imperfect, just like they are. They bring something new, they bring something raw, they bring an attitude. And above all, they bring it with a passion. Unpolished passion. 

Remember how I started?

They’re all recognisable within a fraction of a second. 

They’re all loved or hated. 

Often imitated, never duplicated.

But more importantly, they’re all pretty mediocre singers. 

Maybe it’s time for us to embrace mediocrity a bit more, embrace the fact that we’re going to be disliked by some, but knowing that no matter what, we’ll be distinctive, we’ll be authentic, and we’ll gather a following that loves us because we do what we feel.

So let me ask you then. 

If your brand were a lead singer, who would it be? 

And who would you want it to be? 




Lucas Rodriguez is a Senior Strategic Planner in LOLA MullenLowe Madrid

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