IS PROMOTING AN ARTIST THE SAME AS PROMOTING A BRAND?
Updated: Dec 27, 2020
Not only does this interview feature the most unconventional blend of questions I've ever been asked, but also, the most pleasing ones.
To a casual observer, my work as a filmmaker has nothing to do with my work as a publicist, but actually, the two are deeply linked. You see, via my publicity consultancy Icons & Machines, brands hire me to win them news coverage. I do this successfully and in most cases, very quickly. In recent years, my clients have been featured on TV, radio, in influential newspapers, magazines and one even won a retail contract within six weeks of us launching our campaign. Truth is, my ability to deliver these results is entirely due to a bunch of powerful techniques I've developed as an independent artists who actively promotes his own creative projects.
I'm proud of the mainstream media coverage my short films, documentaries & social experiments have attracted over the years, including love from Red Bull, BBC, Metro, Huffington Post, Evening Standard and more. Following my first breakthrough project in 2015 -'100 Musicians' - I became fascinated with the mechanics of publicity campaigns, and now, I relish the challenge of generating awareness for my art and of course, my clients' brands.
Dave Stones, Sales Director of nationwide printing company BB Press, is a friend of mine who, ever since we met in 2018, zealously champions my art. Gent! Dave invited me onto his podcast to share my proven publicity tips and during our chat, we also discuss my creative work as a filmmaker. Thank you, Dave!
Click below to watch.
Interview highlights:
How I excelled in one area at school (03:18)
Biggest lesson I've learned while getting my projects in the news (08:36)
Why too much planning kills my spirit (09:15)
Story behind '100 Musicians' (10:38)
One beautiful memory I cherish from '100 Musicians' (14:45)
The artistic struggle (17:20)
Why I deliberately leave my projects to chance (20:45)
My tactical approach to promoting art & brands (23:40)
Working with brands I don't believe in - do I ever do it? (38:19)
My top tip for promoting a product or service (39:50)
How artists & brands can ethically concoct stories to get noticed (44:19)
Why you don't need money to get noticed (47:28)
One thing brands get from me that they'll struggle to find elsewhere (52:00)
The making of 'The Bench' and why it means so much to Dave (55:30)
What are my Netflix ambitions? (1:03:00)
What does "being brilliant" mean to me? (1:05:00)
