The context
Olivia Rodrigo already benefited from several forces ahead of this campaign. Indeed, being already an actress for Disney, she already had a certain notoriety which allowed her to quickly be spotted and signed by a label. She was also endowed with a pleasant voice and extraordinary writing skills, allowing her to distinguish herself. On the other hand, becoming famous in the middle of the pandemic was a weakness that could have hurt him. It should also be noted that it is increasingly difficult to make a long-term impression in the music industry, because of tools like Tiktok that can make a song viral without ensuring the sustainability of the artist's career. Vis-à-vis the public, the singer was offered many opportunities. First the virality of Drivers License on Tiktok offered him almost free and effortless visibility. Its vintage-pop-indie style and concept was also an opportunity to stand out for an audience always looking for freshness and novelty. This does not prevent her from facing threats, including great competition (hundreds of pop and indie artists from which she must stand out) and the possibility that her theme is too "boat". Thus, this article will focus on the promotional campaign of the album Sour released in May 2021 and precisely on its brilliant concept. Indeed, the singer Olivia Rodrigo has managed to make a failure in love, an exceptional communication strategy. The campaign begins as soon as the breakup of the flagship couple composed Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett, with the announcement of the first single, Drivers Licence, confirming their separation and presenting at the same time the theme of his album. It also introduces the third key character, Sabrina Carpenter. The love triangle strategy is then put in place.
In this way, we see that the campaign is aimed first and foremost at Olivia's fans, and more specifically at fans of the High School Musical: The Musical: The Serie series since it involves its two main actors. In addition, Olivia mixes communication actions seeking both to retain her fans and to expand her community.
The objectives behind the release of Olivia Rodrigo's Sour
Through the promotional campaign of her first album, Olivia Rodrigo has several objectives at once coative, cognitive and affective. On the one hand, she wants to create notoriety and credibility as a singer in order to encourage listeners to consume her music. On the other hand, it seeks to strengthen ties with the community that already follows it. It seems to target mainly teenagers and young adults, lovers of pop music, who will therefore be likely to listen to his music and identify with it. However, using the somewhat retro visuals and the classic love triangle in the manner of former Disney stars, it also targets a slightly older and nostalgic target of teen dramas.
Media planning
The campaign began on January 4, 2021, following the announcement of the single Drivers Licence and ended six months later, on May 29. It combines purely digital strategic elements (use of social networks, TV advertising, broadcasting of a prom…) and real events (spotify carwash, prom…). It is therefore a transmedia campaign of 4 four media waves (first the 3 singles, then the album). We also note that its calendar is also thoughtful since the end of this campaign takes place at the same time as the end of the school year, date marked, in high schools, by a prom. She mainly uses social media but also uses television and radio as she uses her channels to broadcast her music videos and singles.
