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Music Promotion

Nostalgia Marketing – Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 1

Photograph of the blog post author, Jon

Jon

21.2.2023

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It’s hard to stand out in the music world. However, as original, as you might be, there is probably someone who sounds exactly like you who has done it before.

This brings us to this article about nostalgia marketing.

guardians of the galaxy

With better technology and a more connected world, it is easier for artists nowadays to spread their music. But now that everyone can do it the market has become saturated. 

You may have all the talent in the world, but if you aren’t marketing yourself right, no one will ever hear you.

Marvel seems to have come up with a solution for the soundtrack to the Guardians of the Galaxy film, the Awesome Mix Vol. 1

The Awesome Mix Vol. 1

nostalgia marketing

For those of you who haven’t seen the film, it starts off with the main character Peter Quill. Aka Star-Lord, who gets abducted by aliens as a child in 1988.

To remind him of planet Earth, he has a mixtape that he listens to with songs from the 70s and 80s. While the mixtape is a part of the story. It also serves as a tool to win fans.

Director James Gunn had this to say: “It’s striking the balance throughout the whole movie, through something that is very unique. But also something that is easily accessible to people at the same time.

The music and the Earth stuff is one of those touchstones that we have to remind us that, yeah, [Quill] is a real person from planet Earth who’s just like you and me. Except that he’s in this big outer space adventure.”

Marvel seems to be playing on the nostalgia marketing theme again by releasing the mixtape. Called the Awesome Mix Vol. 1, on cassette tape on November 17th.

It is already available on CD and vinyl. But this is unique as the cassette tape looks exactly how it does in the film. With the songs handwritten on the case. 

Distribution

nostalgia marketing

Releasing the mixtape on a cassette tape is a good strategy for nostalgia marketing. As it makes those of us who remember using cassette tapes and rewinding them with a pen feel nostalgic. And it is also a novelty for younger fans who might not have ever seen a cassette tape in real life.

It is being released in limited stock conveniently close to Christmas. And the release of Guardians of the Galaxy on DVD and Blu-Ray on the 9th of December. After December 31st or when stocks run out they will stop selling the tape. Which is guaranteed to make die-hard fans of the film rush to buy it.

The Wu-Tang Clan – Once Upon A Time In Shaolin

once upon a time in shaolin

Back in the music world, another unique concept for an album is being made by hip-hop legends the Wu-Tang Clan. They are working on a top-secret album called “The Wu – Once Upon A Time In Shaolin”.

What is so revolutionary about this album is that they only plan to release one copy of the album. With a price tag expected to reach a multi-million dollar figure. This album is going to be cased in an engraved silver and nickel box. It is currently sitting in a vault somewhere near the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.

This box was handcrafted by British-Moroccan artist Yahya. Who’s previous work has been commissioned by royal families. As well as business leaders around the world.

They plan to first take the boxed album on a tour of the world. And allow listeners to hear the album in various ways. Such as headphones in museums, galleries, and festivals. After this tour, the album will be sold to the highest bidder.

These two examples show us how the packaging and distribution of an album is an art form in itself. While it can be seen as an advertising gimmick, it works. It gets people to talk about it and is known, finally, as nostalgia marketing. 

The Guardians of the Galaxy mixtape are using a cassette tape for novelty and nostalgia value. Whilst the Wu-Tang Clan made their latest album into a priceless artefact to be displayed in museums.

Our Conclusion

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Making your music heard is just as important as making music in the first place.

Your creativity shouldn’t stop once you’ve finished recording your songs. But should carry on into every process of your music’s release.

As Wu-Tang member Cilvaringz says “It might totally flop, and we might be completely ridiculed. But the essence and core of our ideas are to inspire creation and originality. And debate and save the album from dying.”

We hope that you found this article about nostalgia marketing interesting! Check out our blog for some more articles like this!


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