JCC News Japan published recently a report about BABYMETAL from the beginnings and success overseas and an analysis of the marketing and promotion techiniques to try to understand why they are successful in and out of Japan. Read the full report by JCC translated in the following blog post.
Did you know BABYMETAL? JCC News Japan report about BABYMETAL
Did you know BABYMETAL?
They are not appearing in the great mass media, but they are a young metal dance trio of women (still teen all of them). They are an original and impossible combination of "Fusion of Metal and Idol", an unique pole ball of music and overwhelming singing ability, performance force, made with enthusiasm to the whole world.
The Idol debut was in 2010, such video on Youtube was filled by foreign language comments, BABYMETAL's first attention from overseas.
First after their Major Single debut in 2013, suddleny hit Sixth in Oricon. then, were the youngest women to play 2 Days at a Full Budokan, and then a subsequent World Tour in front of 60.000 spectators at the largest world metal festival "Sonisphere 2014".
They ranked in the US Billboard World Albums Chart, in the first place of the weekly chart and they have accomplished 58 consecutive weeks.
In addition in this year (2015), its 1st Live Album entered in the Top 3 of the Oricon Chart, and the First Live Video works on Bluray was the youngest female group recording to reach the first place of the overall. In March was awarded with the Grand Prize of the "7th CD Shop Awards 2015".
Later they were involved in the vortex of the enthusiasm of the crowd with its second overseas tour with around 9 countries, and won the Awards from the largest metal magazine "Metal Hammer" and the music magazine "Kerrang". Now they are in the venture of their first National Tour.
That is BABYMETAL's charm.
Their marketing and promotion are walking for unknown ways.
BABYMETAL's marketing technique is one of kind.
First of all, they don't use to appear on TV programs. Even they did some appearances in variety and music programs in 2013 after their major debut (Ijime, Dame, Zettai), this year, we can see news about them in early morning or late night news programs rarely. But never they never appear on music shows.
One of the programs was NEWS ZERO which was streamed on October 7 of 2015. The content was the same as other TV stations have been showing during this year, always about BABYMETAL's history, a quick review of the band. The topic about the average age 16.3 years old and why BABYMETAL attracted the world's attention, all very far to be impressive, there was a speculative idea that there wasn't enough air time to re-organize. That is expectable from mass media.
Their promotion methods are also one of a kind.
Their type of promotion is not like other idols (Meet and Greet events). That's why the only opportunity for the fans to see them is in the live shows and in the official music videos, and also from the many Fan-Cams videos from overseas live performances in the net. You can call that as product of the internet era, its management knows about it and there is a speculation that they might have been using this to create oddity and mystery.
In April of 2016, they plan to held a solo live show at the Wembley Arena in the UK, is famous for hosting concerts for big musicians as Paul McCartney or Madonna. BABYMETAL continues to jump over heights where other Japanese musicians couldn't reach. The girls are repaiting their legend. Keep your eyes on them.
BABYMETAL Ijime, Dame, Zettai Live at Sonisphere Festival.
The moment when the world discovered BABYMETAL. The last song of the Fest. Initially, even the crowd began looking suspicious and concern, but after the last chours were "We want more". In Japan, this video chopped the music history in the world.
Translation by: Hitoshi Sugioka.
