ATC’s brand partnership division has launched a “one-stop shop” for artists and managers.
In the latest issue of Music Week, we report on how the loss of live business during Covid-19 has meant that brand deals are providing vital supplementary income.
The company negotiates brand deals for acts who aren’t on its management roster, as well as its own clients.
“We just feel a one-stop shop for a direct-to-artist relationship is a point of difference that we can offer,” said Gary Cohen. “Brands are realising that it is more effective to work with the management, because that’s the artist at source – it speeds up the process and keeps the price manageable.”
In response to the pandemic, ATC has also launched a pay-per-view livestreaming business and staged a performance by Laura Marling at the Union Chapel.
ATC has recently worked on three major brand campaigns for artists not on its management roster. It paired RCA’s Grammy-nominated UK soul artist Nao (pictured) with the Kaleidoscope Orchestra during lockdown to launch the Oppo Find X2 series of smartphones.
Brands are realising that it is more effective to work with the management, because that’s the artist at source
Gary Cohen
In May, ATC worked with Adidas and their agency Iris London on a campaign celebrating the return of sport with a voiceover by Princess Nokia.
ATC is nominated in the Music & Brand Partnership category in the Music Week Awards for the campaign pairing BrewDog and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes.
The partnership with the beer brand has continued during the lockdown, including arranging remote performances by non-ATC management clients Anna Calvi, Carl Barat and Shakey Graves.
“BrewDog are maintaining the [customer] relationship by creating a virtual bar,” said Cohen. “So every Friday, 1,000 people can go into that virtual bar, and we’ve been programming the music.”
Cohen said that managers are also able to provide data for brands working on campaigns, as well as better access to artists.
“We as managers are much better equipped to have all that data to hand and share it,” he told Music Week. “In some cases, the artists are able to contribute to how the finished campaign looks, as Nao did.”
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