Creating A Brand: Spice Girls

Creating A Brand: Spice Girls

In the music industry, brands can be created of an artist or band through music videos.

The main purposes f a pop video are:

• Advertisement
• Illustrates the song
• Appeals to a visual audience
• Expresses an individual's emotions
• Tells a story
• Markets an image

All of these purposes would result in the creation of a brand.


A great example of a popular music band that has created a brand throughout their career are the Spice Girls. 

In the mid 1990's, family management team Bob Herbert, Chris Hebert and Lindsey Casbon thought about creating a girl group to compete with popular boy bands that dominated the pop music scene, in the mid to late 1990's.

In February 1994, Heart Management placed an advertisement in The Stage, trade magazine asking for:

• 18-23 year olds
• Ability to sing/dance
• Streetwise
• Outgoing
• Ambitious
• Dedicated

Hundreds of strangers auditioned for the upcoming girl band, however only 5 members made the band.
Victoria, Emma, Melanie C, Geri, Melanie B.
These were the five lucky members to make the girl band in which they were named THE SPICE GIRLS.
They were sold to the audience that they were group of friends, that loved what they do, having fun and making top-selling singles together.

All the members of the Spice Girls had  specific characteristic to them, in which gave them a particular nickname. These nicknames have been so popular, that they are still referred to this day.

 

Victoria: Posh Spice

Emma: Baby Spice

Melanie C: Sporty Spice

Geri: Ginger Spice

Melanie B: Scary Spice

 

They had all their clothes 'carefully' chosen for their first appearance on American TV.

 

Victoria in a sophisticated slinky black number. Emma in a baby-pink dress. Mel C in her favourite Liverpool shirt and tracksuit bottoms. Geri in red hot pants, top and bra. Mel B in a leopard skin trousers.

 

They became one of the biggest girl bands in the charts all over the world. Sponsorship deals and endless merchandising were made, they were also involved with everything from Pepsi adverts to Polaroid ads to Barbie-style Spice Girls dolls.



 

 

 

Many artists/groups are sold as a brand and the music videos act as a product of the brand, in the hope that the audience will be inspired to 'buy into the brand'. For some artists the 'image' is greater importance than the quality of the product. The Spice Girls are a great example of this. Other times it is the song and the meaning of the song that is sold, and the artists 'image' has little to do with the sale of the song.

 

 

 

 

In this music video, The Spice Girls have their own unique clothing range, due to their personalities and their nicknames. They have been made in a way of branding, so their fans would be able to copy them and advertise them more. In the music video, many dance routines that are iconic to them are included within this which also brands them, as fans would want to learn the dance and perform them wherever possible. The Spice Girls have things about them that make them unique, which is why they branded them anywhere possible, including the Pepsi advert. The more they were branded, the more fame and popularity they had.