Part 1 of 3: The Succesful Re-Branding Of Johnny Cash
Re-branding an artist is tricky work that often ends in failure. Clive Davis has proven that he knows how to pick the songs and spend the money that almost guarantees a heritage artist renewed commercial success. (Santana, Rod Stewart, etc.) But few have mastered the art of re-branding in a manner that leaves the artist both hipper and more popular.
I was lucky enough to experience this first hand with our agency client"The King Of Rock & Soul" Solomon Burke who came back from obscurity to a 2004 "blues" Grammy win and a 2007 nomination for best country duet with Dolly Parton. (Votes shamelessly sought.) Producer Rick Rubin took re-branding to new heights with Johnny Cash and on his blog "Own Your Brand" Michael C. Wagner took a look at the campaign. Wagner’s perspective is not that of an industry insider. Wagner is music fan and mainstream marketer whose White Rabbit Group is based in Iowa:
Johnny Cash’s
position as a monumental country music legend was certain, but his
brand was stuck. It had been years since anyone had considered “the man in black” hip or his music important. That was all about to change.
On February 27th, 1993 Johnny met Rick Rubin after playing the Rhythm Café.
Some say Rick looks like a wino. Esquire says Rubin hides behind his mysterious bearded-shaman schtick. However, rappers like LL Cool J and heavy-metal bands like Slayer would say he is the key to their success. Rick Rubin’s “Def American Records” was famous, but not to Johnny Cash – he had never heard of them.
Johnny
was bemused that an alternative-music producer like Rick Rubin would
want to work with a 62 year-old Baptist from Arkansas who was in the
twilight of his country music career. But, he wasn’t very happy with Mercury Records and the radio wasn’t playing his songs, so why not give the wild
man a chance?
Rick Rubin went to work on the brand called Johnny Cash.
As
an experiment, Johnny recorded 33 songs in Rubin’s living room between
May 17 and the 20th. For the most part, it was just Johnny’s voice with
his acoustic guitar. They were songs from Cash’s back catalogue that he
wanted to make better – traditional songs, country classics, songs by
friends, and songs recommended by Rubin.
Prior to meeting
Rick, Country Music magazine had interviewed Johnny where he said, “I
want to do an album of real ‘heart-felt’ songs…just me and my guitar.”
Rubin turned that desire into a reality.
He also took Johnny
to some uncomfortable places as a musician and a performer. Rick took
Johnny beyond his signature “boom-chicka-boom” sound with songs like
Glen Danzig’s “Thirteen” and later the Nine Inch Nails song, “Hurt.”
Johnny “volunteered” to do a career-first solo performance in public at Johnny Depp’s hot Hollywood club, The Viper Room.
Young musicians, actors, models and filmmakers were the clientele and
Mr. Depp was the MC. “My first reaction was to run,” Cash said about
that night.
Tomorrow: Why did Rick Rubin do all of this and how does this make him a brand’s best friend?
