Campaign of the Month: Each month we dig into the Music Ally Pro Campaign Database and feature a notable, newly-submitted music campaign. The text below is supplied by a label, distributor, or artist team – and is in that company’s own words.
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This month, we’re spotlighting Black Country, New Road and the campaign for the release of their album Forever Howlong, as submitted by the team at Ninja Tune.

Campaign target audience age: 18-34 years
Campaign target location(s): London, Manchester, Leeds, Brighton, Liverpool, Glasgow, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago

Campaign Overview

To build anticipation for Black Country, New Road’s new album Forever Howlong and the single “Besties,” we executed a multi-faceted teasing campaign strategically engaging fans across digital, physical, and press channels.

We initiated cryptic online teasers, including subtle hints in captions and video descriptions, sparking speculation in fan communities on Reddit (25K members) and Discord (4K members). These posts saw engagement rates soar by 526%, with up to 2.3M Reel views.

Visually striking outdoor advertising was leveraged, placing interactive billboards across London that revealed elements of the album artwork when activated by a button, encouraging organic social sharing. Simultaneously, 100 exclusive t-shirts featuring new band logo designs were sent to select superfans and industry contacts, prompting widespread discussion and speculation online.

Teasers extended into both physical and digital realms, with pre-announcement campaigns across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The first teaser post received over 722K Instagram Reel views, with engagement rates exceeding 536% over the band’s average. A mailing list sign-up strategy proved highly effective, doubling subscribers from 26K to 57K (+55% growth) within weeks.

Additionally, we orchestrated a sustained press and DSP partnership campaign, securing pre-release coverage from Pitchfork, NME, and DORK, and landing key placements such as Spotify’s ‘The Indie List’ cover. On release week, a YouTube Premiere and live Q&A further strengthened engagement, turning curiosity into tangible fan action.

By combining mystery, interactivity, and community-driven speculation, the campaign fostered organic buzz, making the announcement of Forever Howlong one of the most highly anticipated indie releases of the year.

Results & Key Learnings

  • 400K Spotify streams in the first two days.
  • 2.6M+ total interactions on teaser posts.
  • Instagram reach increased by 211%, with a 5.4K growth in followers.
  • TikTok following grew by 11.8K.
  • Pre-saves surpassed 29.2K for “Besties,” with 23K pre-saves occurring before any audio was teased.
  • Mailing list saw a 120% surge.
  • Spotify Monthly Listeners grew by 16.3K in one week (a 994% rise above average).
  • 4K albums sold through D2C on the first day, with 2.4K+ items sold via the band’s shop alone within 24 hours worldwide.
  • 1.2K album sales in the UK, with exclusive editions selling out.

Key Team Members Involved

ATC Management:

  • Dan McEvoy
  • Constance Keane

Ninja Tune:

  • Ginny Davies
  • Tess Kendall
  • Will Slattery
  • Bianca Renzullo
  • Elinor Gray
  • Emma Rattier
  • Ramona Venturanza
  • Maddie Gavin

External Agencies & Partners

  • Motive Unknown
  • Round

Main image credits: Eddie Whelan