Lil Nas X’s ‘Montero’ Campaign

Credit: Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty

Credit: Baillie Walsh

Here at The Habit Weekly, we've been eagerly following Lil Nas X and his out of the box marketing tactics since he broke through with the hit single ‘Old Town Road’. So of course we couldn’t resist taking a look at one of the year’s most provocative, hilarious and meaningful campaigns yet - the ‘Montero’ album campaign.

Before ‘Montero’

When Lil Nas X unveiled the video for his album’s lead single ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ it was met with mixed reviews, and plenty of media coverage. Some people really loved seeing Lil Nas X pole dance his way to hell to give Satan a lapdance, some not so much.

Following the controversy around that release, Lil Nas X went on to announce a fake collaboration with Nike - the Satan sneaker, complete with the inclusion of a drop of human blood. That collaboration landed the rapper in hot water, and paved the way for the promotion of his next single ‘Industry Baby’.

The narrative behind the ‘Industry Baby’ music video focussed on Lil Nas X being sentenced to jail over the collaboration, and the music video didn’t hold back. It featured a whole lot of implied nudity and a jailbreak, and once again saw Lil Nas X showcase himself in an authentic, unapologetic fashion.

After the ‘Industry Baby’ release, Lil Nas X shared teaser snippet for his next single ‘THAT'S WHAT I WANT’, which announced his escape from jail, and the arrival of his highly anticipated debut album ‘Montero’.

Montero’s Industry Baby

Leading up to the album release, Lil Nas X kept the content ball rolling with a range of promotions. One of the key narratives around the 'Montero' release was Lil Nas X's 'pregnancy'.

Donning a fake pregnancy belly, he took to Instagram and expressed his excitement for the arrival of his ‘baby’, AKA his debut album. He also shared a gift registry with his fans that encouraged donations to a range of charities, each corresponding with one of the album’s tracks.

One promo video saw Lil Nas X arrive at his extravagant baby shower. He wasn't met by any guests, but at the ‘Montero’ gift table, he found presents from each of the album’s featured artists; Megan Thee Stallion, Miley Cyrus, Elton John and Jack Harlow.

Closer to the release, he even shared videos of himself experiencing contractions, followed by a clip of him ‘giving birth’ to his very own industry baby in hospital.

Driving Pre-Saves

To promote album pre-saves, Lil Nas X also utilised some tongue-in-cheek billboards that offered financial compensation for those who are gay, those who are single, lonely and miserable, those who hate Lil Nas X and those who miss the old America. The billboards included a QR code and URL that led people to the album pre-saves.

Playing It Safe

With the album’s release landing during Sexual Health Month, Lil Nas X also teamed up with Durex to promote sexual health and wellness for people of all genders and sexual identity. This included a product placement campaign in the ‘THAT’S WHAT I WANT’ music video.

What stands out about the ‘Montero’ album campaign is Lil Nas X’s refusal to shy away from content that would generate negative attention. From the controversial ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ video, to the fake Nike collaboration - the artist has found a way to take negative responses in his stride, even incorporating them into his marketing efforts. Whether you love or hate Lil Nas X, he’s got content tailored directly to you.

---

---

Related Articles

---