Ticketmaster has been credited for its role in Slipknot's first No.1 album in 18 years.
The Live Nation-owned ticketing company utilised its marketing database to raise awareness of the band's sixth studio LP, We Are Not Your Kind, which was released on August 9.
Fans were able to purchase the new album and receive a presale code for Slipknot’s 2020 arena tour. The pre-order campaign was delivered to almost 5.4 million people across 12 markets – UK, Germany, Netherlands, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland and Ireland.
We Are Not Your Kind topped the UK charts last month with first week sales of 31,828, pipping Ed Sheeran’s No.6 Collaborations Project, which retreated to No.2 on sales of 27,105 units. It was the band's first UK chart-topper since 2001's Iowa.
Slipknot manager Cory Brennan of 5Bam Management said: “When the heat was on and Slipknot was neck and neck with Ed Sheeran for The No.1 album, that’s when our long-term business partners at Roadrunner Records, Live Nation and Ticketmaster turned up the gas and worked in unison. Slipknot has worked with all three partners for a long time and has stayed with them for one reason and one reason only – passion. It starts and ends there.
"At the end of the day Slipknot make brilliant, incredible music for a large rabid audience that has become a culture. At the other end of that are brilliant, passionate team members and partners that know no limits and want to help one of their favourite bands achieve massive success.”
Danny Corr, senior marketing manager at Roadrunner Records UK, said: “We had an extremely successful Slipknot D2C campaign and working alongside Live Nation and Ticketmaster was very beneficial. They fully supported us and really helped to drive awareness of the mechanic across all of their platforms. That kind of extra reach added to what the band and label did, which was definitely a factor in the result we had.”
It's hugely rewarding when a band and their management have such a clear vision for a touring and album campaign
Andy Copping
Live Nation
The recent Music Week cover stars headlined June's Download Festival and will play a UK arena tour in January 2020. Tickets went on sale last Friday.
Download promoter Andy Copping, Live Nation's executive president of UK touring, said: “It’s hugely rewarding when a band and their management have such a clear vision for a touring and album campaign, enabling us as their promoter partner to offer maximum support for the success of the tour and their new album. This is the beginning. There are exciting times ahead."
Ticketmaster has run similar campaigns in 2019 with the likes of Muse, Lewis Capaldi, Liam Gallagher, James Arthur, Vampire Weekend, Emeli Sande, Freya Ridings, Banks, Jamie Cullum, Mabel, Friendly Fires, The Lumineers, Melanie Martinez and Hozier.
PHOTO: Alexandria Crahan-Conway
