Olivia Rodrigo Sent a Fully-Branded 'Sour' Promo Kit to Famous Friends

By Brendan Menapace

Olivia Rodrigo rose to pop music stardom with songs like “Drivers License” and “Deja Vu,” which simultaneously broke our hearts and got our toes tapping.

To promote the release of her full-length album “Sour,” Rodrigo sent some famous friends branded gift boxes with some very on-the-nose products connected to her songs.

It’s smart marketing, really. The music landscape is so wildly different than it was in the past. And, with the pandemic, artists weren’t able to do the usual album release and tour that would’ve been a no-brainer in 2019.

So, like others did with using bundles to market their album, Rodrigo went the influencer route, using some famous friends to spread the word on social media.

Joe Jonas posted the box, which included some Rodgrigo-branded Sour Patch Kids (a fun play on the album title), a box of tissues (for the sad songs), “Drivers License” bumper stickers,” “Deja Vu” candy hearts, a notebook, T-shirts, earrings and hoodies, according to Billboard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NucJxEL9R2c

She also sent the box to Kim Kardashian and actor Ben Platt.

Obviously, calling on your mega-famous friends to share your promotional items with their immense followings is a luxury not everyone has. But, the lessons from Rodrigo are applicable to even those without Kim Kardashian’s address.

The kit itself was branded, creating an instantly recognizable aesthetic where the recipient knows who it's from and what it's promoting. It uses just about every category of promotional product imaginable—food, stickers, apparel, jewelry, paper products and personal care items—and each product is individually branded to fit the theme overall and operate as a wholly standalone promo, too.

It's also a good example of kitting's enduring popularity in combination with drop-shipping. Again, you don't have to know where Joe Jonas lives to have a successful promotion sent directly to someone's home. Rodrigo just happened to have that going for her here.

While musicians need to find ways to stand out in the crowd, kits like this can be a good way to reach critics, publications, influencers and more.