Since I’m a graphic designer, and the lead designer here at RMR, I figured the best thing for me to write about is, well… graphics. I’ve noticed a few awesome things going on graphics wise for the Northwest hip-hop scene. First off I want to start with the recent Northwest style in regards to graphic preference for promotion.
Recently Sol released “Yours Truly” and he has set the bar pretty high for graphics, from his CD cover and insert to his plastic wrap with the sticker on the front. It has all become a great package, and looks like an official CD you would get from a main stream artist (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, watch the video below). His recent CD was sponsored by the fans via Kickstarter, and it has proven to be a worthwhile project for everyone involved. Sol released his most downloaded CD ever, and it pushed him into the top hip-hop albums on both iTunes and the Billboard charts. I would say that Sol has set himself apart by having great graphics to back up his great music.
Below are three different images of Sol’s graphics, two are from his recent album “Yours Truly” the other is from “Dear Friends Vol. III”.
So why does it matter? Well we here at RMR understand that our clothes are about not just getting a cool piece of gear. It’s about the customer receiving a great experience when they purchase an item online, or when they buy our stuff at a store. This should be the same idea that artists have when they are planning their album cover/graphics and throughout their entire campaign for their new album. “How can I make myself unique and provide my fan base an awesome experience?!” That is the question you should be asking yourself if you haven’t already.
So how do you do just that? Well here at RMR, we try and provide our customers with extras, whether that is stickers, coupons, fliers, or anything else. It’s a great way to make your fans feel like they got a little extra for purchasing an item from you. Anything you can add helps provide that extra little piece of customer experience they weren’t expecting. This can also be in packaging alone, by providing unique packaging, or unique ideas, people really appreciate that in a product. So take a look at some of the images of Sol’s graphics I have included in this post. You will see why he has provided his fans with an awesome experience that unifies, rather than having crazy graphics that don’t actually mean anything.
