The Day Beyoncé Broke the Internet: Advertising as Seen Using the Element of Surprise
Eight hundred twenty eight thousand seven hundred and seventy three, the current record for the amount of albums sold worldwide within seventy-two hours (Joseph). However, the current record holder did not do any advertising, promotions, or announce that this album was even being recorded. So one may ask, how does an artist create the fastest-selling album to date, in complete secrecy, without the world and potential listeners being aware of its existence? Through the use of image, brand, time, and nontraditional forms of release, Beyoncé authored a self-titled album that is currently nominated for six Grammy awards (Beyoncé). These awards include Album of The Year, in addition to the album’s individual record-breaking success with the general public (Beyoncé).
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Using this to the singer’s advantage, the album was self-titled. In doing so, the title immediately draws the eye of fans and potential listeners through name recognition. In conjunction with the coloring of the album, a black background against the stark pale word Beyoncé, the album title and cover challenge the common beauty shots that are characteristic of the R&B genre albums currently on the market. The bold statement of the album cover exemplifies the experimentation involved in creating Beyoncé. It also implies that the songs and messages on the album have a deep and dark meaning through the black background. Thus, Beyoncé creates a distinction from any of Beyoncé’s predecessors through her choices in the album’s cover