Work / Rolling Stones – Goats Head Soup

The Brief

The Rolling Stones’ classic 1973 album Goats Head Soup was reissued by Universal Music in multi-format and deluxe editions in September 2020. Alongside the records’ original track list, the deluxe editions also featured previously unreleased studio and live material. Making fans aware that this wasn’t just a standard reissue, while introducing new, younger audiences to the classic record were key requirements. This would be achieved by driving excitement around the previously unheard tracks and cleverly positioning the archive and brand-new assets available.

What We Did

On the back of the acclaimed “Living In A Ghost Town” single and the band’s universally-admired lockdown performance of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” in Global Citizen’s special One World: Together at Home earlier in the year, LD built on this excitement through targeted teases that something was “brewing”.

By focusing the Goats Head Soup campaign launch on the unreleased track Scarlet (feat. Jimmy Page), LD created a universal buzz around the upcoming track and album release within a wide range of print and online media, ensuring an extensive audience and broad demographic was reached. This was supported by carefully selected and impactful cover interviews, driving anticipation for the record throughout the campaign.

While exclusively placed archive imagery showcased the history and cultural significance of the record across music publications, engaging the band’s core audience, LD complemented this by bringing the narrative into the here and now, using the official video release for Scarlet, filmed with Paul Mescal during lockdown, to create a powerful media moment across all ages.

To achieve a number 1 album 47 years after the original release was just incredible and to then also make chart history, becoming the first band to score a number one album in six decades was second to none

LD Communications

What we achieved

169.4m

169.4m audience reach

£1,518,729

£1,518,729 media value

No. 1

No. 1 on the Official Album Chart

Record-breaking

Record-breaking album, as The Stones became the first band to score a number one album in six different decades

4 star reviews

4 star reviews across the board, from Uncut, MOJO, Classic Rock, Record Collector, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, The Sun, Daily Star and more

Sunday Times

Sunday Times ‘Culture’ cover interview drove Goats Head Soup up to #1 on the Amazon Pre-order chart

986

986 pieces of coverage

Bernard Doherty and his team at LD Communications are truly world class. The Rolling Stones have been represented by LD in all aspects of their global PR and communications strategies including world tours, exhibitions, album releases and crisis management for over three decades which says it all. They are truly impressive, always creative and continue to deliver in their pursuit of media coverage for The Stones across all platforms.