So I’m currently sitting at the Tampa airport, waiting for my flight home.
For the past week-ish, I’ve been in nearby St. Petersburg, FL for the most fun marketing conference I’ve had the pleasure of attending… Copy Chief Live.
Lest you think I’m exaggerating, here’s a smattering of happenings:
- Jonny Vance of the Harmon Brothers (the guys behind Squatty Potty and Poo-Pourri) taught us how they turn poop into gold
- Laura Belgray let us know how she banks on her personality
- I’m pretty sure I heard about someone jumping into the pool fully clothed and then disappearing into the night
I also personally witnessed a mummy drumline followed by the most amazing get-down-with-yo-bad-self-booty-shaking funk I’ve ever heard (not part of Copy Chief Live, but just a few blocks away at a killer Halloween show).
The band was called Here Come the Mummies, and they were recommended by my friend and mentor (the creator of Copy Chief and Copy Chief Live), Kevin Rogers.
I remember him telling me about the show and hearing how excited he was. And I admit to completely forgetting to look the group up in advance.
The show was at the end of a long couple weeks of traveling and I almost considered skipping out, but decided if Kev and his family thought the band was that good, they were worth a listen.
Best. Decision. Ever.
The show started with a full-on mummy drumline escorted by robed Anubises. The band was huge… there must have been a dozen people on stage, many of them playing multiple instruments.
And they didn’t just put on a brilliant musical show (multipart harmonies will ALWAYS make me melt), they also used props masterfully.
At one point, a couple mummies climbed a ladder and used sanders on steel to throw sparks in time with the music.
During another song, the Anubises came out onto stage and rhythmically beat chains on the ground to add to the beat.
And to open up their song “Shag Carpet”, they actually brought a shag carpet on the stage, which several of the horn players promptly laid down on/rolled all over while playing.
Needless to say – I’m glad I went and I am totally a fan.
So I did what anyone would do at a show like this – I looked them up so I could badger my boyfriend into going to a show with me.
Here’s where it gets super interesting (link in case you missed it up above)…
Talk about on-brand creativity and cultivating the legend.
These guys are anonymous on purpose, and they practically ooze fun out of every pore. Just look at some of the band member names and instruments:
Midnight Mummy- bari & tenor sax, keys, percussion, talk box, your mom, vocals
The Flu- alto sax, clarinet, flute, notes of allspice and star anise
Mummy Rah- tenor sax, moves
H.P.O.D. (High Priest of D.E.A.T.H.)- trumpet, deafening squeals
I bring this up because I think this is how a lot of brands get it wrong…
They think about who they are. They talk about who they are. But they don’t close the loop and SHOW people who they are.
It’s one thing to talk about being an anonymous daughter-defiling mummy who plays percussion and your mom. It’s another thing to show up dressed as a full-on mummy and roll around on shag carpet.
There was never a doubt in my mind that these guys are having a blast with these alter egos they’ve created for themselves, and that when they step into those mummy costumes, they are fully “on”.
So that’s my challenge to you – if you’ve done the deep work to think about your brand and who you are… I want you to think about how you SHOW that to your people. There’s a lot more opportunity than just flowy words.
And don’t be afraid to have fun with it. Worst case scenario… no one sees it. Best case? You create a massive following of raving fans.
Now pardon me while I go stalk my new favorite band across the country…