In early 2014 Big Boi, half of the multiple Grammy award-winning hip hop duo Outkast, decided that he wanted to take over Tumblr. But with a big catch: he wanted to do it authentically, and he wanted the strategy created by people outside the world of traditional marketing and advertising. In two weeks he had brought on a music video director known for operating on a shoestring budget, and a public health PhD working full-time at the CDC. The three person team would eventually add two student interns.
To Big, being authentic in social media, and on Tumblr in particular, meant only using earned media. This called for some extremely out-of-the-box thinking. They decided to leverage Tumblr's own creator community, and the widespread goodwill felt for Big Boi and Outkast.
Countless hours were spent on Tumblr, finding the most engaging creators. The team would then reach out and ask if they'd be willing to make something for Big Boi in their own style. Big would share the work, or post it directly, on his own Tumblr. Creators included Mr.Gif, Gangster Doodles, Ben Kopp, TraceLoops, Scorpion Dagger, Tyler Spangler, Show Drawn, CariVanderYacht, and many others. This content was complemented with photography from Outkast's reunion tour and never-before-seen archival photos.
Big Boi's Tumblr generated 204,906 engagements and over 13 million impressions in 2014. All solely due to earned media. Tumblr's staff took note, giving Big Boi a shout out and an IRL showcasing the amazing work of Big Boi's fans and Tumblr's creators.
Total budget for 2014 was less than $500. Over 50 individual Tumblr creators submitted content. Creators were invited to performances and given VIP access in order to create content on-site, if desired.
