The GRAMMYs were not exactly known for behaving like a cutting-edge brand, and that was particularly true in the digital space. Their presence on social networks reflected a certain ambivalence, if not an aversion, to really connecting with their fans. But if we were going to get fans excited, we needed them to fundamentally change their mindset on how to engage their audience. And we would have to establish a genuine connection with the fans without compromising the GRAMMYs’ legacy as the only music awards show focused on artistic merit, not sales or popularity.

At the epicentre of the campaign was WEREALLFANS.COM, a real-time social media aggregator in which portraits of GRAMMY-nominated artists were created from actual fan-generated content. This content became the building blocks for every element of the campaign: posters, billboards, broadcast spots, online media, and even in-show graphics at the GRAMMY telecast. Print and out-of-home drove fans online to get involved. As fans saw themselves appear in the campaign, they took to sites like Twitter and YouTube to get the word out. Soon, celebrities like Perez Hilton and Lady Gaga were tweeting about the campaign, creating even more of a groundswell. Digital PR kits were given to fan communities to help them root for their favourite artists. The FanBuzz Visualiser widget tracked online conversation to show which artists had the most buzz at any given moment. And on WEREALLFANS.COM, fans could create their own social media portraits and share with friends.

The WE’RE ALL FANS website attracted more than 300,000 fans in just one month, with engagement on the site averaging nearly 3 minutes (more than triple the national average). The broadcast spots went viral on YouTube, garnering a combined 4.5 million views in three weeks and even inspiring fans to create their own versions. But the biggest proof of the campaign’s success was that 26.6 million viewers tuned in to the GRAMMY telecast, a 35% increase from 2009. With a 32% increase in the coveted 18-34 audience.