Foundations for an album campaign strategy started a year before announcing, with a key focus on growing Aitch’s audience, increasing fan engagement and converting this attention to streaming. This started with TikTok where, over the course of a year, we grew Aitch’s platform by 1m followers.

We launched Aitch on Discord – making him one of the first UK rap artists to join the platform. Aitch’s server is now a leader in the genre, with 12k highly engaged super-fans. Discord became one of our most powerful audience outreach tools.

Aitch was one of the first ambassadors using YouTube Shorts. Over three months, content posted on the platform helped add 250k new subscribers and soon became a staple across all marketing activity.

By the time it came to album announcement – via key TV and live appearances including Soccer Aid and Radio 1 Big Weekend – and the success of the viral ‘Baby’ feat. Ashanti campaign, Aitch was beginning to establish himself as a household name.

To push album pre-sale, a UK headline tour, D2C merchandise drops with Manchester streetwear brand Drama Call, competitions to win tickets and signed merchandise, Discord exclusive spray-painted CDs took place. We also released NFT collections. Fans could order tangible chart-eligible CDs and vinyl with unique cover artwork, hand-signed posters and a Mystery Box that unlocked IRL experiences.

For album focus track ‘My G’ feat. Ed Sheeran, a loving tribute to Aitch’s 12-year-old sister Gracie who has Down’s Syndrome, we partnered with Mancunian artist and Central Station co-founder, Matt Carroll, and his sister, Maria, who also lives with Down’s Syndrome. The pair produced a piece of alternative vinyl artwork sold via Aitch’s store with all proceeds as well as a portion of the video budget being donated to charity.

Key pieces of dynamic content included Aitch’s Life Of Aitch vlog series, an appearance on Amelia Dimoldenberg’s cooking show, plus Close To Home TV in which Aitch sold Close To Home album products and merchandise. To coincide with CTH TV, we launched Aitch’s official home phone number which fans could call and hear a mix of the album ahead of release.

All this activity and more culminated in the album charting at #2, Aitch’s highest charting project to date.