Best Artist and Brand Partnerships Aren’t “Just About Advertising. It’s About Creating Something Real in Culture”

Music artists are more interested in brand collaborations than ever before, according to BRING, Universal Music For Brands ECD James Griffiths, who believes the best results come from letting artists lean into their creativity.

“If the artist genuinely loves the brand and vice versa, that can be greater than some of its parts and can be reciprocal for both artist and brand,” James explained.

“It's much more of a two-way street than it's ever been … where artists get to access an audience, a fandom, around a product or brand they love.”

James’ comments came during BRING’s last artist immersion event of 2025 in Sydney yesterday, which featured a special appearance from Irish pop musician Ronan Keating.

James told LBB that while brands hope to access artists’ fandoms, and cultural cachet, artists can also grow their platform with the right brand partners.

“For artists, it’s about accessing an audience, a fandom, around a product or brand they love,” James explained.

“We don’t dictate exactly what the outcome should be. We build it together, and that gives us something really interesting and exciting.”

“This is what excites me most about music right now. It’s not just about advertising anymore. It’s about creating something real in culture.”

James stressed the importance of authenticity in these collaborations, noting that today’s fans are savvy and can quickly sense when a partnership feels forced or insincere.

Artists today are also increasingly viewing themselves as brands, James noted, which Ronan Keating also believed is a novel development.

“At least for me and generally, talking about yourself as a brand when you’re a person sounds ridiculous,” Ronan said at the event. “But that’s exactly what it’s like.”

“If we’d had social media in the days of Boyzone… that would have got us in a lot of trouble, so maybe it’s for the best.” 

James explained that the shift in artists acting as brands allows them to connect with fans in new and meaningful ways.

“This might not be something completely new,” James said, “but the landscape is so diverse these days, and the connections artists can make with fans are so personal that they are definitely thinking more about themselves as brands.”

This evolution has created a more collaborative and dynamic space for partnerships between artists and brands.

“Artists used to just think about their music and how they sounded,” James added, “but now, much like brands, they’re focusing on growing their voice in culture and finding ways to differentiate themselves from the competition.”

Brands, on the other hand, are discovering how music can serve as a strategic channel for accessing new audiences and building cultural relevance.

“We’re becoming a kind of new, innovative way for brands to find new audiences,” James said. “Whether it’s appealing to a different demographic or helping brands that are starting out find their voice, we use the data and insights of Universal Music to unlock that fandom and grow it for them.”

Rather than simply attaching a song to an advertisement, James explained, BRING focuses on creating moments in culture that resonate deeply with fans.

“We don’t just slap a song on an ad, that’s not what we do,” he said. “We create moments in culture for brands. That could be original music, a music video release, an official release, or a live music series that allows the brand to bring themselves into music culture.”

In 2025, BRING will launch what James called one of its biggest campaigns to date. He hinted it is “an extension of something we did this year with one of our key brands, and we’re bringing it back bigger for a second year. We can’t wait to see what fans do with it.”