Inside the reason why Beyonce’s social media Halloween take-over works
Singer Beyonce watches during the second half of an NBA All-Star basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 18,2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Celebrities usually have access to all kinds of resources, and that’s why their Halloween costumes often times look like something straight out of a Hollywood film. But Beyonce continues to opt for a look that has created her own personal trend in costumes that is based more on her cultural values and passion than 3D impact or over-the-top artwork. She controls the timing, look and release of the image all via social media, and the fans go crazy for it.
Just mere hours ago, Beyonce was all the rage as a Trending Topic on Twitter as fans commented and shared her Halloween look as R&B icon Toni Braxton. Expertly re-created, the homage is nearly identical to the cover of a seminal album in Braxton’s career that any and every urban music fan knows. The three shots on Beyonce’s Instagram feed feature the star in various poses creatively re-titling the album « Phoni Braxton » and at last count already have an average of nearly two million likes for each of the three images.
Ah, just another day in the life of Beyonce: creativity, adoration, fun. But it’s much more than that.
In selecting an iconic African-American female recording artist each year, Beyonce reminds us of the cultural shoulders on which she stands and, moreover, the contributions these women make to the entertainment world and impact all of us in some way simply by being a part of the culture and rising above odds that are often times staggering low.
Photo by: GOTPAP/STAR MAX/IPx 2018 9/18/18 Toni Braxton is seen at Craig’s Restaurant in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA.
The selections also let us all know that Beyonce is not too far removed to be a fan herself and loves the music that these women have recorded.
By controlling the image herself over tech platforms, as opposed to being caught first by paparazzi on the way to a party, she steals the air out of the social media room because the images drop without warning and ignite just as quickly.
Two things are happening here when she does this. The star is expertly playing to nostalgia in an era where so much disruption, uncertainty and mean-spirited attitudes are happening. We always tend to think that previous decades were better, hence the « good » in the adage, the « good ol’ days. » Though usually debatable as to the exact percentage of what one may term good or bad during any period, the point is that we tend to remember more of the good, especially when it is tied to our favorite music.
This is important for anyone today in business to understand and apply because, if executed organically, one can massively connect and engage.
Further, Beyonce uses certain slang within the images that really cements the deal. By thanking the « bops » in her social media replies, she shows that she always knows, uses and is part of the latest lingo showing the fans that she continues to be one of them while somehow deftly maintaining the queen image at the same time.
FILE – In this Feb. 12,2017 file photo, Beyonce wears a gold, royal crown and neck collar and a Peter Dundas gown an embroidered portrait of herself as she performs at the 59th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File)
It’s all makes for a kinda drop-the-mic moment in total. Such is the power of celebrity, culture and tech when it collides in just the right way. Kudos, Beyonce, and Happy Halloween.
I am a digi-cultural trend analyst, author, speaker, and strategist. My expertise is deciphering and forecasting power trends and public sentiment within the convergent area of pop culture, millennials & emerging tech behavior and analyzing their impact on business and g…
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