Welcome to “Gag City!” The ultimate, vibrant pink metropolis where all the Nicki Minaj stans (Barbz) and brands come to play. Ahead of the release of Nicki Minaj’s fifth studio album, “Pink Friday 2,” which dropped on Dec. 8, fans used AI to launch their own marketing campaign. The campaign captured the attention of celebs, brands, and even Minaj herself.
X, formerly known as Twitter, was taken over by AI-generated images of a lush and dreamy utopia called “Gag City,” run by Minaj and her loyal Barbz. Fans let their imagination run wild with the idea of what “Gag City” would look like, creating images of tall buildings, theme parks, and stores like Chanel and Urban Decay all bathed in pink. Fans have also turned “Gag City” into a star-studded event, stating that celebrities and non-fictional characters like Rihanna and Peppa Pig have arrived.
With the formation of this exciting, retro-futuristic world and Minaj’s album being a smash hit, this free viral campaign is one of the most creative album marketing tools we’ve ever seen. So buckle up! We’re booking a one-way ticket to “Gag City.”
“Gag City” was started after Minaj shared her album artwork.
“Gag City” started when Minaj unveiled the cover art for “Pink Friday 2.” The artwork showed the “Queen of Rap” in a dream-like sky train headed toward a pink whimsical city. The fans became obsessed with the imagery, calling the lead-up to the album as a quest to “Gag City.” In late November 2023, fans began creating AI-generated photos of dreamy pink landscapes. As a result, Gag City became a social media phenomenon.
There are multiple brands featured in the all-pink town.
Brands never miss the opportunity to hop on a social media trend, and the “Gag City” promo was no different. Companies and franchises, from Urban Decay and NYX, to The Cheesecake Factory and Chili’s, all went pink. Although companies joining in on memes can feel forced, in this case, it works. Each brand created a little utopia inside Minaj’s world, which was approved by the Barbz. As a result, this garnered tons of free promotion from the head Barb.
The industry’s elite have all been spotted in the pink metropolis.
Celebrities have also boarded flights to “Gag City,” with many showing their love and support for Minaj by jumping on the trend. Celebs like Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Ice Spice, Tyla, Michael Jackson, and more all have AI photos spotted in “Gag City.” Even popular fictional characters like Lois Griffin from “Family Guy,” Daenerys Targaryen from “Game of Thrones,” and a trojan horse decorated in Beyonce’s “Renaissance” disco motif were all seen in the AI city. Stan culture in Minaj’s town is fierce, as fans competed for the seat as the head of the Raptress’ government.
The “Gag City” marketing project impacted “Pink Friday 2” sales in a major way.
The AI frenzy boosted the hype for “Pink Friday 2,” and it shows in the sales. According to Billboard, the album debuted at No. 1, making it Nicki’s third album to achieve the goal, which is the most for a female rapper. The artist’s fifth studio album earned 228,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 14. This marks the largest-selling week for a rap album by a woman in the 2020s and the biggest for an R&B/Hip Hop album by a woman this year.
“Pink Friday 2” also earned 169.87 million on-demand streams, making history as the highest-streaming week for Minaj. In addition, this accomplishment marks the highest-streaming week for a rap album by a woman in the 2020s and for any R&B/Hip-hop album by a woman in 2023. Not too shabby for a marketing campaign started by a fanbase. The AI generation of “Gag City” proves effective marketing can come from unexpected places.
There’s no telling if other fan bases will follow suit with AI marketing tactics. However, it’s safe to say that the Barbz may have changed how record labels will approach album marketing. Congratulations Barbz! What’s your favorite “Gag City” AI pic? Let us know in the comment section!
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