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The NZ Herald today finally caught up on the story that has been whispering around the NZ music industry for months… Wellington roots/hip-hop/jazz/dub reggae outfit Fat Freddy’s Drop managed to top the local charts and continue to make waves in Europe off the back of one of the most inspired marketing plans ever – don’t do any.

To describe their approach as “no marketing” is a little disingenuous, since FFD has been on the road, around the country and around the world since 2001, playing legendary shows, building an incredibly loyal (and large) live audience, putting out limited releases on vinyl, and cultivating an uber-hip image that has unshakable credibility here at home and abroad (their album and vinyl artwork contain many nods to kiwi pop culture that are likely impenetrable to their overseas buyers).

Friends tell friends tell friends tell friends. When their album finally dropped in NZ in May 2005, so much pressure and demand had built up that it went off like a booby-trapped concrete truck in Baghdad’s green zone. Shot to #1, stayed there for weeks. Fat Freddy’s success is virtually an MBA case study in viral marketing.

Given the cost and time involved in classic music marketing techniques such as TV ads, poster campaigns, endless press interviews, (yawn), is the Freddy’s Method the way for future musical talent to promote themselves? Essentially guys, get out there and play heaps of gigs and play good music… sounds too easy, right?

And everyone likes a good online quiz, right? And everyone posts their results on their blog? The answer to both those questions is YES.