In support of Free Nationals’ song “Gangsta” featuring Anderson .Paak and A$AP Rocky, we sought to create an opportunity for fans to engage with the vivid world depicted in the music video. The music video follows two children playing make-believe as gangstas and imagining their neighborhoods through a childlike lens, filled with giant toy cars, stuffed animals, and candy. Kid versions of the Free Nationals, Anderson .Paak, and A$AP Rocky take us through this fantasy, and we wanted to give fans an opportunity to immerse themselves in this world too.
Our initial idea was to develop a web app that would attract fans by creating an asset that users would want to share on their social media, and (hopefully) make their friends want to create and share one as well.
In collaboration with Lee Martin, Free Nationals and Culture Wave Management came up with the idea to lean into the childlike imagination of the music video, and build out the world of “Gangsta” for fans using AI. We liked the idea of building a community of kids banding together, and wanted to create a unified look that reflected the playful aesthetic of the video.
Using Replicate’s AI model, Lee developed the parameters for prompts that would allow the user to upload a few clear images of their face, and in return, receive a picture of the kid version of themselves. Users would have to share their email address to receive the AI-generated pictures a few moments later.
The website—gangstaphoto.com—went live the day before the music video & single were released, and generated tens of thousands of photos for fans, who shared them widely across their social platforms. Our AI-driven initiative was a success in driving fan engagement and streams for both the music video and single.
