British heavy metal mainstays Iron Maiden recently released Senjutsu, the band’s 17th studio album created during its 45 years worth of fret-shredding, leather-lunged led, headbanging-inducing, mayhem and mischief. Above and beyond another marker of the band’s sheer longevity, Senjutsu serves as yet another sign that when it comes to marketing savvy, Iron Maiden is the smartest rock‘n’roll band on the planet. The first time people caught wind of Iron Maiden’s genuinely clever approach came in the early 2010s, when in the era before music streaming sites existed, file sharing sites such as Napster in its original configuration were eating away at both artists and the music industry’s bottom line.
Although the exact methodology used has been brought into question, what is clear is that the band, instead of railing against and wailing about lost sales, took note of where the majority of downloads were taking place, namely South America. You can’t file share the genuine live experience, so Iron Maiden loaded up its pyrotechnics and massive stage props, hopped the Atlantic, and proceeded to pack soccer stadiums across Latin America with fans eagerly lapping up every moment of the band’s grand scale, live extravaganza — perfectly tailored for such venues.
When it comes to both metal and marketing, Iron Maiden makes it clear: old guys rule.