OD11 digital HR - Flipbook - Page 29
Extra! Extra! Will Linley
makes headlines, literally,
to publicise his 2024 single
“Just Because I Called You”.
THE WILL TO COLLABORATE
In our digital world, Mike Wright (2014B) isn’t afraid of an
analogue disruption – or collaborating with OD celebrities…
“When I was at Bishops, I always
heard people talk about how the
network helps you in your career.
I pictured a man in a suit offering
a job or a connection that would
open doors. So it surprised me when
my most significant career move yet
was made by a fellow OD who was
in Grade 8 when I was in matric.
That OD was Will Linley (2019K).
“Will is a superstar and a genuinely
beautiful person. Back in 2021, he
stepped into the Expresso morning
show studio to perform his first song
for the first time. As fate would have
it, I was working at Expresso then.
I could see he was nervous and, as
I was friends with his brothers Max
(2014K) and Joe (2016K), I made
sure to send some supportive energy
his way via thumbs up and a smile.
With that, he performed his song,
smashed it out the park, and started
the incredible journey he still finds
himself on today.
“Two years after that fateful
moment in the Expresso studio,
Will and I met for coffee. We spoke
about life, creativity and the new
song he had coming out. As a young,
charismatic singer, Will does very
well on TikTok, so I was pleasantly
surprised when he said he wanted
to do a billboard/poster campaign
for his song launch. Posters are
expensive, though, and he was only
able to afford one billboard, so we
needed to figure out what to do.
“After a good chat, we had a
plan: we’d create a newspaper that
launched the song, shared its history,
broke down the lyrics, and celebrated
Will’s Cape Town fanbase, which
has supported him from the start.
I predicted people would take photos
of their copy of the newspaper,
creating digital hype via a tangible
media asset. I called this the ‘physical
to digital feedback loop’ – and Will
decided to trust it.
“Seven days later, we had an eightpage newspaper in our hands. With
nervous excitement, we set out early
and parked on the side of the road
next to the chosen intersection.
It started raining, but we were not
perturbed. As the rain came down,
Will, his cameraman Ollie and I stood
beside the boot of his car looking
at 1,000 copies of the Gingerbread
Times. After a quick fist bump, we
picked up our copies, ran into the
rain, and handed newspapers to
anyone who trusted us enough to
open their window a little bit.
“Thankfully, the newspaper was a
huge success, and a defining project
for me. Not only did it help make
‘Just Because I Called You’ one of
Will’s most successful song launches,
but it combined everything I’ve ever
done in my career – entertainment,
print publishing, marketing, writing,
brand building and guerrilla tactics
– into one seamless project. And it
wasn’t just a promotional tool but
an experience; a physical, tangible
thing that connected fans to Will’s
story in a way digital media simply
can’t. Seeing it travel from Cape
Town to Johannesburg, New York,
Chicago and Toronto while playing
a key role in one of Will’s most
successful song launches was great.
“Will wasn’t wearing a suit, and
neither was I, but our shared Bishops
background connected us in a way
we never expected.”
See p30 for Mike’s feature article,
including an interview with Will.
THE OLD DIOCESAN | 27
