Leon Thomas & The Art of Re-Branding

Song of the week: Leon Thomas - MUTT

Listen… This song is jamming. Trust me. If you haven’t heard it yet, give it a listen.

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Lately, there’s been chatter about the state of R&B music.

Many have said that as a genre, it’s on a decline — artists don’t have the same blueprint as earlier generations did. It’s apparent in the songs they write, the inspirations they draw from, and even the soul (or lack thereof) in their vocals.

But, there’s also a lot of good conversation around R&B at the moment.

Some would say that after years of stagnation, records without depth, and no discernable stars in the space, R&B is experiencing a renaissance.

While there are a few names bubbling to the top, one of the most recent is

Leon Thomas.

Leon’s career has been steadily gaining steam over the past few years.

He’s worked with everyone from Babyface to Drake, and his most recent album MUTT gave us a single by the same name which has achieved viral status on TikTok.

If his name or picture is familiar, it’s because Leon’s been a TV star for years. Many of us who grew up in the 2000s remember him as Andre Harris from the popular Nickelodeon show “Victorious,” and later as Issa Rae’s neighbor on Insecure (affectionately nicknamed “Neighbor Bae).

Not many make the transition successfully from Nickelodeon star to successful musician, but Leon has done that seamlessly.

His career is a great case study in rebranding, so for today’s edition of SNOBHOP let’s talk about Leon’s career, and what brands can learn from his journey.

I. Fully Embracing Your Past

Many who haven’t made the jump successfully from one field to another often run into a roadblock because they’re seemingly running away from their story.

In short, they try to pull the wool over consumers' eyes:

They aren’t on TV anymore, forget about that. They’re grown.

Just an actor? Nope, they always had talent in other areas, but now is the time to show it.

While those statements may be true, seeing them in real-time disorients consumers because it doesn’t acknowledge the underlying truth: They knew you as XYZ, and now you’re claiming to be ABC.

The key is in embracing both journeys.

When you see Leon, his authenticity comes through in interviews and on records alike. No matter the medium, you can tell that he’s embraced every part of journey INCLUDING his time at Nickelodeon.

In fact, his first record deal with Columbia was partially due to his affiliation with Nickelodeon, and he was working on his music while on various tv shows and films.

Peep the clip below where he’s performing an original song on an episode of Victorious.

II. Connecting Passion Points

A huge part of Leon’s transition into R&B, and successful rebrand as a multi-hyphenate creative is that as a brand he’s known for more than one thing.

If we wrote a quick rundown, he is known for:

1. Broadway

2. TV/Film

3. Cartoon Voice Overs

4. Writing Music

5. Live Performances

Because he’s known for being in each field, consumers weren’t taken off guard when they saw him singing or on stage. Moreover, his success in each arena showed that their support had a tangible impact, which in turn breeds more support.

Overall, it gives him license to now go between each category without it seeming weird or forced. Brands should ask themselves how they can do something similar.

III. Evolving Your Positioning

Typically, when you see a rebrand it’s a creative overhaul that consists of an updated Vis ID, and perhaps a new product or two.

More to the point, there are some rebrands that only consist of a company updating its Vis for a new generation, while much of the brands offerings remain the same.

That begs the question, though… What the brand positioning?

As we know, brands aren’t logos, they’re a promise (or set of promises) made to a consumer that are reinforced by cues like a logo. Over time the brand should revisit its positioning to see if it still aligns with who they are and what they’re offering.

Doing so could lead to discovering new opportunities with new audiences and/or help with the long-term credibility of the brand.

Tying it back to Leon…

As he was working on his various movies and shows, Leon also dedicated time to his music and the way he positions his brand reflects that.

Although unwritten, this new positioning inclusive of his different talents & Vis ID that came with growth and music industry polish.

It’s evidenced by the consistent development of his craft. A craft that led to him a studio session with SZA that ultimately led to him producing “Snooze” — the hit record from her 2022 album SOS.

Although Leon had a ton of success prior to the success of Snooze, the development of his brand that occurred during his first act as an actor led to long-term credibility in his 2nd act with the brand he was creating as a credible songwriter & music producer.

WHAT NOW?

Leon’s success has been dope to see, especially knowing that he was able to make the jump from where his career started to another one of his passions.

MUTT is continuing to climb the Spotify & Apple charts, and I’m assuming a Billboard debut is imminent (If I haven’t missed it already).

If you need something to listen to this weekend, check out his new project. For those who aren’t sure about the state of R&B, trust and believe it’s doing more than fine with Leon Thomas in the mix.

One.