The SATCHVAI Band
Surfing With The Hydra North American Tour
Digital marketing campaign
When Joe Satriani and Steve Vai announced they would tour together as a single band for the first time, it marked an exciting first after 50+ years of friendship. They’ve shared stages before, but always in parallel—separate sets, separate moments – until the encore. The SATCHVAI Band brought them into the same single band, supported by the powerhouse foundation of Kenny Aronoff on drums, Marco Mendoza on bass (and vocals), and Pete Thorn on guitar. This exciting opportunity for fans to see the two in such a new form gave us a lot to build around from the start.
Following a successful 2025 European tour and two new singles (a story for another case study), we started work on the new North America tour in early December with a less-is-more approach. The first drop was a powerful short cinematic teaser—just Joe and Steve plugging in their guitars in slow-motion. No title, no details. It gave fans enough to spark speculation, excitement and organic discussion.
A few days later, we followed with a full reveal, sharing the name of the tour, the lineup, Animals as Leaders as supporting act, and the dates. This grounded the earlier teaser and turned that initial curiosity into something fans could really get excited about. From there, our focus shifted to expanding and maintaining attention until the first new music and tour dates arrived.
During the holidays, we rolled into introducing the whole band with short “Happy Holidays” selfie videos, which we edited together and shared with fans. This let us stay present during a busy season, while also showing the fans the vibe that they could expect from this lineup.
After the holidays, we shifted to a consistent content rhythm, starting with a weekly series featuring each band member responding to a single prompt. The format stayed the same, but the location and individual personality from each person kept it interesting. These were shared leveraging Instagram’s collaborative posts feature connecting each member profile, and on Facebook as collabs between Joe and Steve (since FB limits to just two). This gave us a steady flow of posts that felt direct and personal while still keeping awareness of the tour.
We also created longer-form content that we captured early on in the form of an extended moderated (but relaxed) Zoom conversation with Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Tosin Abasi from Animals As Leaders. Rather than release it as one long video, we split it into more than a dozen shorter themed episodes that were released over time mixed in with other types of posts, providing a reliable flow that kept the band in people’s awareness without overwhelming them.
Music played its own role in building momentum. Joe and Steve released their third single “Dancing” ahead of the tour, and we rolled that out gradually as well. First we teased it for months, using it as a recurring thread across content. By the time the song dropped, it was already part of the conversation, and we followed it up with special behind-the-scenes of ZZ Satriani’s video shoot. The new music also gave fans something new to look forward to hearing live, tying the digital campaign back to the in-person experience.
At the same time, we explored ways to bring fans into the campaign more directly. Through partnerships with Prizeo/Charitybuzz, offered a VIP experience was offered tied to donations supporting Sweet Relief for musicians in need. The entry point was intentionally low, starting at $15. It gave fans a way to participate that felt tangible, while also supporting a cause connected to the community.
By the time the tour opened in Seattle on April 1, there was already a sense of anticipation in place. It didn’t come from a single moment—it built slowly through a series of smaller steps that added up over time.
So far, the campaign has generated more than 23 million views, reached over 12 million people, and driven upwards of 650,000 engagements across 300+ posts. The tour is still in motion, with upcoming stops including Durham before it wraps in Vienna at the end of May.
What’s most telling is how the campaign unfolded. It started by creating curiosity, then added clarity, and stayed consistent from there. Each piece of content had a clear role—introducing the band, offering a closer look, or giving fans a way to engage.
That pacing is what made it work. By the time the tour began, people weren’t just aware of it—they were already paying attention.
You can see the work across Joe’s Instagram (and other socials). And if the tour is passing through your city, it’s something you won’t want to miss! Joe, Steve, Kenny, Marco and Pete bring a level of skill and presence at the highest level, and Joe and Steve push each other, exploring new ground with the guitar with every show.
Results:
Planned, launched and executed national marketing campaign supporting the SATCHVAI U.S. tour
- Generated over 23 million views across digital content and social media activations to date, significantly expanding audience reach and engagement around the tour and release cycle.
- Collaborated on the creative production and rollout of an official music video, along with the development of tour graphics and promotional assets used across social media
- Designed and launched a dedicated SATCHVAI tour website, providing fans with a centralized hub for tour dates, ticket access, exclusive content, and campaign updates.
- Coordinated weekly rollout of new content for tour agency to drip release to promoters
