In one of the most astonishing promotional campaigns in current music, MARINA began sending out living caterpillars to her followers in preparation for her new, long-awaited album, out February 21, 2025. The campaign, which surprised social networks, is both engrossing and contentious, with followers in disarray regarding its purpose and use.
Welsh singer and songwriter MARINA, a one-time Marina and the Diamonds, hasn’t been afraid of an experimental sound in both her work and her marketing for years. With a career spanning over a decade, she’s continued to make incredibly introspective and striking work. With her new record, she took her imagination to new heights—by sending out caterpillars to stand in for transformation, rebirth, and personal growth.
According to fan reports, a group of followers have been sent packages with living caterpillars and care instructions, inviting them to nurture them through to butterfly stage. The campaign continues with fan motifs seen in MARINA’s work in recent months, most recently in her soon-to-be-released single “I’m a Butterfly,” about which she posted a tease on 18th May 2024, and in her poem “Cocoon” in her book of poems EAT THE WORLD, out 24th October 2024. In both, transformation and discovery regarding oneself have been emphasized—motifs that have recently manifested in her campaign.
The campaign elicited a mixed reaction amongst MARINA’s fan base. Fans have been amazed with the immersive campaign, saying it is a “genius” move in relation to connecting with the message of the album. Fans have descended onto social networks to post photos of their caterpillars, taking the endeavour both as an emotional journey and a DIY bug challenge.
Not everyone, however, is a supporter. There have been questions regarding its viability and ethics, with critics citing concerns about sending living insects and whether, in fact, it is legal to post caterpillars through borders and its environmental impact. “A cool idea in theory, but then nobody looks after them?” one supporter posted on Twitter. Others have questioned whether it is a metaphorical campaign, with no actual caterpillars ever being posted out.
MARINA’s butterfly craze isn’t new, but with this campaign, it’s reached a new, unprecedented level of prominence. Consistent use of butterfly metaphors over the years can mean that the singer identifies with a strong affiliation with transformation and rebirth. That “chrysalis” period, one with a strong connotation with one’s transformation, can mean MARINA’s rebirth in terms of her work, but can mean an encouragement for her followers to make room for transformation in life.
However, most in the field have not yet taken at face value the real distribution of caterpillars, speculating that perhaps the campaign can actually be a metaphorical one, a concept campaign designed to make waves. In terms of real caterpillars, MARINA has successfully captured her listener in a way that not many have ever been successful at accomplishing.
MARINA is not alone in forging an unconventional campaign path. Taylor Swift, in days of yore, has incorporated coded messages in her album drops, Beyoncé blindsided fans with surprise album drops, and Billie Eilish incorporated immersive virtual experiences in her campaign, but MARINA’s campaign stands out in its blending of nature, direct intervention, and metaphors in artwork. This is in keeping with a new fan model, in which bands no longer merely drop tunes, but create experiences. Whatever happens with the caterpillar campaign, whether it will become a breakthrough success, a logistical disaster, or somewhere in between, at least, it has gotten everyone buzzing about it.
