Branding - My Chemical Romance (MCR)

My Chemical Romance are a successfull rock/alternative/emo band formed in 2001. They got together becuase of the 9/11 attacks, the lead singer Gerard Way was inspired by the attacks to form the band.

They where signed by Reprise Records which lead them to tour with Avenged Sevenfold, be the opening act to Green Day and to co-headline with Fall Out Boy and also to colaberate with The Used. These bands also have the same angery rebelious brand image as My Chemical Romance.

We see this negative, angery, rebelious theme in their song names :

• Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge
• I'm Not Okay (I Promise)
• Thank You For The Venom
• Life On The Murder Scene

for the first 5 years MCR's brand image was misunderstood, rebelious, teenagers dressed in black. We see this most in thier I'm Not Okay (I Promise) video -





In 2006 their third album 'The Black Parade' came out and with it a new MCR brand image. There was alot of controversy around the new album with them pulling publicity stunts such as anounceing a fake name and having gangs of black hooded caped people parading around Hammersmith. All of this fit in to the new brand image of the group. The fake song name was 'The Rise and Death of My Chemical Romance' - all of the stunts where dark, depressing and haunting. Their new album raises such issues as cancer death and the evil teens of today. The new feel shows a more grown up less fun MCR many things are alot more serious.

Although they kept the same colour scheme of black, red and white. They also kept many traits such as thier influence of Green Day, Nirvana and other bands with the help of Rob Cavallo Green Days producer and Sam Bayer the director of Nirvana - 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video and including Rise Against, Thursday and Muse on their ' The Black Parade' tour.

On their UK tour of 'The Black Parade' they announced that MCR couldn't play and sent out 'The Black Parade' whcich turned out to be simply the band performing under a pseudonym (fictional characters) - This was in keeping with the album. The whole new brand image seems to be a pseudonym. The songs are very much like a ongoing story about a man with cancer. We  also see this pseudonym in the new clothing and make up of the band. The lead singer Gerard Way cut off his long black hair and died it bleach blonde! The band had always worn guyliner but now it entailed a whole new look. Instead of looking a fashion statment it was almost asif they where made to look ill or dead. There is more cartoon/animation in thier videos and on posters/merchindise tying into the pseudonym.

In this album you can also see the infulence on war and terrorism on the group with all the images of bomb sights in the videos and on posters and in their miliary uniform which has became a major part of their image. You can buy this merchindise on http://www.corpseclothing.com/ - the theme of death continues!

By Lydia Welsh