As we have discussed a million times before, being memorable is one way for Eurovision artists to climb the scoreboard. This list is for all those artists who have gone above and beyond to be unique, create a hallmark, and build their own unique brand. Here are four Eurovision acts who packaged themselves, their song, and their ideals the best.

Team Ding Dong! – Finland 2013

Finland's Krista Siegfrids

Hallmark: the “Ding Dong” anthem

Headed by Voice of Finland star Krista Siegfrids, Team Ding Dong! certainly took Malmö by storm last year. The high-energy group focused on lots of pink and white (just like your favorite Eurovision blog here), made old, ratty wedding dresses fashionable, and paraded down the streets with their own trademark march and anthem. As any good brandmaker would, Krista took a single political stance and campaigned furiously for Finnish and European LGBT rights. It didn’t stop after Malmö, though. In every Eurovision-related appearance, Krista always started off by yelling an ear-screaching but funny “DING DONG!!!!!!” During a ski trip in Austria earlier this year, she even got some of her friends to do the march and sing the anthem for wiwiblogg’s 5th birthday videoHauska! (How funny!)

Slavica – Poland 2014

Cleo and Donatan

Hallmark: promoting feminism in the most ironic ways

Donatan and Cleo were already big stars in Poland, but Eurovision brought them pan-European fame. Throughout their time in Copenhagen, they stayed on-brand by showing excessive amounts of cleavage and changing up Cleo’s colorful hair extensions each day. They also made big bucks by selling their famous hip-hop/folk clothes to the masses. After Eurovision they extended their brand—and their commentary on urban culture—by releasing back-to-back music videos of “Cicha Woda” (in which they, along with Sitek, blasted corruption) and “Slavica” (a more intimate, hardcore version of “My Slowianie“).

t.A.T.u. – Russia 2003

tatu-2-600x450

Hallmark: faux-lesbian staging, and lots of it

While Marija Serifovic might have won the contest with her faux-lesbian backing singers and dancers, Russian duo t.A.T.u. took the idea to a whole different level a few years earlier (before Putin went crazy on the gay community). They sold themselves as the “bad girls of pop”. Part of their marketing pre-contest included slacking off in rehearsals, smearing other contestants as old bats, and complaining about the stage and production. Even their manager got caught up in the act and stated that his clients were too good for the contest, which was meant for amateur stars. Their brand image might have have hurt them in the end, as “amateur rising star” Sertab Erener and Belgian folk band Urban Trad beat them by several points, leaving t.A.T.u. with only the bronze.
http://youtu.be/w7NjoIWQCRE

Inga and Anush – Armenia 2009

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Hallmark: matching snake charmer costumes

When Inga and Anush were chosen to represent Armenia, a country that had never scored lower than 8th up to that point, they knew there was a lot at stake. They brought a song laden with folk and tradition, something that hadn’t gone down too well in recent years. In order to market their song, they decided to choreograph a dance, the Nor Par, not just for the young and sexy, but for all ages, shapes, sizes and creeds. Just like High School Musical, a tutorial was released alongside the music video, which featured a large group of Armenians doing the dance in a studio. Unfortunately, they forgot a classic piece of marketing when creating their presentation in Moscow: continuity. The four dancers did a different, much more complex dance that no one was able to follow. Instead of having the viewers get up and dance along with the Armenian sisters, they sat on their couches instead. They placed tenth, which although nothing to laugh at, was a new low for Hayastan. Dzh’bakhtut’yun! (Disaster!)
http://youtu.be/yMMk-9E5Eqc

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Ranting Ruby
Ranting Ruby
10 years ago

“Promoting feminism”??? Sorry, I still don’t get it.

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
10 years ago

…Beat t.A.T.u. by several points? Did I miss something, or did 2003 produce the closest 3-way finish ever? Sertab Erener (TUR) 167, Urban Trad (BEL) 165 and t.A.T.u. (RUS) 164.

From what I saw, they were a bit sloppy that night, which I think cost them the title.

Thiefo
10 years ago

Inga & Anush is probably my favourite armenian act to date, I wouldn’t dare call them a disaster, even if 10th place was Armenia’s worst placing to that day 😉

The true disaster was t.A.T.u. and their slack act, which for better or worst, worked anyway, but I’m convinced it was only because they were already famous when they competed, that’s the only explanation I find for such a lazy act to reach 3rd and almost won the whole thing.

Leon
Leon
10 years ago

Tatu was super. Their music is amazing. I loved the sisters; everything about their entry was just amazing – the costumes, the routine, the music. They were great.

Archeops
Archeops
10 years ago

“before Putin went crazy on the gay community” – big lie.