What we can learn after 100 million streams on our video clips

Our first big production budgets didn't come from brands, but from artists. Not to run a campaign, but to make a video clip. Because artists its brands, and video clips are their way of communicating.

The evolution of the video clip

There was a time when video clips were an artist's calling card. Start YouTube era: you often didn't know a track until you saw the clip. Performers worked with directors who were almost as well-known as themselves, and the music video was a moment. A cultural statement. A trendsetter.

Fast forward to now: TikTok decides what goes viral, clips must be short, snackable, and shareable. Yet for many artists, video clips are still an important part of their brand and aesthetic. When done well, a clip can reinforce a story, define a style, or even boost a career.

And honestly, making clips remains one of the most creative things you can do as an agency. No endless strategy presentations or feedback rounds with marketing layers in between, just put an idea straight away and create something that touches.

ON A DAILY BASIS and music clips

When we started ON A DAILY BASIS in 2012, it wasn't with a business plan or a customer in sight. We started as a music blog. New music every day: soulful hip-hop, RnB, house — as long as it had a feeling. A blog became a community, that community became a club night, and something bigger gradually emerged.

Around 2017, we were increasingly asked by artists: “Can you also make a video clip?” So we went from flyers and events to real video productions. Of course, we came from music, so it was a logical step. So our first major productions weren't about building a campaign for a brand, but about building an artist. And that, frankly, made a lot of sense. Artists are just as good brands. They build on their identity, visual style, tone of voice. And a clip is everything in that regard. Here are three favorites that I still look back on with great pleasure:

Italy — On The Road

This remains especially special because it was our first major foreign production — all the way in Hong Kong. Here, everything you see is aesthetically pleasing, of course, and apart from that, a great adventure to have experienced. Idaly and ODB are also going way back together, and now Idje is one of our country's most popular artists with multiple hits to his name.

Kris Kross Amsterdam, Antoon & Sigourney K — Escape lane

The video Emergency lane, with Kris Kross, Antoon and Sigourney K, is a special clip because this song entered the charts almost immediately — and also for a long time — at number 1. This was also reflected in the number of views, which is still rising today and is now over 10 million.

Antoon — Blindly

A more recent one. Aesthetically, I think this one is perhaps the most beautiful one we've made. A lot of attention to light, to movement, to styling. Props also to Antoon himself, by the way, who fell into the water for the shot on an icy January day without a hitch. That kind of commitment makes the difference — you can feel it in the images.

3 key takeaways

1. An artist who dares to trust makes the difference
The most beautiful shoots are those where the artist and crew feel each other. Where there is room to experiment. When an artist trusts us creatively, it's reflected in every frame.

2. Experience vs. budget
Whether you're playing in Hong Kong or in a parking garage in Diemen: if the atmosphere is right, you'll be fine on screen. Clips are about feeling. About timing. Not necessarily about euros.

3. Clips help build culture
Even as TikTok and reels accelerate everything, a good clip remains a statement. It's still an opportunity to show what you stand for as an artist (or brand). Seize that opportunity.