Amazon.com and Pepsi Partner For Free Download Promo

AMAZON.COM AND PEPSI HAVE TEAMED up in a Super Bowl promotion that gives consumers access to more than 3.25 million songs free of digital rights management restrictions (DRM) from 270,000 artists through Amazon MP3, a DRM-free music service introduced in September.

Four billion specially marked Pepsi packages will allow consumers to collect points and redeem them for music from a special section on the Amazon Web site. Consumers can play the digital songs they download on virtually any music-capable device, including PCs, Macs iPods, Zune iPhones, RAZRs and BlackBerrys, as well as organized in any music management application or burned to a compact disc.

This year, Justin Timberlake backs Pepsi's promotion. In a Super Bowl Pepsi Stuff commercial, Timberlake demonstrates how every sip of Pepsi can attract the music and stuff viewers want.

Several wild stunts have him flying high and rolling low as he narrowly escapes disaster at every turn in the "Magnetic Attraction" spot. Directed by Craig Gillespie and created by New York-based BBDO, the commercial demonstrates how Pepsi Stuff brings people closer to music, merchandise and apparel.

Beginning Feb. 1, consumers purchasing Pepsi products can bank their points on PepsiStuff.com and redeem them for music on Amazon MP3. Five points earn consumers one MP3 song download from the libraries of EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, among other music labels. Universal Music Group has music available at Amazon MP3, but declined to participate in the promotion.

"Amazon is the only site that offers 100% of their music catalog in the DRM-free MP3 format, and that includes music from the major and independent labels," says Nicole Bradley, Pepsi spokeswoman.

The promotion was made possible after the four major music labels agreed to offer their music catalogs for sale on Amazon MP3 in the unrestricted format, without DRM technology that prohibits consumers from making copies or moving the songs from one player platform to another.

Bradley says the brands participating in the Pepsi Stuff promotion fall under the trademark Pepsi, such as Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Diet Pepsi Max, and Diet Pepsi Jazz, among others. The products come in 20-ounce, 1-liter, 2-liter, 12-pack cans and 24-pack cans.

Each bottle cap and the take-home package of the participating products feature a 10-digit alphanumeric code. Once the codes are submitted on the Pepsi Stuff site, consumers are told how many points the code is worth. Consumers trade in the points for music at Amazon MP3. The promotion runs through December.

Music lovers and industry watchers are waiting to see whether Amazon's customer-centric business model can blossom into a credible music download service. "MP3 is the most universally compatible format, and the lack of interoperability is the reason people don't buy music," says Pete Baltaxe, director of digital music at Amazon. "The labels came to understand that Amazon is very in tune with customers, and they saw it our way."

That way gives consumers access to the top 100 tracks for about 89 cents, and millions more for 99 cents. Every song in the Amazon MP3 music download store is encoded at 256 Kbps to deliver high audio quality, and made available through its 1-Click shopping feature.

Consumers also can enter a daily sweepstakes for the chance to win trips to the Super Bowl, the MLB All-Star game, and the Daytona 500, as well as for cash and other big prizes. Consumers may sign up now to be reminded when the promotion begins at pepsistuff.com.

Pepsi has a long history in music, and has featured the biggest recording artists and a diverse range of chart-topping music in marketing campaigns. Recent campaigns have featured Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Bilge, Gwen Stefani and P. Diddy.

Link to MediaPost Article

Doritos Narrows Super Bowl Music Contest to Three

And now it’s down to three.

Frito-Lay is giving people the final say to vote for their favorite tune from three finalists in the latest Crash the Super Bowl contest. In it, music enthusiasts developed original songs for a chance to win a record deal with Interscope Geffen A&M Records and create a music video.

Visitors to http://www.snackstrongproductions.com can vote through Jan. 28 from three finalists: Kina Grannis, 22, of Austin, TX, “Message From Your Heart,” Landon Austin, 19, of Dallas, “Waitin’” and Nivla, 27, featuring P. Oberoi of New York, “Be Easy (Koi Naa).” Each will receive $10,000 and a trip to Phoenix to attend the Doritos Super Bowl party.

This is the second consumer vote in the contest. Doritos asked people to choose their favorite from 10 finalists last month (Promo Xtra, Dec. 18, 2007).
http://promomagazine.com/contests/news/doritos_pares_super_bowl_contest/index.html
The company received more than 350 entries. TV spots support the promotion.

In addition to the record deal, the top winner will have a 60-second video of their song played during the Super Bowl in place of a traditional ad Doritos typically runs during the Big Game on Feb. 3.

This is the second Super Bowl promotion Doritos has launched using user-generated content. Last year, the company ran a contest asking people to submit 30-seconds spots for the brand, yielding more than 1,000 entries.

The Marketing Arm is handling overall concept development and in-store design elements. Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Doritos’ ad agency, oversees the Web site development and on-air execution. OMD is managing media buying while Davie-Brown is handling the record label details. Ketchum is in charge of PR.

Link to Promo Article

Red Bull Pushes Music Initiative, Taps Label Executives

Red Bull is now pushing a serious music initiative, according to numerous sources to Digital Music News. The initiative has been underway for a considerable period of time, and already involves executive placements and the construction of a studio facility. The exact nature or charter of the group remains unclear, and may be fluid, according to one source. A stand-alone recording label appears one possibility, though a broader, 360-degree concept that integrates into larger Red Bull branding seems more plausible.

The presence of a studio offers an artist-friendly environment, and a starting point for creative projects. Over the past few weeks, three separate sources have confirmed the construction of a high-end studio at the Red Bull offices in Santa Monica, California. One source pointed to a "board the size of a bus," while another confirmed a very well-groomed recording facility.

Red Bull declined to discuss the initiative, despite multiple calls over the past few weeks. But several music industry executives are tied into the project, including General Manager David Burrier from Atlantic Records. A&R-focused executives Meredith Chinn (from Warner Bros. Records) and Greg Hammer (from Universal Records) are also said to be involved. Mitch Geller is also understood to be a top figure in the operation, and the reporting structure appears to run directly to Austria-based Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz. Digital Music News was unable to confirm specific artists or signings.


Link to Digital Music News Article

ABC Pushes 'Desperate Housewives' Via Music Videos

ABC is once again promoting some of its popular TV shows with music videos.

The videos promote the new season of returning shows, including “Grey's Anatomy,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Ugly Betty” and “Dancing with the Stars.”

The “Desperate Housewives” music video set to Sean Kingston’s single “Beautiful Girls” shows scenes from all three seasons.” It is available at ABC.com and includes a sneak peek at the upcoming season.

The “Ugly Betty” video, which debuts today, features artist Mika’s recording “Betty Girl” with snippets from the originally titled “Big Girl” music video and season one of the series. On-air spots also support the new season, ABC said.

The music videos follow six others than ran last season promoting "Grey's Anatomy," "Ugly Betty" and "Lost."

Link to PROMO Article

Subaru Makes Lifestyle Link With Rockfest

Subaru is sponsoring a local concert series in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to connect with prospective customers on a lifestyle level and kick-start regional sales.

The 2007 Subaru Rockfest Concert Series at the Smirnoff Center in Dallas brings Def Leppard, Projekt Revolution, Rush and the Dave Matthews Band to music fans who can enter online in a sweepstakes to win concert tickets and a 2008 Subaru Tribeca. People can register at WFAA.com/contests/Subaru.

The first-time sponsorship grew out of a regional initiative, but is part of an “over-arching” strategy to reach consumers where they recreate, Subaru of America spokeswoman Lisa Fleming said.

Company research on Subaru owners indicates that attending concerts is among their five favorite activities, she said.

“Trying to be more engaged with customers has always been our strategy as a brand,” since Subaru is a “niche manufacturer” with limited marketing resources, Fleming said.

Subaru is looking to improve sales in the sunbelt and in its Tribeca—billed as a progressive crossover SUV. The Tribeca is proving to be a particularly popular model among Dallas-Forth Worth consumers.

The grand prize Tribeca will be on hand when Def Leppard takes the stage for the first concert on Aug. 28. Dave Matthews caps the series with his appearance on Sept. 18. That’s the deadline to register to win the car, with the winner to be announced at the concert that night.

Link to PROMO Article

Hallmark Expands Cards With Sounds, Gives Away Music

by Sarah Mahoney, Friday, Aug 3, 2007 5:00 AM ET

THE BATTERED MUSIC INDUSTRY IS getting a boost from an unlikely source: Greeting cards. Cards with sound have evolved from a few lousy bars of "Happy Birthday" to a new level of sophistication. Hallmark recently unveiled about 100 variations, bringing its total to more than 250--covering all genres of music as well as sound clips from favorite movies and TV shows. As part of its summer promotion for the expanded line, Hallmark is giving away a free iTunes download worth 99¢ with each card it sells; most cost around $4.99. The promotion continues until Sept. 9 and is timed to coincide with Hallmark's "Use Music Summer Tour" featuring country singer Tim McGraw. (And, yes, three of his songs are included in the Hallmark collection.) "People love them," says a Hallmark spokeswoman. "It's just fun to watch how they react to the different types of music when they look through the cards. They smile; they dance a little bit." And while the artists run from Barenaked Ladies to Tina Turner, George Thorogood's "Bad to the Bone," "The Chicken Dance" and "Napoleon Dynamite" are among the bestsellers, she says. Marketers are finding ways to get into the act, too. Aflac recently introduced a Hallmark card--with the duck screaming his trademark phrase. The licensing fee for the birthday card, along with the sale of plush Aflac Ducks and annual Aflac Holiday Ducks, "has helped Aflac raise more than $2 million for pediatric hospitals nationwide," says an Aflac spokeswoman. Hallmark already has a track record in the music biz: Six seasonal CDs by artists such as James Taylor, Michael Buble, George Strait and Martina McBride have been certified Gold (500,000 sold) or Platinum(1,000,000 sold). The seven-city music tour also includes opportunities for concertgoers to check out the cards and enter a "Summer Sing-off" contest. Hallmark launched Cards with Sound in 2006. American Greetings, based in Cleveland, also sells musical cards. Link to MediaPost Article

WaMu Offers Music Exclusives To Build Brand Loyalty

WASHINGTON MUTUAL HAS STAKED OUT an identity in the financial services market as a youthful, slightly rakish and customer-indulging "un-bank." The latest effort by the bank to build loyalty and woo new customers aims to give bank customers an exclusive experience at music, sports and culture events.

The grassroots effort--WaMu Live!--launching this summer features special access for WaMu customers to everything from parking to concession stands, and even a WaMu Lounge, at WaMu-branded venues.

The effort, in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco, features at-venue amenities for customer attendees, online access to tickets for events at wamulive.com, and entree to "WaMu Lounge" at WaMu Theatre at Qwest Field, WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, the Hollywood Bowl, Greek Theatres in L.A., Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, Calif., and Shoreline Amphitheater in San Francisco. Customers have to show their WaMu debit, credit, ATM or home-equity card to get special access and benefits.

The company says the lounges, stocked with food and beverages, are available before the shows and at intermission. WaMu customers also get parking access, special entrances and speed-lanes at concessions.

In addition, WaMu will have kiosks where ticket holders at participating theaters--whether or not they are bank customers--can have digital photos taken and downloaded at wamulive.com.

WaMu is promoting via in-bank signage and at wamulive.com, which has events listed, sweepstakes and a "Tell Your Entourage" viral marketing component. Posters have headlines like "I'm With the Bank" and "Bank Minded. Wild at Heart."

Jane Zalutsky, first vice president of experiential marketing, says WaMu Live is new, but that the bank has been involved with various music sponsorships driven by WaMu's acquisition of naming rights to theaters in Seattle, Los Angeles and New York. "It all ties together into a grander scheme. We think the entertainment space is a good place for the brand because of the passion around entertainment and around music from a broad perspective."

In 2005, the company took on sponsorship of the Jones Beach Summer Concert Series in New York City and last year got naming rights for the theater at Qwest Field in Seattle.

"It's about a great experience that's fun and a little quirky and a little different; it's about not being your standard bank," Zalutsky says--adding that although the effort is ostensibly aimed at customer loyalty, it is intended, by extension, to appeal to non-customers. "I believe that people will see others having a great time simply because they are with WaMu, so it will function as a customer acquisition, about spreading the brand message."

She adds that WaMu banks in WaMu-venue markets will have merchandise as well as promotional material, and that the bank is hoping to expand the program to other markets as it increases the number of properties at which it has naming rights. "There are lots of extensions that we have discussed, but we want to see the reaction to the program; we are right out of the gate on this."

She said the target is not restricted to young pop-music fans but includes classical music events, and--at two of the venues--happenings like Cirque du Soleil, and sporting events such as the NBA draft. "It's primarily music, but we are talking about the whole entertainment experience," she says.

"I think our brand appeals to the mass middle market--we have all kinds of customers, and we think this program will appeal broadly. It ranges from Marilyn Manson to the L.A. Philharmonic to B.B. King. The range is varied, so we will have something for everyone."

Link to MediaPost Article

Prince album set free on internet

Copies of Prince's latest album have flooded the internet after being given away with a newspaper in the UK.

Planet Earth is easily accessible to fans around the world - despite plans for a full commercial release in countries including the US.

The album is freely available to download after an estimated three million copies of the CD were distributed with the Mail on Sunday.

Hundreds of the CDs have also been put up for sale on auction site eBay.

Planet Earth is not being sold in record shops in the UK because of the Mail on Sunday promotion.

Since he wants to get his music out to as many people as possible, I ripped the CD and uploaded it Blogger

But it is still due to be sold as normal elsewhere, including a release in the US and Canada on 24 July.

One blogger who posted the full album on the web wrote: "Seeing as it was free anyway... we decided to stick it up here for anyone who didn't get it.

"This seems to be the way forward. With the music being free, the artists make their money from merchandising and touring, and the digital revolution may yet be the downfall of major labels. No harm in our book!"

Another person who put the album online wrote: "Since he wants to get his music out to as many people as possible, I ripped the CD and uploaded it."

I don't have to be in the speculation business of the record industry, which is going through a lot of tumultuous times right now Prince

It comes amid the music industry's efforts to persuade fans not to download music from unlicensed, unofficial sources.

The newspaper giveaway has already angered record shops, who say music should not be regarded as a cheap, disposable commodity.

A spokesman for Sony BMG, who are releasing the Prince album around the world, said the situation was "obviously not good for us".

"The perception of intellectual property being 'free' is a problem we share with other businesses including TV, radio, film, magazine, newspaper and gaming companies among others," he said.

"At present no action is being taken to remove files that I know of."

'Direct marketing'

Planet Earth has had largely positive reviews, with The Times saying it was "too good to be so lightly sold".

But The Guardian's critic wrote: "While Prince will never entirely be written off, his 46th album will mostly be remembered for the hype surrounding the means of release."

The US pop star also plans to give away copies to fans attending one of his 21 concerts at London's O2 arena next month.

Globally, he felt that the best way to get his new album best distributed and marketed was by working with a major label again Sony BMG spokesman

That means it will reach many more listeners than the artist's last album, 3121, which sold 80,000 copies in the UK.

"It's direct marketing and I don't have to be in the speculation business of the record industry, which is going through a lot of tumultuous times right now," said the Minneapolis musician when asked why he was giving the CD away.

Sony BMG's spokesman said Prince had been without a record deal for some time and so was free to do the deal with the Mail on Sunday in the UK.

"But it is interesting that globally, he felt that the best way to get his new album best distributed and marketed was by working with a major label again," he said.

The Mail on Sunday's editor, Peter Wright, told BBC Five Live: "Prince has done this because he makes most of his money these days as a performing artist."

Mr Wright confirmed that the newspaper had paid Prince for the licence to produce the CD, and had paid to press and distribute it, but hoped to make money by selling extra copies of the paper and extra advertising.

Link to BBC News Article