There are 11 basic phrases, in which words in italics can be replaced by other options, allowing fans to convert over 10,000 different sentences. Once encrypted using the “dancing code”, they can be shared with friends on Twitter, Facebook and via e-mail.

To bring this project to life, PUMA has tapped famous LA-based choreographer Super Dave who collaborated with 25 world’s best freestylers including King Charles, Mami, Jet Li, Pacman and Storyboard P. They combined their styles to create vibrating, energetic moves and it works ! The moving substitutions of written or spoken words are highly recognizable—the dancers have managed to visualize not only simple words like “a cat,” “a hot tub,” “love,” “scream,” etc., but also more complicated ones, such as “intensely” and “Mondays.”

The promotion supports the launch of the PUMA Sync fragrances for him and her.

Along with the Dance Dictionary “mini-game”, PUMA has collaborated with DJ/Producer Dre Skull on a new track and music video to make the launch of new Puma Sync Fragrances even more viral. Shot by multi-award winning music video director Daniel Wolfe, it features freestylers that contributed to the dictionary mimicking the lyrics of the song.

On the dedicated Youtube channel, more videos were issued featuring athletes such as Usain Bolt playing with the Dance Dictionary, dance lesions to allow fans to reproduce the most complex moves such as “Spaceship” or “Greasy”, interviews of freestyle dancers and other exclusive, entertaining exclusive content.

Trending 10 was announced on April 24th on Trident’s twitter account will bring audiences the ten top music-related stories of the day in a 30 minutes show aired on week nights and hosted by Fuse personality and co-host of Top 20 Countdown Yasmine Richard.

“As a leader in the gum category, we are constantly evolving how we engage with consumers, and Trending 10 allows us to reach millennials where they live and how they live with multi-screen, multiplatform programming,” says Farrah Bezner, marketing director at Mondelēz, owner of the Trident brand. “Through the partnership we’ll be connecting with consumers at gum-chewing moments, like when they are commuting or waiting in line at the checkout. It’s important that we’re on their screens when gum might be on their minds, especially because gum is an impulse category.”

Actually, this is no first time association between Trident and music since the brand made the track Hungry Like The Wolf: Steve Aoki vs Duran Duran – The New York Werewolf Mix available for free download on in its Facebook page last year.

La Fleur is a Berlin-based Swedish DJ playing minimalistic house and techno music. Earlier this year she was signed as a resident DJ at Watergate Club.

Aside from her DJ/artist/producer activities she owns her own record label: Power Plants Records and just launched Power Plants Elements, a capsule-collection of club clothing composed of 8 unisex items, all crafted in black leather, wool or jersey.

The video, hosted on H&M Life – the brand’s inspirational blog – and on the brand’s Youtube channel follows La Fleur in the streets of Berlin as she goes through record shops, her recording studio, clubs and a fitting for Power Plants Elements collection talking about her vision of music and her work, her fashion philosophy and herself.

This initiative proves H&M understood that the younger generation seems more concerned with what the clothing stands for than its pure aesthetics. Even though H&M Life does not sell anything, it provides H&M audience with fresh, exclusive content concerning the worlds of music and fashion, promoting the H&M Lifestyle, creating interest and trust in the mind of consumers.

Through this experiment, Heineken demonstrates that the best ‘user experiences’ tap into existing consumer behaviours and push technology into the background bringing together interaction, data and networking thinking.

As part of Heineken invite to “Open Your World”, the brand enhanced the organic way in which the product is used based on social interaction between beer drinkers unlocking the power and possibilities of mobile innovation and technology. This innovative approach lets people be a part of the party in a whole new way and opens up possibilities in social situations.

Alongside the product concept, the process that was used to bring this idea to life is remarkable as Heineken adopted the start-up way to innovate. Teaming up with specialists inside and outside the company, the project was completed in 10 weeks.

The Heineken Ignite is currently only a concept, and we cannot imagine how costly it will be to make something like this a reality but as the new model bottle consists of two parts, the technology in the soil can easily be used again.

As part of this innovative activation, Heineken offers the possibility to join the 2013/14 Open Design Explorations team. Anyone interested can just apply until 31st of May on Heineken Tumblr.

For this edition, Vampire Weekend will be teaming up with leading director Steve Buscemi. The band’s 28 April performance will be streamed on the last night of the Tribeca Film Festival at Roseland Ballroom in New York.

Over the last editions, American Express has presented several “American Express Unstaged” concerts with top performing artists, including one in London last week with Usher. . Previous shows featured The Killers, Jack White, Coldplay, John Legend and others.

The live events are streamed live on the AmexUnstaged.com website , on YouTube dedicated channel and on VEVO. To make it even more engaging, audience can control their viewing experience throughout the show by switching between the director’s main stream and alternative point of views. As expected, those videos draw millions of views.

The concerts are also an opportunity for the brand to weave in social media as Usher, for example, was on stage with live Twitter feeds and interacting with them.

“The value takeaway for the brand, and it’s not just one takeaway, is that people are recommending the brand, and when it’s connected to social it drives usage of the card around entertainment but also acquisitions because people get a sample of what it’s like to be an American Express member. It’s like Groupon for the soul.” says American Express.

(As a friendly reminder, Ed Banger is the home of French Touch bands and djs such as Justice, Busy P, Laurent Garnier, Breakbot, Sebastian etc…, as well as Norwegian producer Cashmere Cat. It’s good music for the gym. Or, for getting sweaty in general.)

France is a difficult market regarding alcohol advertising. Due to some local regulation Heineken is not allowed to communicate under its name. Therefore the brand created the Green Room Session label as a flagship for their activities around music.

“Heineken Green Room brings together unconventional artists in special venues for musical experiences that aim to be different, from the usual party clichés. The Heineken Green Room is to make social, contagious music experiences that travel well beyond the four walls of the Green Room.” explains Senior Marketing V.P. at United Breweries Ltd.

As part of the digital experience, a quiz is taking place on the Green Room Session Facebook page where fans are offered the opportunity to win full packages for each date to follow the label on its world tour, t-shirts, collector books and other memorabilia items.

Heineken also took advantage of the event to give the Dutch beer bottle a shot of French style. The limited edition aluminium club bottle has been designed by the label’s art director So-Me and is currently on sale as a preview at Parisian shop Colette.

Although there is not much new or innovative in this campaign (except maybe for the Parallax Scrolling, which is quite trendy nowadays), it is just, and it is sometimes enough to be mentioned, a very nice artwork. Great conception, beautiful graphics, consistent and loyal to the label identity.

The concept is based on a giant balloon given to dancers to be bounced over their heads and which is equipped with an HD camera and Wi-Fi antenna.

As long as the festival went on, the ‘Photoball’ took pictures of the crowd which were live streamed on the scene screens, on the brand Facebook page and on a web-TV where they reached up to 3 million viewers. As an addition to the live stream, festival-goers could have their favorites pictures print out at a dedicated corner.

This operation aimed at introducing HP Printers new positioning ”Making Memories Last”.

The charity has invited “Coldplay fans and friends of Oxfam” to “star in it and help create a unique crowd-sourced video” for the GROW campaign which denounce the global injustice of land grabs.

Contributors just have to move a personal or familiar item from their home to somewhere it doesn’t belong or undertake a personal, everyday or familiar activity that they’d usually do at home in totally the wrong place, then film it or photograph it, and send it to dedicated website by Tuesday 2 April.

“It is all about putting yourself in someone else’s place,” says campaign spokesperson Ben Phillips. “We know that when we unite and stand up against global injustice we can make a real difference.”

“I have worked with Coldplay for a long time and I know how dedicated and passionate their fans are,” says Whitecross. “The idea of harnessing this energy to create an original and powerful crowd sourced campaigning tool is one I’m excited about.”

UPDATE: The video is now finished and can be viewed here.

The activation supports the launch of “Well Worn”, new-style Chuck Taylors with stained and distressed sole and toe caps and thinner, slightly dirtied laces. Basically, “Well worn” is the Converse approach to tell trainer wearers that they can have a shiny, new pair of shoes without them actually looking shiny and new. People who wear the legendary sneakers are not afraid of exploring new unpaved muddy roads; so get your favourite Chuck Taylors on and go gigging; it’s the funniest way to get them dirty!

At the first tour stop in Paris, Converse drove its fans into the middle of the live music experience and invited them to push the boundaries of their creativity on their shoes at the “Tune & Repair” corner. This first event was staged at the ephemeral Converse 19YT Paris store which will stay open until April 20.
The upcoming concerts will take place at “some of Europe’s most intimate venues,” for more details on locations and line-ups visit the dedicated Facebook page. (Interestingly enough to be mentioned, in some cities Converse will spend several “dirty” nights—for instance, in London where there will be three shows in mid-April.)

“We are fortunate to have been embraced by musicians for decades and we always strive to give back to the music community by being useful like with CONVERSE RUBBER TRACKS operation. GET DIRTY provides rising artists the chance to perform with some amazing headliners and really make an impact in cities across Europe,” commented Jed Lewis, Converse Music Marketing Director.

Fans can access more information and win tickets from the Converse website.

Garnier Fructis joined forces with Noisey, VICE magazine’s dedicated music channel, to
create Style Stage, a platform celebrating the intersection of Hair, Style, and Music. Together, they bring music fans into closer proximity with their idols through intimate and tactile style stories.

“Music has always been a key strategic platform for Garnier Fructis. Like hair, it’s an incredible vehicle for self-expression” said Debora Koyama, Assistant VP of Marketing, Garnier Fructis.

“Think about it: Little Richard’s pompadour, Michael Jackson’s jheri curl, or whatever is happening on top of Diamond Rings. There are songs about hair, like Rush’s “I Think I’m Going Bald” or Zeppelin’s “The Girl I Love She Got Long Wavy Black Hair.” Once we started to see it, we couldn’t unsee it, and we started to realize that bands’ and fans’ hairstyles have pushed music and culture forward in a major way. We’re extremely excited to tell that story, and to shine light on the past and present of music, hair, and style.” resumed Noisey.

The Style Stage channel will be launched on March 20 with a “groundbreaking” documentary (trailer above) which received a special preview at SXSW. The event enabled fans to savour the best
sounds while receiving a complimentary hair style touch-up at the Garnier Fructis Lounge.

As part of the activation, the brand will go on a college tour this Spring to find a guy and a girl to host one of the new shows. The platform explained “we want it to be you, because you probably have better style than all of our editors combined.“

Click here to watch full length documentary

The pair of cotton shirts, for men and women, available in black and white, are emblazoned with artwork from his upcoming rarities album People, Hell and Angels – an album of previously unreleased tracks recorded in 1969, the year Gap was founded in San Francisco.

Activation for this campaign include a contest : consumers will have the opportunity to win one of two Fender guitars by visiting the New York Soho store and posting pictures of the instruments present there on Instagram using the hashtag #JimiHendrixGap.

A contest that take advantage of other social media than the usual Twitter and Instagram duo as there’s also a chance to win the new Gap T-shirt and a copy of the album by pinning one of the new T-shirts on Pinterest.

Launched on the 5th of March simultaneously with People, Hell and Angels album launch, the shirts will also be available in US Store from March 15th and in a selection of stores across Canada, UK, France, Italy, Japan and China starting in late March.

“From the moment we opened our first store in 1969 selling jeans and records, Gap has always connected with people through music. This partnership is an opportunity to celebrate an influential, American artist whose music still inspires people today.” Seth Farbman, Gap’s Global Chief Marketing Officer, explained.

“In fashion, as in music, Jimi was adventurous, innovative and colorful. These beautiful shirts, along with Fender’s participation, are truly the reflections of his creative music, fashion and style” adds Janie Hendrix, President and CEO of Experience Hendrix LLC.

The 21-date tour will feature 21 shows, touring first trough the US, from May 3rd in New York City to May 31st in San Francisco, and then trough Europe from Berlin to London throughout the summer. The London finale coincides with the annual “Yahoo! Wireless Festival,” for which Jay-Z and Timberlake will co-headline.

Though lineups have not been announced for individual shows yet, this news comes just as a collaboration between Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar was teased, also at SXSW, on a remix for Lamar’s track “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe.” During a DJ set, Jay-Z’s friend and engineer Young Guru previewed the track, pulling it off before its end and telling the crowd, “Y’all might have to wait.”

For more info, check here

The service – which allows HP users to listen to nearly any song for free without downloading the music in a completely legal way – was launched on February 1st.

An happy-few of selected service users will be offered the chance to attend the exclusive gig featuring Ellie Goulding which will take place at an “intimate London venue” on March 21st. For the others, the show will be streamed live by LoveLive via HP UK’s YouTube channel.

Tickets for the event will be scarce and will not be available to buy. HP recommend consumers to “stay tuned to find out how to win a pair of tickets.”

As an addition to the communication campaign, HP developed a contest to become the official concert photographer for the night. Photographers are invited to submit an ‘artistic and energetic shot’ taken at a gig, festival or party. The winner (selected by the artist and HP) will receive £1,000, an HP Envy notebook. Also, he and the 5 runners up will see their photography promoted across Essie’s and HP’s official online channels.

“Our partnership with HP offers exclusivity and engagement for music fans, while providing additional exposure for our artists,” explained Olivier Robert-Murphy, Global Head of New Business, Universal Music Group. “Ellie Goulding’s showcase will be a unique performance for the lucky attendees, and the live streaming element means her fans around the world can also share in the emotion of the live experience.” he added.

The iconic vodka brand is offering its fans an access to MDNA NIGHTLIFE EDITION – a set of 7 remixed tracks from Madonna’s much-anticipated latest album set to be released end of March – through the Smirnoff US Facebook page.

What is different from the original in this “nightlife edition”?

It includes tracks by “DJ sensations Kid Capri & Just Blaze, from Smirnoff’s Master of the Mix program and never heard before versions of new tracks including ‘Give Me All Your Luvin’ and ‘Masterpiece” answers Smirnoff.

In order to acquire the album, Facebook users must like the page, then they’ll be able to order for $3.50. This offer is available for the brand’s fans around the globe.

“It is a testament to Madonna’s phenomenal performance and album production that these tracks can be remixed whilst retaining their musical integrity and broad appeal. It is exciting to be giving our fans the first chance to hear these incredible tracks in an expertly produced compilation album,” says Simon Burch, Global Brand Director for The Smirnoff Co.

The tour is launched not only to promote emerging artists but to make them superstars. Supported by Reebok, the Closer to My Dreams Tour will visit 15 different cities across the U.S.One of the most popular young hip hop performers Tyga will headline the tour again this year. Tyga dominated the 2012 music charts with “Rack City” and “Faded” featuring Lil Wayne. Tyga is also a 2011 Grammy nominee for “Best Rap/Sung Collaboration” as a feature on Chris Brown’s “Deuces” track.

Closer To My Dreams is a leading touring platform developed to promote emerging artists through an immerse live setting. Focused on highlighting the next generation of young superstars, the tour offers fans an exciting forum for engaging with their favorite new artists and sharing their experience with friends through customizable integrated music programs. MTV also arranges various engaging activities for fans. Young people will be able to ‘meet and greet’ the celebs, watch their videos online and more.

Check out a registration video of the event last year with Tyga:

In the buildup to the show, Green Day’s official Facebook page launched a Nokia/AT&T tab using social media engagement platform PunchTab to encourage fans to execute any of five social actions. 1) checking into an AT&T store, 2) watching a Nokia Music video, 3) tweeting a message about Green Day using the hashtag #NokiaMusicATTGreenDay, 4) following the newly-created @Music_Nokia account on Twitter or liking it on Facebook, and 5) watching Green Day’s “Oh Love” video. This allowed them to gain points and move up a leader board, with the top leaders earning tickets to the exclusive show.

After this, the band will be streaming ¡Uno! in its entirety via the Nokia/AT&T section of its Facebook page, while they will drop the first of three 20-minute segments of their launch performance at the same place, with the second coming in mid-October and the third in late-October. Exclusive behind-the-scenes video from the making of the “Oh Love” video, as well as material from the recording sessions, will be released in the coming days on a microsite available to AT&T customers.

“The partnership has given us an opportunity to create all sorts of new content and new ways for the fans to engage and interact with green day and with the content,” said Warner Bros’ Feldman to Billboard.biz. “When you’re a band as big as Green Day, sometimes your audience is so broad that it’s hard to engage your core, and clearly the core became extremely engaged.”

Brand Central is the place to learn all about the music and brands relationship. It offers a tailor-made learning programme run by industry experts to better understand the synergy between music and brands. Events will include presentations of successful music and brands case studies, music pitch sessions, workshops and training sessions on how to work with brands, and how to get music licensed and synched.

With music a crucial factor to help brands reach out to and further engage with their audience, Brand Central provides the perfect backdrop for music industry executives to meet with brand representatives and advertising agencies.

Brand Central will also host the pitches of the 20 finalists of the second edition of the midem Marketing Competition. Following the success of the first edition, midem is opening a second category, highlighting the best music placement in an ad. This is in addition to the first category, which rewards the best use of music or partnership with an artist in a marketing campaign.

The call for entries to the competition is now open, and submissions must be made before 11 November 2012. To access the call for entry forms, click here for category 1 (best use of music in a marketing campaign) and click here for category 2 (best music placement in an ad).

Hope to see you there!

Aloft is hosting a series of live events at hotels around the world. Bands submit a link to their demo, with the most promising invited to perform live at their nearest participating Aloft Hotel. The winning band will then write and record a new track with We Are Scientists in a 12-hour session at a custom-built studio at Aloft London Excel. In addition, fans will be able to interact with the session studio via a live stream on Facebook. The new band will make their global debut at an exclusive live gig with We Are Scientists.

“We share our guests’ love of music, their passion for discovering new talent, and their excitement for live performances,” says Brian McGuinness from Aloft on brand-e. “What’s most exciting for us is that guests tell us we’ve become their partner in exploring music and finding cool new artists. More than just a hotel brand, Aloft has become a lifestyle brand for them, and it’s one of the reasons why Aloft’s a worldwide hit.”

The Durex In-Sync Song Generator, for the Reckitt-Benckiser brand, asks a series of questions about preferences for time of day in lovemaking as well as how varied, energetic and loud one’s routine is. Then, it has the user send a request to his or her partner on Facebook to complete the survey, or has the partner fill in the questions at the same time if in the same place.

The colorful Generator asks users about their love-making patterns like “What time of day are you at your best?” and “How loud is your personality?” Then the user can send the poll to their partner and depending on their answers, the generator will spit out the perfect love making tune— from Shakira’s “Underneath your Clothes” to “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green.

“In the U.S., there’s a group of consumers that’s kind of been forgotten about,” Reckitt Benckiser marketing director Kevin Harshaw told AdAge. “These are the lovers. … The whole Durex vision going forward is to become the sexual well-being brand of choice for lovers age 25 to 39.”

Other elements of the marketing also include online video and banners, radio ads and a launch party with Ice T and Coco with a Facebook contest and Twitter party that, all told, garnered 4 million impressions.

Festival and music fans alike are invited to choose a music theme for their ultimate festival, create their festival name, followed by their dream selection of acts on three different stages. Once the festival poster is created it can be shared and with friends to compare tastes. Users can also find out how to win a trip to some of the world’s biggest real-life festivals with Heineken Live Access. Go to www.heineken.ie/yourfest to use the app.

Heineken Live Access is offering three VIP trips to Sensation in Bangkok, Sandance in Dubai or The St. Maarten Regatta. Each festival features world renowned acts in an unbelievable setting, ensuring the winners will have the trip of a lifetime.

Intel’s app’s specialty is generating nice-looking selections of music based on whatever song you just heard in Spotify — or any song or artist you’ve specified, for that matter. You can use Sifter to make a smart graphical radio playlist out of any song or artist in Spotify. As with any screen in Sifter, you can save it as a playlist, edit that however you want, and listen to it later. When you link the app to your Facebook account, you can see which of your Facebook friends listened to any of the songs on any given screen within the app.

McDonalds’ ListenIn app lets you listen to the same music that all, some, or or one of your Facebook friends are listening to — also in a mosaic-like interface, sorted by popularity. This turns your what your Facebook friends are playing within Spotify into intelligent radio screens you can filter by decade; when they were listening; or even who the friends are

Spotify sees brands as a key part of its service going forward. These apps are the first brands besides the music brands that released their apps earlier this year like Last.fm, We Are Hunted and Pitchfork. A new development is that several radio stations and record labels have their own app inside the spotify platform now.

PepsiCo’s president Brad Jakeman explains why they chose twitter to activate their music campaign; “Twitter is the quintessential ‘now-time’ media, which is a natural fit with our ‘Live For Now’ global campaign. Combine that with Pepsi’s long association with music and the result makes for a cool and innovative experience for music fans everywhere”.

Music is consistently among the most popular topics on Twitter. With this partnership, Pepsi wants to give their followers a unique and real-time way to experience music. They are offering consumers three ways to connect with their campaign. All followers of @pepsi can download free music from the Amazon MP3 store. Besides this several pop-up concerts will be held in the U.S. this summer. Each concert will feature an artist who has a lot of followers, and will be announced on twitter only. Each gig will also be streamed on Pepsi’s profile page.

As well as the free downloads and gigs, Pepsi will also use Twitter for unique content. Every week Pepsi will create a video based on the most popular music and artists on Twitter. By filtering the tweets related to music, Pepsi will uncover what’s hot and then present this to their fans. It’s the first time that a commercial partner of Twitter will use this data to develop content for their followers. The first video has already appeared online, check it out:

Some interesting brands and artists have already used an audio tag to amplify their message. During a Brita campaign viewers could use Shazam to tag the ad which sent them to a link to listen to the new Train album, plus also get further information on Brita. Also during the entire NFL Super Bowl consumers could receive discount offers and free downloads, buy music, and vote for their favorite ads by tagging audio and songs. And last week 50.000 viewers of the Britain’s Got Talent final used the Shazam app to tag the Pepsi Max and Cadbury ads for free downloads and other content.

This is interesting for brands with sonic identities and for bands with their song in a commercial. Consumers can not only get more content but also share their tagged audio with friends through social networks, and so spreading the message by word-of-mouth. Considering that many people watch TV and listen to the radio while using their smartphone, this development brings interesting business opportunities. It allows brands to target particular consumer groups and activate the consumer with content that they are interested in.

Check out the Best Buy ad below. This one ran during the Super Bowl and includes a Shazam logo that appears halfway through the ad. Try it for yourself!

After the release of Pink Friday, her debut studio album, brands were standing in line to collaborate with Minaj. She already teamed up with Nokia, Pepsi, MAC, Give Back Brands LLC and she recently signed a deal with adidas. As a result of this, she became the first female artist in the FORBES Hip-hop Cash Kings list, together with Kanye West, Sean Combs en Jay-Z.

One of the latest partnerships of Minaj, announced just a few days after her deal with Pepsi, is the exclusive agreement with the beauty company Give Back Brands, the company where Justin Bieber released his fragrance last year. As if this is not enough, adidas announced that Nicki will be the new face of the of their Fall/Winter 2012 campaign for adidas originals. The first pictures of her and fashion designer Jeremy Scott already appeared online .

Her endorsement of the latest Nokia phone is quite remarkable as well. Nicki took over Times Square for a live performance in front of surprised tourists and outrageous fans. The event was hosted by Nokia to launch the Lumia Smartphone, watch the clip below.

Hosted by Beatport, the “Calvin Harris Let’s Go Featuring Ne-Yo Remix Contest” gives the best remixer a opening spot for Calvin Harris at a Pepsi party on Ibiza and enjoy six nights of clubbing on the island. Calvin Harris knows how to create an epic hit, he’s debut “Acceptable in the 80” was a club hit all over Europe and since then he made tunes with Rihanna, Kelis and Dizzee Rascal.

The Remix Machine is part of the “Kick In The Mix” campaign. This campaign brings music and soccer together; Calvin Harris produces the soundtrack and will star in the TV commercial together with Messi, Drogba, Torres and more famous football players. It’s an extension of the Refresh the Remix campaign Pepsi did last year, whereby DJ’s could win a masterclass after sending in a remix. Its fits the long tradition of Pepsi and Music: in the past they worked with several artists like Ray Charles, Britney Spears, Beyonce and of course Michael Jackson.

Pepsi seems to be more into Electronic Dance Music since a few years. In 2009 Pepsi launched an online branded music portal called Pepsi DJ Collective that was hosted by A-trak, Diplo and other DJ’s with free music downloads, the latest releases, playlists, music charts and ‘artists of the week’ ratings. In the near future there will even be a Pepsi 25th-anniversary campaign for the rerelease of Michael Jackson’s Bad that will include a series of remixes from superstar DJs like Skrillex, Diplo and A-Trak.

Check out the contest here.

McDonald’s is well known to fit music into their campaigns. In the past they have teamed up with Destiny’s Child and Justin Timberlake with great success. But now they have decided to go for up-and-coming artists. The first artist discovered by Jerkins and McDonalds is 25 year old rapper I.B. Fokuz who won a contest among McDonald’s employees. His song “Got It in the Bag” currently features in a commercial for the Big Mac.

Jerkins and McDonald’s believe that there is a win-win situation in working with new talent in a commercial. First of all the recognition from the commercial will help a new artist break into the industry, and on the other side McDonald’s doesn’t have to pay the jackpot for a catchy tune. In addition the artist will get a lot of free publicity, while McDonald’s profiles itself as a trendsetting company with an eye for talent.

Back in the day, musicians were more averse to “selling out” and making a promotion deal with a company. But since the music industries’ revenue model has changed due to streaming and file-sharing, a deal with a multinational company like McDonald’s is exactly what a musician needs to boost his or her career. The major bands and producers know they can get a good deal and the up-and-coming artists are looking for promotion and publicity.

A good example, besides I.B. Fokuz, is the Dutch rap artist Gers Pardoel, who’s song is used in a commercial introducing the McWrap. He even went as far as changing the original lyrics of his song to fit the commercial perfectly. Alongside the campaign he did a tour around several McDonald’s restaurants (see picture above). McDonald’s employees could compete to have one of the rappers gigs held at their restaurant by uploading a video of themselves showing how good they were at making the McWrap. A win-win situation for the artist, his fans and McDonald’s.

Yet another Swedish electronic dance artist, after ABSOLUTS collaborations with both Little Dragon and Swedish House Mafia, participates in a global advertising campaign. Avicii will not only be the face of the new Ralph Lauren campaign, but will also co-produce and participate in a video for his brand new single, which will be released on denimandsupply.com. As if this is not enough, his biggest fans will also get the chance to star in this clip.

Tim Bergling – better known as Avicii from the smash club hit Levels – is one of the DJs breaking EDM worldwide, but especially in America. The 22 year old Grammy nominated artist, who’s hit song was used in the Super Bowl commercial for Budweiser, performed with Madonna at the Ultra Music Festival and his set at the Coachella Festival was one of the highlights of the festival. He has also just released remixes of Madonna’s Girls Gone Wild and Lenny Kravitz’s Superlove.

It’s characteristic that Ralph Lauren, an institution in denim, is teaming up with a DJ. This is another big step for dance music, which seems to have been officially accepted into the world of pop and fashion. Denim & Supply offer a new approach to denim and sportswear, it’s a “modern statement of free-spirited, down-to-earth style” according to Ralph Lauren. It looks like Ralph Lauren has made a good choice in Avicii, he’s not only famous for his hit records, but fans also seem to adore him thanks to his good looks.

The music video flaunts the brand’s fashion and accessory range, worn by a crew of well-known hip-hop artists, each tagged with a “Shop This Look” call to action link. When this is clicked, the video pauses and a box displays the artist’s outfit laid out in its entirety, presenting each item available for purchase through the brand’s webstore.

“This is the first time the worlds of music, fashion and commerce have truly overlapped, says CEO Rami Atallah to prweb.com. The integration we are introducing between technology, entertainment and retail with this video not only creates a unique experience for the audience, but also has utility. People often wonder what performers are wearing, where they can purchase that item – we have bridged that gap”.

If the application is exclusive to SSENSE, the technology itself is not new. Developed by the UK-based startup wireWAX, the “intelligent video movement” first reached brands such EMI, Tommy Hilfiger, Oki-Ni and Rip Curl, as well as Nike who created the first “shoppable” music video last January. The concept is based on a motion-tracking taggable video tool which allows video-creators to add clickable hotspots to their films.

Following the success of these previous campaigns and seeing the opportunity to separate a unique retail experience from its mundane competitors, the Canadian online luxury apparel and accessory retailer SSENSE teamed up with musical duo FKI and newly-signed Interscope rapper Iggy Azalea, and Grammy-nominated Diplo on this intelligent video “look book”. For the artists, an opportunity to promote their latest title “I think she ready” in a innovatively launched world premiere.

This campaign definitely generated a lot of attention from communications professionals, however it still needs to prove its effectiveness on the consumer.

This Youtube powered application was initiated by La Blogotheque, a “weblog” – as they call themselves – created in 2004 by music lovers eager to go beyond the Music vs Internet Manichaeism.

In line with this objective, the concept of The Switch aims at capitalizing on the Internet to offer fans direct and legal access to music, by broadcasting home-made webvideos of performing artists via Youtube. What makes this project unique is that the user of the application is able to “switch” between the bands in real time according to their mood.

Seeing the opportunity in the Switch to give substance to its inspirational tagline ‘Stimulate your senses’, the Wrigley brand 5® Gum sponsored the first live session on March 28th during which viewers were invited to “select an upbeat, energizing performance from Givers, or a relaxing, soulful set from Theophilus London”.

Fans also have the opportunity to view exclusive content, create their own playlists that reflect their mood or discover Relaxing and Energizing tunes curated by their favorite artists.

The archived performances of selected songs from each artist are now available on the Switch YouTube page, bringing a freshly designed music approach to the viewers, as well as a new dimension to the RPM™ gum, which is available in Energizing Fruit or a Relaxing Mint flavours.

The Alaskan psychedelic rock band are not just famous for their music – which includes hit tracks ‘People say’, ‘Got It All (This Can’t Be Living Now)’ and ‘So American’ – they are also well known for their very distinctively and creative album covers.

To celebrate the 2012 Jagermeister Music Tour, headlined by Portugal. The Man, the number one selling imported liqueur in the United States and the band have teamed up with crowdsourcing platform Talenthouse inviting fans to submit their own designs, giving them the chance to see their artwork become part of the official 2012 tour poster.

Ten winners will be selected by the band’s lead singer Jon Gourley – who is also the designer of all their album artwork – and their design will be sold as part of the band’s tour merchandise, providing them with great exposure as well as music-related gifts.

“Whether it be tour posters, album packaging, videos, stage design, etc. the visual aspect of music is very important to us. We have a lot of talented people who come to our shows and it seemed natural to present this opportunity,” says Jon Gourley,

The cutting-edge platform Talenthouse, designed to provide “life-changing opportunities for the creative community”, is one of the most innovative initiatives linking artists and brands to achieve not only a creative project, but also a common business objective; “gain recognition and virally grow your audience”.

Collaborations such as the Jägermeister / Portugal. The Man should therefore continue to be more and more popular, while becoming better structured and open to a wider audience.

The collection will be part of ‘Urban Renewal’, the vintage line of Urban Outfitters, giving the charismatic indie rock singer the opportunity to “re-create some of [her] favorite [vintage pieces]”. In an interview with Pitchfork, she confided that her designs were inspired by the “witchy style” of Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks, Cher in the movie Clueless and also teenage girls dressing up to go to concerts in the Valley where she grew up.
 
Just like Kim Gordon, Consentino also acknowledged the strong influence of her personal tastes as a performing musician in her designs, comparing the range to the clothes she usually takes on tour. “This line is like the inside of my suitcase when I go on tour: skirts, dresses, crop tops, a nice pair of fitted trousers” she said, while admitting that she only recently became confident enough wear this style on stage.
 
Despite her pop/punk background – the least fashion-oriented music genre – Cosentino has always been interested in fashion, and even used to write for the Fashion Week blog when she first moved to New York. Designing clothes is a way for the singer to “stay creative” and express herself in another way than music.
 
Cosentino is the second musician – after Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon – to collaborate with Urban Outfitters on a new fashion line, bringing Best Coast’s credibility up one step up as a recognized indie band. For Urban Outfitters, this collaboration shows once more their will to “offer a lifestyle-specific shopping experience”. And what better way than music to connect with the customer and offer them an experience that is “so compelling and distinctive that [they] feel an empathetic connection to the brand and [are] persuaded to buy”?

The concert was part of the Magnified Artist program curated by Google Music, which enables unsigned artists to perform at high profile live events as well as showcasing them in the Android music store. Bands can upload and sell their music on this recently launched Artist Hub, and from here the web search giant selects its Magnified acts based on sales performance and buzz monitoring. “Each week we’ll include one album from the Artist Hub as a staff pick on the Google Music homepage,” says Google

 
T-Mobile have already supported the first batch of Magnified Artists, hosting eight unsigned acts. They included artists such as Bad Rabbits, Chancellor Warhol and Fort Lean and Belle who played at last month’s Sundance Film Festival.
 
Unsigned bands should keep an eye on this promising partnership as T-Mobile and Google Music have said they will continue to highlight independent musicians at a variety of national music award shows and festivals throughout the year.

In line with Mirror/Dash, Gordon’s new Surface to Air collection follows a “streamlined cool-mum aesthetic with a Francophile bent…I’m a mum, but I don’t always want to look just like that” said Gordon in an interview for the New York Times. She also admitted pursuing “the idea of finding things that work and are comfortable, but in which you can still feel like you have an identity.”

The 12-item collection features cropped neon-tangerine pants, black and brown with snakeskin boots, a soft leather jacket and T-shirts printed with Gordon’s own illustrations. The collection integrates itself perfectly into S2A’s classic yet shifted and nonchalant style, while still strongly influenced by Gordon’s identity as a musician. “You can’t pack that much for the road, and I’ve always liked the idea of not dressing up for a performance” Gordon explained to NYT.

More than just a branding strategy, this collaboration demonstrates that clothes, just like music, are meant to be lived in – they are a form of self-expression. This is a belief that Surface to Air seems to share with another global fashion brand, Guess.

The items will go on sale at the end of the month in the New York, Paris and Sao Paulo Surface to Air stores, as well as selected worldwide retail stores.

The Heineken ad closes the installment of the brand’s pan-European ‘Brief Encounter’ campaign. It tells the ‘long story’ of a man who, while trying to reclaim his Heineken that was inconsiderately taken away from him, gets trapped on an express train to St. Petersburgh. During his journey, he shares the story of his adventures with everyone, over a glass of…Heineken of course.

The ad, following its two predecessors ‘Brief Encounter’ and ‘Gorgeous’, once again illustrates the theme at the core of Heineken’s communications: lovers going to great lengths for their beloved beer. With its humoristic and cheeky tone, the ad comes from a “universally recognizable beer insight” that Heineken calls “the pinch – that last coveted sip in a glass of Heineken, cleared from the table prematurely by an over-zealous waiter”.
The collaboration with Ryan Sheridan for the special launch event in Dublin was an opportunity for the Irish musician to promote his upcoming album, and for the brand to once more engage with their young audience through live music and good party spirit – two elements often often used in the Dutch brand’s communications.

“We are privileged to be one of the few markets globally that is allowed create its own ads but it is also a testament to the high calibre of work we have developed over the years, to which Long Story is no exception,” said Jules Macken, Heineken communications brand manager. In this fresh and friendly event, Heineken gives one more proof of its dynamic and participative communications strategy.

Briefed to capture London’s fashion in a bottle, the English artist came up with is a “unique take on London’s style and fashion pioneers over the past 200 years” featuring seven characters from the city’s past, including a dandy, a Dickensian, a pinstripe, sixties chick, a punk, a ska, and an eighties casual.

As expected, the designs carry a strong Gorillaz visual identity while still accurately celebrating the city’s cultural history, according to the brand.

The launch of this special edition bottle is accompanied by a marketing campaign on social media. A facebook campaign has already been launched in London, offering users a chance to win one of the London limited edition bottles. The game consists of an Instagram photography competition challenging participants to submit an image that “perfectly sums up one of London’s greatest features”, followed by the #absolutlondon tag as well as one of the five categories – #london,  #entertainer,  #music, #entrepreneur, #fashion. Also an excellent shout out for the Instagram app, which is becoming more and more popular on the number one social media platform.

The Absolut London bottle will be on sale exclusively at Selfridges and Harvey from 1 March 2012 before its wide release in April, and will retail at £20.99.
The brand invites its audience to “stay in touch” with all the pictures from the competition displayed on Absolut UK’s Facebook page, alongside a recipe for a special “Absolut Bloody London” cocktail – smartly linking this campaign to the Absolut Drinks website.

The “zone” can be described as a state of perfect symbiosis between athlete and environment, allowing them to push their performance further while the physical effort seems easier.
Claiming that “selecting the right music for exercise is part art and part science”, the project brings together talented young musicians with leading sport psychologist Pr. Peter Terry, to create a set of original music tracks for 4 everyday athletes.

“Mizone ZoneLab has been created to address two goals. First to bring to life the concept of the ‘zone’ in a way that everyday athletes can relate to and second, to deliver an output that can be used as a sales incentive – in this case four music tracks that can be downloaded on purchase of Mizone”, said Simon Lee, creative partner at The Hallway, the agency behind the campaign.

As part of the campaign, every Mizone sold will gratify the consumer with a free downloadable music track, satisfying short term sales objectives as well as strengthening ongoing brand building for the Australian sports drink brand.
Bringing brand content at the core of the communications, this experimental campaign also raises a question that is at heart of every music composer – the question of the perfect musical recipe. If Mizone can create the perfect music to boost an athletes’ performance, imagine being able to compose music for any other incentive?

Serenade was designed to be very easy to use – only 4 clicks will allow you to serenade the one you love – and has a simple goal; celebrate romance and love on Valentine’s Day. All the 640 songs featured in the app will be performed by Paul “Kiss” Kissaun, who previously appeared in the Heineken’s ‘The Date’ advert released on TV last year.

Already available in 20 languages, the Serenade app is part of the Heineken global campaign ‘Open your world’. In line with ‘The Date’, the Serenade app expresses the brand’s desire to “[connect] with [their] adult consumers both on and offline” according to Cyril Charzat, Senior Director, Global Heineken Brand. “The Serenade is designed to take some of the stress out of asking a partner to go on a date. It’s fun, interactive and guaranteed to make an impression”, he said.

This Valentines-themed Facebook app is again evidence of the brand’s efforts to engage more and more with their young audience. This time, it is young males that the company is targeting through their new social media marketing.

In support of this campaign, Heineken is also hosting ‘Serenade Live’, an eight-hour YouTube event to be released today – February 9, where people can serenade their loved one live online.

Strategically released during the Super Bowl, the video features Chevrolet’s adventurous Chevy Sonic model which has been transformed and customized to play musical instruments. Equipped with retractable pneumatic arms, set up to play over 1000 instruments, the car was driven by band frontman Damian Kulash through over 2 miles of desert. The result unquestionably gives justice to the idea of boldness that the Chevrolet car seems to embody.

This ambitious project required 4 months of preparation, but only 4 days of shooting and recording. Kulash had to take stunt driving lessons, each piano had to be tuned to play the right notes no matter where they were struck, and the band had to sing as they were driving the car resulting in a genuinely raw recording.

Known for their funky and disrupting viral music videos, OK Go is part of the new generation of bands that are keen to collaborate with brands, as they showed a couple of month ago. However, this initiative seems to take music and brand partnership one step further, adding substantial value to product placement by making the brand a true contributor of the music composition.

‘How in-sync are you’ is the name of the new Durex campaign created by agency Euro RSCG London. The campaign features two turntables – one pink female-stamped, the other blue male-stamped – playing Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”, gradually getting in synch with each other. Created specifically for Durex’ UK condom brand Performax, this campaign bears the idea of “slowing him down and speeding her up” to allow a perfectly “in-sync” climax.

Source: http://creativity-online.com

Strategically released this month, the Youtube campaign will be accompanied by a Facebook game which will allow couples to test how in-sync they are through a similar music-based approach, as well as a well-expected launch party in London. The tracks featured in the Facebook game will be submitted by music-promoting agency Sonicbids, and will be “modern and different”, promised Alasdair Graham, executive creative director for Euro RSCG London. “It’s gonna be about music creation for people” he said, but it also has to be about sex.
What is the sound of sex and music? This question was addressed by Euro RSCG during MIDEM pitch sessions that took place in Cannes last weekend. Here Graham explained that “sometimes exactly the right thing is to have a contrast rather than think about complimenting the images in some way”.

Guestlist promises to deliver “new or never-been-released trendsetting music….the kind that defines our culture in commercials, films, trailers, TV shows and video games, everywhere at once”. To offer this unique content, the stock music library has partnered up with rising musical bands and artists, such as Joss Stone.

After her not-so-peaceful contract with EMI records came to an end in 2009, young artist Joss Stone was looking forward to taking control of her career. Guestlist gave her, and her manager Brian Nelson, the opportunity “to find different avenues to the normal ones” to market their music.

For Getty Images Music on the other hand, partnering with a recognized and rising artist such as Stone is capital to ensure their differentiation in the digital music market. The service was created specifically for the high-profile projects created by ad agencies and TV/film music supervisors, positioning Guestlist not only above the average music catalogue but as a truly custom-selected source of inspiration.

“It is great for music artists and bands hoping to get greater exposure through a high profile placement for that track or band,” Stone said. Rewarding both Getty Images and its musician partners, Guestlist seems to capitalize on growing connections between brands and music in a productive and innovative way.

It is however not the first time that the Coca-Cola company and the French artist have collaborated, he was involved in a fruitful global marketing partnership with Burn Energy Drinks in 2011. This project gave birth to “Nothing but the beat” – a documentary-style film on Guetta’s life behind the scenes, and a competition for fresh music producers craving to be heard.
By extending their collaboration with the French artist, Coca-Cola is reinforcing their position as a worldwide ambassador of happiness and entertainment, while benefiting from the well-known creativity and energy on which Guetta has built his fame.
The 2012 Club Coke bottle will be unveiled on January 28th at the NRJ Music Awards ceremony in Cannes, it will then only be available in selected shops and the trendiest nightclubs in France.

First Will.i.am was invited to join Intel as their Director of Innovation, now it’s Justin Timberlake who partners/teams up with the golf brand Callaway as their Creative Director. Justin has entered into in a multi-year partnership with the brand and will contribute to the development and execution of marketing activities for Callaway, as well as consult on the visual representations of the brand.

Justin, internationally recognized as a talented artist, is also a passionate golf player making him a perfect artist to represent the Callaway brand. According to Jeff Colton, SVP of global brand and product at Callaway; “Justin is an extremely gifted artist and an avid golfer with a deep passion for Callaway products, and his creative energy will serve us well as we connect with the next generation of golfers. The opportunity to bring someone with his multifaceted talents into our creative matrix is very rare, and his input has already made an impact.”

This is an interesting partnership because of how well fitted the artist is to the brand. Justin Timberlake has teamed up with a brand that aligns with his personal passion, and his popularity and talent will help Callaway to connect with the young generations. As Justin says; “It’s always great when professional projects surround subjects that I am passionate about, and the sport of golf and my work with Callaway definitely fit that criteria. I’m looking forward to bringing a fresh perspective to this category – focusing on the social aspects, fun and lifestyle associated with Callaway and playing golf.”

The series, called ‘Launched in Red Bull Studios’, will showcase performances by 10 artists who are expected to become big in 2012. The performers were selected by already established artists and DJs. According to Dan O’Connell, this is what makes this show unique and gives the artists credibility; “You hear up-and-coming names mentioned all year round, but what’s cool about Launched is that these guys have the stamp of approval from people who know the music industry. It’s been great to get the chance to see these artists at work and understand what all the hype is about. It’s the must-see music series to set you up for the year ahead.”

London Red Bull Studio’s aim is to promote UK music and new artists. It is part of the Red Bull brand initiatives to promote music, and especially emerging artists, in various places around the world – for example with the famous Red Bull Music Academy. Red Bull is a brand that constantly underlines the importance of music, therefore the new partnership with Channel 4 and its result – the TV series – corresponds well with the brand’s identity. This project is an interesting follow-up to brand’s previous efforts to promoting young artists and giving them a chance to be heard.

The tour will span 12 cities and in each Will.i.am will spend some time exploring the culture, architecture, music and meeting local artists. In each place, he’ll work together with the local musicians to create an original song inspired by their city. The tour is part of the Ultrabook Project – a project that accompanies the launch of the new notebook designed by Intel. Will.i.am is a director of innovation for Intel.

The aim of the project is to show the fans how Will.i.am works, they will experience his process of creating music, and even become a part of it. As Intel says in their press release: “The Ultrabook Project is about bringing together the audience and artist through technology. The next step in music evolution, the Ultrabook Project shows the future of a fuller, richer experience of music – one that is active and participatory and not just about passive listening.”

According to Johan Jervøe, vice president and director of Intel’s Partner Marketing Group; “Ultrabook devices put sleek style, intense performance and an amazing experience in the hands of users around the world and this tour with will.i.am will help bring those features and values to life.”

With this project, Intel wants to bring the fans closer to the artist and to the product. It’s a very interesting product endorsement that gives the customers the opportunity to experience the innovative features of this product via music. In this campaign, the customers have the chance to meet the artist and experience the product in their own city, which makes it all more exciting.

Also interesting is the way in which the campaign combines offline and online means, allowing fans to live the music experience. Those who don’t live in the cities that Will.i.am will visit, will be able to participate in the process via Timeline, an interactive music player created by Razorfish. They’ll also be able to follow Will.i.am on Facebook and Twitter. This way, the fans can stay up-to-date with the progress of the Ultrabook Project and participate in it, in person or via social media.This clever combination of communication tools allows Intel to speak to a big number of customers at once and engage them in the campaign.

Fans are invited to answer the question ‘what has life thrown at you today?’ and submit it on Toyota’s Facebook page between the 12th and 14th of January. The best answers will feature in a pop video starring Gadget Guy and his puppet Slick (known from Toyota Yaris’ previous ads) who will rap out the submitted stories in the personalized videos.

This new social media project by Toyota is part of the ongoing ‘Outsmart Life’ campaign that started last year. The brand wanted to encourage fans to get involved in the campaign and interact with the brand in a fun way. According to Toyota’s Brand and Digital Marketing Manager Lisa Fielden: “The ‘Gadget Guy’ TV creative has been a big hit for the all new Yaris, and has made an impact in the conversations of our target audience. The shout out campaign takes this a step further, giving them a great piece of content that is both fun and sharable, while reinforcing the clever and pioneering features of the all new Yaris.”

Looking at the previous Heineken U-codes or Dolce & Gabanna’s ‘D & G is love’ campaign cases, it seems that interactivity with the fans via music combined with the creative use of social media has recently become a priority for many big brands. Will these innovative campaigns set a trend for brand activations in 2012?

Let’s wait and see!

The brand recognized that fans attend music festivals not only to listen to music but also to meet new people. Heineken decided to help Open’er Festival-goers to meet each other by offering an unusual ice-breaker. The brand set up a space at the festival where the fans could create their own QR code linked with a message. Fans could print the U-code onto a sticker and then attach it to themselves. To read their message other festival-goers had to simply scan the code, which was a great excuse to start a conversation.

This is a great example of how Heineken encouraged fans to interact with the brand, and each other, in a simple and fun way.Heineken added a positive contribution to the festival experience and gave fans the opportunity to not only enjoy live music, but also to enjoy the company of each other. A very successful and well executed brand activation.

The track will support the campaign announcing the modification of the brand. The Italian designers have decided to go back to their origins and – instead of running D&G separately – include the youth line into the core of the Dolce & Gabbana brand. The designers explain: “For the upcoming seasons, D&G will become part of Dolce & Gabbana, giving even more strength and energy to our collections. To us, it’s like going back to when we began our adventure: full of ideas.”

The fans can submit their 30 second videos on the Dolce & Gabanna website up until the 9th of January 2012. The brand invites them to film themselves with friends as they sing, dance and party to the rhythm of ‘D&G is love’. The most interesting clip will be used in the branded video created by Dolce & Gabanna. The brand is offering its fans a chance to become a part of the ‘D&G world’ by appearing in their commercial.

It’s a noteworthy campaign because of the interactivity it establishes between the brand and the fans. The brand communicates an important change via an action in which the fans are involved. This gives the brand a chance to spread its message easily while connecting with the customers in a different way than usual.

‘I Want Candy’ was launched on Gap’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. The child singer, Maria Aragon, is an 11 year-old girl who became famous when a YouTube videoclip of her singing went viral. The Gap video showcases Aragon singing a cover of the famous song by the Strangeloves and dancing in a candy shop, accompanied by a group of other girls, all wearing outfits from the Gap holiday collection.

The video is spread online on Facebook, YouTube, websites such as Disney.com as well as in movie theaters across the U.S. What’s more, some customers will also have the opportunity to receive a special reduction on the Gap collection if they share the video with their friends.

In this campaign, Gap tries to connect with various audiences by allowing them to relive the careless spirit of childhood.According to Seth Farbman, Chief Marketing Officer at Gap, “The ‘I Want Candy’ collection evokes the feeling of what it’s like to be young again during the holidays – it’s fun, optimistic and captures the magic of the season. We wanted to bring that feeling to life through a music video that captures a moment of uninhibited joy and excitement. It’s something every generation can relate to and we hope families will enjoy it together.”

It’s interesting that the brand has decided to collaborate with the young Maria Aragon – an amateur singer who became a huge viral hit on YouTube this year. Gap brand has shown that it is attentive to the customers’ tastes, in clothing as well as in music. Also, by inviting a “real” person to sing, not a star, the brand has shown an engagement of speaking to “real people.”

The campaign will start on the 1st of January and will include artist’s partnerships as well as free tickets to Live Nation events, and Hertz Live Radio which will play in Hertz facilities and buses. The brand will also provide free rental cars that will take fans to the concerts. The campaign will start with the promotion of Fitz & the Tantrums – a soul-pop band that will accompany the partnership from its launch at a press conference in New York.

According to Mark Frissora, Hertz Chairman and CEO, “Experiencing live music is a valued passion for a wide range of consumers. By partnering with Live Nation, one of the most significant forces in the music industry and the owner of Ticketmaster, Hertz will engage directly with fans by becoming an integral part of the live entertainment process as they purchase tickets, attend events and share their experiences with friends. By closely aligning Hertz with live music and tapping into Live Nation’s multi-channel network, we are changing how we drive interaction among existing and potential customers.”

It’s an interesting partnership because as well as creating a stronger relationship between the Hertz brand and the customers, it also works on B2B level with Live Nation using Hertz products and services for its business. Therefore, the partnership benefits various parties; the partners, artists and the customers.

OK Go’s performance is part of the Cuervo ‘A Quick Shot of Ice Cold’ campaign. The concerts took place in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Thanks to specific technology, the fans were able to integrate their avatars into the OK Go music video via Facebook or Twitter. The result is a clip in which each pixel represents a different fan. The users could also incorporate a personal message. The final result can be viewed on Cuervo’s website.

OK Go was a great choice for this experimental social media project. The band is well known for its creative music videos – Peter Gutierrez from Jose Cuervo describes them as the “biggest viral band out there.” Therefore, the band was well suited to this innovative campaign. As Damian Kulash from OK Go says; “What we care about is making exciting things. We just want to make cool stuff and I think it’s way cooler for Cuervo to help cool stuff get made, and associate themselves with that experience.”

For Cuervo, this campaign serves to highlight the social aspect of tequila consumption. “Our product is about bonding, about release and about the experience of drinking tequila. You never drink tequila alone, for example. A tequila occasion is a community occasion.” A social experience such as the pop-up concerts accompanied by a viral campaign was a great way to communicate this brand’s positioning. Especially with the help of OK Go, a band open to new experiences and social media experiments.

The song was recorded for Coca-Cola’s global Christmas campaign. It is a new interpretation of last year’s Coca-Cola “Shake up Christmas” song that was performed by Train. This year the song becomes multicultural with Natasha Bedingfield recording it in 6 languages – English, French, Spanish, Ukrainian, Swahili and Tagalog. This year people on different continents can all connect with the song. The track will accompany two new TV spots by Coca-Cola, focusing on the theme of happiness and sharing. Along with the spots, Coca-Cola has also released online and mobile content, with an application that allows you to share customized Christmas greetings, customized Christmas wallpapers and mobile ringtones.

Coca-Cola brand has had a strong Christmas campaign tradition over the past 80 years, however this is the first time that the campaign covers various languages and spans multiple countries. It will be released in over 90 countries around the world.

To highlight this particular campaign, the brand was looking for a unique artist who “(…)embodies the values of Coke – happiness, positivity, optimism – and one of the artists that came up was Natasha Bedingfield. When we looked at all the top songs she’d come up with, we really felt she was a perfect match for Coca-Cola and for the song” – said AJ Brustein, senior global brand manager for Coca-Cola.

Releasing a single song in so many different languages is an innovative approach from Coca-Cola. It underlines the global character of the campaign, connecting easily with the consumers who likely appreciate a brand that speaks their own language.

The application, launched on Facebook, is accessible to all registered users.
According to the brand; “Facebook users [are invited to] record themselves singing We Wish You A Merry Christmas and then combine their recording with other online performances to create their own unique choir. The user will see their own choir uploaded to their Facebook wall, letting all their friends know they have joined and raised money for Save the Children.”
For each person that joins the project Halifax will give £5 to the Save the Children charity foundation, and then an extra £2 if the user records a song.Another 1£ will be given when the user shares the song or likes the app.

This is an original campaign that manages to get users involved, as well as raise money for those in need. Through the Online Choir, Halifax reaches its customers directly, while making a change by donating money to a charity. The bank will donate up to £100 000 thanks to the users’ musical contributions. According to Douglas Rouse from Save the Children; “The online choir is yet another innovative fundraising activity that will make a massive long-term difference to some of the 1.6 million children living in poverty today in the UK.”

The track – ‘Painted Love’ – was released along with a short movie created by Waverly Films. The project is inspired by the Cartier Love bracelet. The film and music tells the story of an artist painting his muse. The clip concludes with the artist’s developing obsession for his painted love. The story is influenced by the myth of Galatea and Pygmalion. The filmmakers and musicians from AIR collaborated throughout the year developing the storyline together, making this project even more original.

‘Painted Love’ is a three-part campaign that will pair directors and musicians. The campaign, which was launched with the collaboration between Air and Waverly, will continue through to 2012.
‘Painted Love’ is a part of a bigger campaign by Cartier – ‘Love’. Since the launch of this campaign in 2007 the luxury brand has been inviting artists to participate in ‘How far would you go for love’, each answering the question through an art creation. The campaign has featured artists such as Marion Cotillard, Lou Reed and Phoenix.

According to Leslie Dubest, co-founder of The: Hours, the creative agency behind the campaign; “The way Cartier envisioned the Love project was by initiating exclusive and original collaborations and highly creative synergies between the music and the image worlds. Emotion through art engages digital conversation. This is the new marketing.”

Cartier chose to launch ‘Painted Love’ to its fans directly on the brand’s Facebook page. Interestingly ‘Painted Love’ was the first Cartier campaign launched on Facebook, showing the brand’s engagement in this new means of communication and marketing.

The show, which is part of the launch of the new Nokia Lumia 800, was hosted in London’s city center. Deadmau5 created a set of exclusive tracks that were performed in front of London’s Millbank Tower. The tower was transformed into a giant video screen. The 4D visuals, designed to accompany the music, were projected onto 800 windows of the 120 meter tall building. Fans could enjoy the spectacle for free from both banks of the river Thames. On Nokia’s Facebook page, the fans also had the opportunity to win exclusive tickets to see Deadmau5 up close during the performance. For those who couldn’t be in London, the show was broadcast live on Nokia’s Facebook page.

With this event, Nokia wanted to highlight the features of the new Lumia 800, specifically the innovative design and social media experience that the phone offers. According to John Nichols, Head of Marketing for Nokia UK; “The launch of the Nokia Lumia 800 really signals a new dawn for the company, and we wanted to celebrate this with a truly innovative and spectacular event to match this stunning phone. The location will allow thousands of people to come and experience something truly amazing, and different to anything they have seen before.”

It was a sharp idea to launch the Nokia Lumia 800, described as a “stunningly social phone”, with an actual social event. Nokia brand found an interesting way of showcasing the features of their new product via a music/digital event. The choice of Deadmau5 for the show is also an important factor. Visuals have always been a major part of the producer’s performance, therefore he well matched with the character of the event.

The event was created using holographic technology – Mariah Carey appeared on stage in the form of a hologram that interacted with real dancers as well as the audience. This way, the concert could be experienced live by fans in Croatia, Germany, Macedonia, Montenegro and Poland simultaneously. The event was also broadcast live online to internet users worldwide via lifeisforsharing.tv channel. It’s the first time that hologram technology has been used on such a scale, providing an unusual unique music experience for thousands of fans worldwide.

The event is the next step in Deutsche Telekom’s ‘Life Is For Sharing’ campaign. According to Jason Romeyko, European creative director for Deutsche Telekom “This is ‘Life Is For Sharing’ at its superlative – an amazing moment that people can be part of in so many different ways, all across the world.” In the guerilla campaigns, that started in 2008, Deutsche Telekom has previously invited people to share an experience while taking part in a huge karaoke sing-along and playing real life angry birds. The newest event – Mariah Carey’s concert – involved more people than ever before and gave music fans worldwide the opportunity to connect through one of the strongest passions – music.

Mariah Carey and Deutsche Telekom have provided the fans with a one-of-a-kind experience. This partnership fits perfectly into Deutsche Telekom’s ‘Life Is For Sharing’ campaign, which has become a signature of the brand’s character. It strengthens Deutsche Telekom’s position as a brand that connects with their customers via innovative and interactive events, which are always received with a lot of positive coverage.

“Every time we launch a new 17 product, we’re going to release a make-up song written with our favourite up-and-coming band” explains the brand. The brand invited 17 different artists to collaborate on the project. Each artist wrote a song associated with a product that the brand is to release during the campaign. The first song, ‘You Might Get Stuck On Me’ by a band named Summer Camp, is available now and can be download for free on 17’s Facebook page. The song is paired with the Magnetized Nail Polish by 17.

This campaign also allows the fans to get involved. They’re invited to contribute at every step – from suggesting new artists to taking part in the music video production. This campaign aims to associate
17 Cosmetics brand with new music via the promotion of emerging artists. The brand has realized that music offers a great opportunity to connect with its customers, who are here not only the receivers but can also actively contribute to the realization of the project. The brand communicates with its consumers via an experience. Promoting music with the release of every new product makes the launch all the more exciting. This may guarantee that the consumer will follow the brand closely right through the 17 campaign, intrigued by the new products and the songs associated with them.

Users can access the application via the Wonka Facebook page. The application – called “Wonka WRapper” – enables users to mix various music tracks by adjusting the rhythm, changing instruments and adding graphics. The fans can release the music by holding Wonka’s product wrappers in front of their webcam. As Nick Cannon says : ” With a little creativity, imagination and some Wonka candy, the Wonka WRapper lets you be the DJ online, and you can share the music you make through Facebook.”

This partnership enables Wonka brand to reach various audiences via a funny interactive project that fits well with their brand identity. According to Tricia Bowles of Nestlé USA : “When it comes to Wonka candy and music, Nick Cannon knows best. We love the fun and creativity that Nick brings to this innovative project…The Wonka WRapper is a great online program for candy and music lovers, and a lot of fun for all ages!”

It is interesting to observe that candy brands are getting more involved in partnerships with musicians. Recently, Sour Patch candy worked together with rapper Method Man, to promote candy by releasing an exclusive track “World Gone Sour.” Candy brands have realized the potential to reach their fans and offer them something original and creative through music, and it looks like it has worked.

The documentary, entitled “ One from the road”, follows the band as they drive across Nevada in a Buick Regal Turbo searching for inspiration to write a new song. It also provides a behind the scenes look at the studio recording session. The result – a track called “Killing time”- can be downloaded on the Buick Facebook page. This partnership allows Buick to get in touch with a younger audience and to introduce its customers to the new features of the Buick Regal Turbo, which is equipped with a Harman/Kardon audio system, providing a unique “concert-like” listening experience.

This kind of a creative partnership is very innovative for an automotive brand. According to Barbara Goose, Executive Director of Digitas “This is the first time that an auto brand has taken such a big role in the creation and digital debut of a new song. From inspiring the lyrics to partnering with Harman/Kardon on the audio, Buick has uniquely integrated itself into the track in a way that’s both authentic and engaging – everything that an active brand should be.” Buick and Hellogoodbye has taken it a step further, from a typical music/automotive brand partnership to an inspiring co-creation.

It’s interesting to observe that more and more brands are partnering up with artists in original projects like this one. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola and Maroon 5 teamed up to create a song within 24 hours, streaming it live worldwide.

The new ‘My adidas’ sneaker is inspired by the one described in the 1986 hip hop song. The sneakers have the anniversary date written on the side and come complete with gold lace locks. The limited edition sneaker were available in stores from 11.11.11. The brand has only released 1986 pairs of this particular model. Along with the sneakers, the brand has also released a limited edition T-shirt, track top and pants, all with the 1986 and Run DMC logo.

Paying tribute to a song by releasing a new pair of shoes and a set of sportswear is an original idea. Brands often celebrate anniversaries associated with their products, however Adidas has taken this idea a step further by releasing a renewed limited edition of the product. Will other brands follow?

The artist appears in 5 mini-videos that are available via the Guess Facebook page. The videos are a behind-the-scenes view of the famous rapper life, and include interviews with Theophilus about his music, career and more. To celebrate the partnership and the launch of November Music Issue, Theophilus London also gave a special performance at the launch party of the November Music Issue at The Sayers Club in Los Angeles.

Guess brand has partnered with Theophilus because of his style and interest in fashion, which correspond well with the qualities that the Guess brand represents. The artist, who is also known as a fashionista, is a perfect match to represent both GQ and Guess. Paul Marciano, COO at Guess, commented on the partnership: “Music has always been one of the underlying foundations of the Guess brand. This partnership with GQ and Theophilus London will allow us to incorporate a great deal of the companies’ initiatives including highlighting our men’s business and utilizing social media while tying into our music roots.”

From now on KPN customers can enjoy unlimited access to Spotify Premium. The service will be free to all KPN customers with an Extra, Premium, Silver or Gold tier plan. Premium Spotify enables users to access the entire Spotify database and use the service on their smartphones. The offer is available to current as well as new KPN customers.

Although this contract is the first of its kind in the Netherlands, Spotify has been partnering with telecommunications providers since 2009. The music provider first signed a similar deal with Telia in Sweden. The deal granted Telia exclusive rights to be the unique provider in Sweden allowing them to sell and market Spotify as part of their service. In July 2011, Virgin Media UK also signed a similar agreement.

Partnerships like these are becoming more attractive for telecoms providers as the world of apps and mobile technology develops. Consumers are becoming more accustomed to accessing digital content from a single device. For telecoms providers having rights to a service like Spotify, which is increasing in popularity, can be a deciding factor for customers looking to extend their contracts or prospective customers choosing a telecoms provider.

KPN’s partnership with Spotify has already attracted a lot of positive attention from the clients, excited to make use of the Premium offer. It has also appealed to customers of other Dutch providers whom are now asking when they’ll be able to use Premium Spotify within their contract. Seems like KPN may have set a new standard for the Dutch telecom market.

Following the success of last year’s Nightlife Exchange experience, presented in 14 countries, Smirnoff is now offering fans an exchange that spans 50 countries on 6 different continents. The exchange will consist of a set of original events. They will take place in various cities around the world that will each ‘exchange’ their nightlife for one night. On the same night inhabitants of Berlin can experience what it is like to party in Rio de Janeiro, while Brazilians from Rio can party like the locals do in Berlin. On a special Smirnoff Facebook page, the users can submit their ideas on what makes their country’s nightlife special – the best ones will be used by Smirnoff at the Nightlife Exchange events. The users can also take part in an exclusive dance competition online. The finalists of this competition will perform at one of the Nightlife Exchange parties on the 12th of November in front of Madonna, who’ll then choose one of them to accompany her on her next tour.

Madonna says “What attracted me to the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project is the combination of participating in the celebration of nightlife around the world and the opportunity to discover the world’s best unknown dancers. The best dancers are always in the clubs looking for the most original experience, just like Smirnoff is doing.” The global Nightlife Exchange event will take place on the 12th of November. According to Simon Burch, Global Brand Director for The Smirnoff Co, “This year’s Nightlife Exchange Project is triple the size of last year’s, has bigger global names and more local original ideas. We’re going to enjoy it with our fans. We are inviting our Facebook fans to share with us their one-of-a-kind nightlife experiences so we can create them on 12th November.”

Malibu Red is a new beverage that Pernod Ricard brand is planning to launch in March 2012. The drink will be a mix of coconut rum and tequila. The brand has invited Ne-Yo to assist with the creation of this new blend. The artist will also help to promote the drink – he recently took part in a commercial shoot for the Malibu Red campaign, which will be accompanied by exclusive music, behind the scenes videos and more multimedia content. Malibu Red will also be the sponsor for Ne-Yo’s 2012 concert tour.

Ne-Yo says of the partnership : “From music to film and everything in between, Malibu and I have been working behind-the-scenes to create a rich experience for Malibu Red that allows me to naturally bring my story telling, acting, singing and dancing to the table.”

This partnership between Pernod Ricard and Ne-Yo is an unusual example of brand and artist collaboration. This time, the artist is not only involved in the promotion, but also in the creative development of the product. According to Ian Crystal, Global Marketing Director of Malibu : “Turning the term partnership on its head, Ne-Yo has really served as the creative director of Malibu Red from beginning to end, lending his ‘smooth’ talents and creative vision to create a product experience from flavor to film that will push boundaries in the spirits category.”

The drink, co-created by Ne-Yo and Malibu will be available from March 2012. Its launch is aimed to be “one of the brand’s largest global marketing initiatives.”

Re:Generation is a project that pairs stars from the electronic music scene with well-known artists from 5 other genres, e.g. classical music. The artists will create 5 exclusive tracks together that will be distributed for free by the brand. Their collaboration will conclude with a feature length film on music history. Sneak peeks of the movie will be shown at live ‘Remix Lab’ events hosted by Hyundai in various cities in the US including New York, L.A., Miami, Las Vegas and Chicago. Hyundai has also collaborated with the Grammy’s – the behind the scenes video of the movie will be shown at the Grammy nominations in November. For the impatient ones, the trailer is available now on Hyundai’s YouTube channel :

This launch campaign is quite unusual for the Hyundai brand. What is interesting is that the new model of car is barely visible in the campaign. The advertisers have decided to focus their efforts on the music project. This way, Hyundai wants to attract “the creative class” of hip to its brand, young people whose attention is not easy to attract via traditional advertising. That’s why Hyundai speaks to them via their passion –music.

The global campaign is part of the promotion for the new Asus N Series notebook, and spans 16 countries. Intel and Asus brands, with Jason Mraz, encourage users to share their ideas of the incredible, describe it and upload it, along with any imagery or multimedia content. Through this they want to celebrate the creativity and imagination of people around the world. The winning idea will be made into a short movie, which will premiere at one of the most important film festivals – in Park City, Utah, in January 2012.

This brand partnership with an artist is extraordinary due to the extensive involvement of Mraz in the campaign. The artist will be participating in every step of the project; he composed a song for the campaign and will travel the world ‘in search for incredible.’ The users will be able to follow his trip through documentary videos posted on the project’s website, as well as on their youtube channel. On top of that, Mraz will be a member of the jury that will select the best idea of incredible submitted by the users. He will also appear at the screening of the winning project at the film festival in Park City, Utah, in January 2012. For all these reasons, this partnership is a great example of a collaboration that has taken it to a next level by fully integrating the artist into the campaign.

The song is just the beginning of the artist’s collaboration with the brand. The video shows the rebellious candy mirroring the spirit of the ‘lost kids’ who choose Sour Patch. It will be followed by a World Gone Sour video game. Method Man and Sour Patch have also released a game for smartphones which will be available on iTunes. There are also various competitions on the brand’s facebook page.

For Method Man, this campaign is not the first collaboration with a brand. He has worked with several different companies in the past, as a solo artist as well as during his time as a member of Wu Tang Clan. For this reason, his appearance in a new promotion video is not a surprise. What may be surprising though, is that a kids’ candy brand chose a rap song to promote its product. Why this choice? According to Sebastian Genesio, the Marketing Director for Sour Patch, a hip-hop music video is “the perfect vehicle to convey the sneaky and rebellious behavior of our ‘lost kids.” Through this collaboration, the brand wanted to underline the character of its sour-sweet candy.

And this unusual collaboration has turned out to be very successful, proven by the media coverage and the amount of attention the campaign has received by the global audience. This unpredictable choice of music gives the campaign an amusing touch and allows the brand to play with its own image.

The event, called ‘Craft of music’, is a continuation of Levi’s “Go Forth” campaign. The brand, along with its partners, invites fans to take an active part in creating a series of concerts by choosing the bands that will perform side by side with Primal Scream. The videos from the concerts as well as the interviews will be available for streaming on Spotify and Clash platforms.

“We are thrilled to launch this pioneering music campaign that offers consumers such a unique opportunity to craft a major music event. Our global brand campaign, Go Forth is a rally cry to create positive change and celebrates today’s pioneers and this campaign is a way of reiterating and celebrating this,” says general manager of Levi’s UK – Tim Larcome.

‘Craft of music’ is an interesting case of co-creation because of the extent to which it involves users, who contribute to the project. The users can not only vote for the artists of their choice, but also choose the songs for their setlists as well as suggest the tracks that Primal Scream will perform at the final concert in Brixton. All voters can also win free tickets to the gigs that will take place in Levi’s stores in London. Twelve hundred of them will see the finale concert featuring Primal Scream in Brixton.

The campaign allows Levi’s brand to become closer to its customers via music and co-creation. It does not only offer the customers an opportunity to discover new bands and experience live performances but also lets them contribute to the preparation of the event, which makes the project all the more attractive to users.

Radox Spa collaborated on the project with ambient musicians from Marconi Union and Lyz Cooper – the founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy. The result – an 8 minute long track called ‘Weightless’ which is supposed to provide ultimate relaxation for the listener by using specific tones and rhythms. The effects of the song on the audience have been measured by Scientists at Mindlab International. “The results clearly show that the track,’Weightless’, induced the greatest relaxation – higher than the massage or any of the other music tested. The study confirmed that the Radox Spa track Weightless has the power to soothe frazzled minds and relax stressed bodies,” explains Mindlab’s Dr David Lewis, a leading British Stress specialist.

The track can therefore be an alternative for an expensive massage or a spa retreat. What’s more, its advantage is that it’s easily accessible via the Radox Spa Facebook page, and can be listened to in various locations – e.g. on public transportation. This way, the track makes it possible to relax even in a stressful environment.

The ‘Weightless’ project allows Radox Spa to strengthen its position as a brand that cares about the well-being of its customers, by providing products which allow them to relax and take a break from their busy life. It fits well with the brand’s motto ‘Be selfish’ which encourages the customer to take time for themselves and relax.

The concert is to take place on October 26th in Madrid at one of Spain’s most spectacular bull fighting rings, Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas. With a seating capacity of just 25,000, American Express Cardmembers were pleased to have had the opportunity to benefit from an exclusive ticket sale a few days prior to global ticket release. With the show sold out those who did miss out on tickets, will be able to view a live feed of the concert will through the Coldplay VEVO channel on Youtube. Apple iPhone, ipad and ipod touch users as well as users with an Android system are able to download applications to view the real time broadcast or otherwise view exclusive content and an entire rebroadcast of the spectacle.

The one-of-a-kind performance is to be directed by famous filmmaker Anton Corbijn (The American, Control) who will provide fans with a digital experience. As Chris Martin of Coldplay says “…we’re thrilled to be beaming this concert out to the world through his (Corbijn’s) lens. We can’t wait to share this experience with him and with all of our fans watching “American Express Unstaged” around the world. It’s going to be big.”

Coldplay’s concert is the sixth of the “American Express Unstaged” series launched by the brand last year in partnership with the online entertainment services, VEVO and YouTube. “American Express Unstaged” together with VEVO and YouTube have already hosted performances by Arcade Fire, John Legend & The Roots, Sugarland, Duran Duran and My Morning Jacket. The aim of these collaborations is to bring the live concert and at-home viewing together to provide new music experience. According to Courtney Kelso – vice president, Sports and Entertainment Access Strategy at American Express: “This (…) partnership with VEVO and YouTube not only celebrates the marriage of music and social media, but also demonstrates the exceptional access that American Express provides to Cardmembers and music lovers across the world.”

The song is an outcome of the partnership of Aloe Blacc with Tanqueray brand and is inspired by the values that the brand wants to communicate to its fans. The artist sings about the excitement that accompanies the preparation for a night out after a hard day’s work. Tanqueray brand manager Victoria Olivier explains: “Tonight Downtown encapsulates the start of a night…we are excited to have Aloe Blacc as an ambassador for Tanqueray. It’s important to start the night with a perfect drink and now we can add some great music into the mix.”

The brand and the artist wanted to involve fans in their campaign. For this reason, they launched a competition through the Facebook application GoMix, via which the users can remix ”Tonight Downtown.” This way, the partnership of Tanqueray with Aloe Blacc allows fans to participate in the campaign as well, play with it and show their musical talents. In an interview posted on the the Tanqueray youtube channel, Aloe Blacc reveals how he is … “very happy to partner with Tanqueray to deliver new music to [his] fans” Blacc adds: “It will be exciting to see how people take the elements of “Tonight Downtown” and make something new. I can’t wait to hear what folks come up with.” The artist will review all the submitted remixes and choose his favourite one. The results will be announced online.

The premium gin producer teamed up with a talented artist whose style of music emulates the high quality that the Tanqueray brand represents. The overall partnership helps position Tanqueray as an authentic brand with an affinity for entertaining. Blacc’s “Tonight Downtown” inspires the audience to compose their perfect night out and the remix competition allows users to take ownership of their night. While users are able to add what they want to their mix of “Tonight Downtown” the main ingredient stays the same – Tanqueray.

The project is part of Clarks’ long-term strategy to support and sponsor new music. The partnership with Rough Trade East, the flagship Rough Trade store, is an ideal venue for Clarks Originals to realize their “love affair with music by supporting intriguing talents and hosting exciting live music events.”
Clarks Originals invited several bands, including : Louise and the Pins, The Rassle, Bo Ningen, Little Dragon Earl Gateshead and Jah Buck as part of Trojan Sound System to be a part of the “Original Live” project and perform at various venues.

On Clarks Originals website, fans can learn more about the bands, listen to exclusive music content and interviews as well as win tickets for live performances. On top of all of these attractions, Clarks has also prepared special weekend events that will be announced on their website throughout the duration of the project.

With this collaboration, Clarks Original wants to strengthen their association with music and musicians, highlighting that its products have been “the footwear of choice for music mavericks (and their fans) for decades.”

The car manufacturer has opened an online competition, in which fans can plan their own roadtrip and compete for the grand prize of a new 2012 Nissan Versa. The My Versa Road Trip competition was announced by Britney Spears on Twitter to her more than 10 million followers.

The competition is easy for fans to enter – all fans need to do is go to the My Versa Road Trip website and plan a few essential roadtrip ingredients like where they are going, their roadtrip playlist, and the two friends they want to bring. Nissan has also collaborated with Google on the project by enabling fans to plan their trip via a web application on Google Maps. Once the roadtrip is planned fans are able to share it on their Facebook and the Nissan Versa Facebook page. The competition is open from October 10th, and in November six winning trips will be selected. The chosen contestants will receive a brand new Nissan Versa and go on their dream roadtrip with their chosen friends. As part of continued promotion for the competition the winners will also film their adventures, and these short documentaries will be shown during an online film festival in January.

The project has been a good example of a partnership that is complimentary to both brand and artist. For Nissan there is the benefit of being able to communicate with a wider audience through Britney Spears’ huge fan base. For Britney Spears it is another opportunity to speak with her fans and promote her new album. Activating the campaign primarily through social media results in creating a wider online buzz for both Nissan and Britney Spears.

Coca-Cola Company – the owner of Burn brand—describes the collaboration between Guetta and Burn as an exceptional “ground-breaking” partnership between a brand and an artist. The brand and the DJ share many things in common, especially the passion for music and energy. Emmanuel Seuge from Coca-Cola Company announced that Burn and Guetta want to encourage people…“to be bold, ambitious and fearless.”

Both the DJ and the brand gain a lot from this experience- Guetta says of the partnership : “With Burn, I am able to live out some amazing ideas for new producers to get started – and for my fans, give them a new experience to get close to me – I want to share the energy.” In the upcoming documentary “Nothing But the Beat” Guetta gives his fans the opportunity to have a closer look into the world of house music and explore behind the scenes of his own work. For a preview of the movie go to the Burn Energy Drink youtube channel:

However, the Burn/Guetta ‘Get-together’ ,as the Burn has cleverly coined the partnership, has not been limited to just the music documentary. Burn envisions the collaboration as a chance to develop their online music platform further by launching a remix competition for individuals who are ready to expose their talents to the world. The winner of the competition will have the chance to DJ at Guetta’s dance parties on Ibiza, Spain.

The ‘Be A Rockstar’ website aims to emphasize the rock character of the Black XS fragrance and invites the users to release their inner most rockstar too.The online game allows the user to see the world from the perspective of a musician. By becoming a band member through a series of digital immersive experiences the user is able to see the world from the perspective of a rockstar. Users also have the opportunity to win concert tickets, backstage passes, free downloads of exclusive content and Paco Rabanne Black XS perfumes.

The Universal Music and Paco Rabanne,“Be a Rockstar” project is designed to deliver users exclusive music content. The website is a host to Black XS Off Shows – a series of short documentary films on the life of popular rock bands, starting with Kaiser Chiefs, Two Door Cinema and Cold War Kids, leading bands from Universal Music label.

For Puig, the parent brand of Paco Rabanne,this is its first digital project with an outside partner. “It’s a big step forward in digital,” said José Manuel Albesa, chief brand officer of Puig. For Universal and the artists’ it represents, the project is an opportunity to get closer to their fans. According to Mathieu Baumgartner, in charge of digital media at Universal : “It’s a platform for exposure for our artists that we can’t afford to neglect, and when a brand wants to do it in a way that is consistent with our codes and values, it can only be beneficial for them and for us,” he said.The platform has proven to be very successful and received a lot of online media and blog attention being an example of a brand partnership that allows to establish a new type of relationship between the brand and its consumers.

Dove say ‘female DJs are the newest trendsetters for what is hot in music, style and pop culture’ (Kathy O’Brien, vice president for Unilever’s United States personal care division). O’Brien continues on the girl-power mixers; ‘These 20-something DJs are arbiters of what’s cool and fresh in music, fashion and pop culture. They are sharing personal stories, style secrets and music insights gathered by being on the pulse.’

The DJs can be seen in a video series on MTV and on dove.mtv.com in which each one will share personal stories, style secrets and musical inspirations. On the Dove website, visitors can win trips by answering questions about the video series. They can also try out their own DJ skills on the “Dove go fresh mixmaster”. The three female DJs will also perform at the MTV Video Music Awards and at the New York Fashion week.

Dove started cooperating with musicians in 2008, when the brand teamed up with Alicia Keys for the ‘Fresh Takes’ campaign.

The heart of the campaign is a highly interactive website. Here visitors can listen to the Dutch Metropole Orchestra playing a piece composed for the occasion. Throughout the performance, users can click on each musician to single out their sound and get background information. Each musician also shares a playlist. By separating out the orchestra into individual instrument sounds, Philips showcases the performance of its audio products.

The campaign also features a Facebook page, where users can enter a competition by submitting a song of their own. The winner will be selected by a jury (members are Steve Lillywhite (Obsessed with sound ambassador and ex-producer of the Talking heads), Benjamin Herman (front man of the New Cool Collective) and the Metropole Orchestra). Those selected will see their submitted track arranged by the orchestra’s composer and will get to hear it played by them too.

In the UK, Liam Gallagher also stars in the campaign, drawing the attention to the Philips Fidelio docking speaker range for the iPod, iPad and iPhone.

This involved combing YouTube for videos using Blink-182’s music without permission. These clips were then used in the video for the band’s first single in eight years, “Up All Night”. The band says ‘AT&T helped us search YouTube for every instance of fans using our music without our permission. And then we rewarded them for it.’. It’s a great case of breaking the convention and saying thank you to the fans, just for being fans. Fans who’d used the band’s music and published it on YouTube could win prizes in categories such as ‘Video with the Best Use of Dad’s Bank Account’ or ‘Most Literal Interpretation Of Our Lyrics’.

Blink 182 also appear in a commercial for AT&T, promoting the new HTC Status that comes with a Facebook share button. The band’s fans will also have access to exclusive content on AT&T’s Facebook page.

With the new product, Diageo and Pharrell aim at a new target group: hard-working women who want to enjoy life: ‘Qream was created for contemporary women who work hard and want to relax with friends at the end of the day,” says Williams. ‘I want them to reward themselves deliciously.’ and adds: ‘Women make up half the population and Qream is about celebrating that power. To work with Diageo in bringing something original like Qream and the notion of delicious living to market has been a thrill.’ The end product is a bottle that bears resemblance to a perfume decanter with a taste, according to Williams’, like ice cream. So far, so sweet.

Qream is the second big collaboration with a musician for Diageo, after the brand partnered with Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2007 for their Vodka Ciroc. Combs, who is now a 50% shareholder in Ciroc, drove a significant rise in sales through his tongue-in-cheek ‘Smooth Talk’ sessions online. The cooperation with Pharrell Williams is therefore a logical follow up for Diageo. ‘Williams’ ability to interpret and deliver memorable experiences has the potential to allow Qream to become synonymous with women celebrating life with style, class and quality,’ says Anna MacDonald, Director of Liqueurs Marketing at Diageo. ‘We expect Pharrell Williams’ unique perspective, coupled with his alliance with Diageo, will help Qream set a new standard as the beverage women choose to honor themselves and their accomplishments.’

By entering a code that can be found in the lid of Heineken bottles, users can instantly win music related prizes and enter the sweepstakes for Heineken VIP music experiences. Prizes range from backstage exclusives to Fender guitars. The beer brand lets the music fans choose their prize themselves and thereby tailor the experience to their personal music tastes.

“Last year’s program focused on music content, giving consumers access to unique tracks they could only through Heineken. We have evolved that idea in 2011 to tap into what our target truly craves – great music experiences. By leveraging Heineken’s relationships with some of the most sought after festivals, venues and music partnerships, we are giving consumers access to unique music experiences only Heineken can deliver,” said Frank Polley, Senior Trade Marketing Director, Heineken USA. “Consumers have the option of choosing the music experience that inspire them the most.”

At a concert at Terminal 5 in New York, more than 100 consumers were chosen by LG and Jane’s Addiction to film the concert with the new LG Thrill 4G phones. The footage was then compiled into a 60 minute 3D documentary released on YouTube, thereby creating the world’s first 3D user generated content.

YouTube also offered a live stream, so that fans around the world could enjoy the concert. “It’s a night of firsts. For LG, Jane’s Addiction, YouTube and the technology industry as a whole, the world’s first 3D user-generated concert is an entertainment breakthrough, opening the door to mobile 3D possibilities,” says Tim O’Brien, Vice President of marketing for LG Mobile. “A revolutionary 360-degree stage coupled with Jane’s Addiction’s eclectic performance style will create the ideal setting for a one-of-a-kind concert experience.”

In 2010, the Beastie Boys created a similar experience with their fans. They handed out 50 cameras to 50 fans to cover a show at Madison Square and compiled the footage into a 30 minute video. A year however and the technology means a far better user-generated end result.

The beverage brand is present at festivals like Pinkpop, and can be found on the beach, where a Coca-Cola beach hut not only offers refreshing drinks, but also fine tunes to dance on. And those moves can be shared live via the ‘FaceLook’ face-recognition app.

Coca Cola also spreads some summer happiness through another app called ‘The Never-ending dance of happiness’, with which you can test your dance moves on several music-genres. Unlock new moves by ‘bump’ technology when bumping with other app users. This game lets you earn points and save up for musical summer prizes like festival tickets.

In Belgium and Luxembourg, fans can vote for the coolest terrace on the Coca-Cola site via their Facebook profile. The winning terrace earns the title ‘The Coolest Summer Terrace’ and will receive new garden furniture, Coca cola branded of course as well as free Coca-Cola party gadgets. Now wouldn’t it be cool if the mega Coca-Cola ventilator from the ads was one of those free give-aways.

The Summer Sessions uploads a new music video every week of well-known indie bands like The Vaccines, as well as upcoming artists. But not just any video, all performances have been entirely shot on the Nokia N8. On the brand’s Facebook page, users can watch these N8-filmed performances and check out the bands’ upcoming tour dates.

Both brand and bands benefit from this cooperation, gaining higher exposure and new fans. Nokia promotes young and upcoming bands, thereby enforcing the brand’s connection to a younger audience. And by showcasing the quality of the Nokia N8 shot clips, they also promote their own product.

Other brands have started promoting their camera quality in similar ways. For instance iPhone 4 shot and promoted photo shoots, a television series and even a whole Korean movie called Night Fishing. The latter, directed by Park Chan, used the disadvantages of the iPhone to create unique film material. And last year, with the launch of the iPhone 4, Apple created a PR stunt with a band performing live in a tram, using iPhones as their instruments.

The IFD project didn’t launch in silence; they produced a song with Eight Mile Style – the Detroit based publisher of Eminem. This gospel version of Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’, is sung by a choir that also featured in Chrysler’s ‘Burn of Fire’ Super Bowl ad with Eminem: the ‘Selected of God’ choir. “This new rendition of Lose Yourself is very moving, it is meant to inspire the listener from within and it perfectly captures the emotion felt in the ‘Burn of Fire’ commercial”, says Olivier Francois, Chrysler CEO, resuming about his brainchild: “The Chrysler brand is firm in its commitment to the City of Detroit and we would like to continue to extend the generosity and goodwill generated from the Imported from Detroit campaign launched during this year’s Super Bowl.”

People who got inspired, and want to give back, can download Lose Yourself from iTunes. All money raised goes to three charity projects in Detroit: Abayomi Community Development Corporation, The Yuinon and Robert S. Shumake Scholarship Foundation. Fans can alos show their support on the IFD Facebook page.

Jeff Bass, Principal of Eight Mile Style LLC and co-producer of the original Lose Yourself song, states: “Eight Mile Style is honored to be part of this project that gives back to the City of Detroit. By using the Selected of God choir as its ambassadors, the Imported from Detroit movement now has more meaning than ever – Never Give Up, Always Give Back.”

With the release of this app, Björk has added a new dimension to album marketing. By making the ‘mother app’ free but asking fans to download the other songs via additional apps, Björk is not only exploring new interactive territory but also uses this interactivity for her album promotion.

Users can download the ‘mother app’ for free at the iTunes store and start exploring the universe of Biophilia, navigating a new world and discovering the new album. This first app works as a menu, in which users can roam freely, passing planets named after the album tracks and hearing snippets of music when passing them. While playing a song, users can zoom around the Biophilia cosmos or see the graphic rendering of the track with a lyrics sheet. One track is already pre-installed, but to listen to the others, users have to purchase them via additional apps.

‘We’re entering the age of interactivity. The passive, one-way media will become a blip in human history. Björk has a complete, unified concept where everything is interconnected. The music isn’t dominant, the image isn’t dominant, the interactivity isn’t dominant. Everything works together the way a movie or an opera does.’ claims Scott Snibbe, a media artist and leading app developer who managed the Biophilia project and whose studio created three of the album’s apps.

After cooperating with OPI for a nail polish and with Etoile Nation Beauty for perfumed accessories, Justin Bieber has now launched his own fragrance line, “Someday”.
Bieber partnered up with Give Back Brands for his first fragrance and has been involved in all parts of the creation: “They really let me take the lead on the entire project, because I know my fans better than anyone — from working with the team on the development of the fragrance itself to helping to design the bottle and packaging”, says Justin Bieber.
The fragrance will be offered as an eau de parfum spray, a hair mist and a body lotion. Fans can also download the related Iphone app and engrave the charms attached to the eau de parfum.

All benefits from the fragrance go to charity programs, like Pencils of Promise, Make-a-wish Foundation and School Food programs, as the musician has done it with the revenues from his single “Pray”. “Not only am I able to create a fragrance for all my fans,” Bieber continued, “but I am able to give back to charity, which is a huge priority for me. The people at Give Back Brands really get me, and what I represent and care about.”

OK Go, the US indie rock band known for their outstanding creative music videos with huge viral impact and great number of online fans, have done it again. After the videos for “Here It Goes Again” (2007) and “This Too Shall Pass” (2010) , the band reaches a new level with the interactive video for “All Is Not Lost” from the Album “Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky”. The collaboration is part of the Chrome Experiments, websites that allow Google to showcase the technical performances of its browser, Google Chrome.

For their newest clip the band teamed up with dance troupe Pilobolus and Google Chrome to create a video resembling a choreographed human kaleidoscope, featuring skintight bodysuits. In order to have the best viewing experience, users should watch the video in Google Chrome.

Users start the experience by submitting a message that will be integrated into the video clip, using typography created by Google Japan with the artists’ feet. The video consists of multiple browser windows, linked by the group’s choreography and evolving with the music. If viewed on a Nintendo 3DS, the video even becomes 3D.

“All Is Not Lost” uses similar HTML5 features as Arcade Fire’s Chrome Experiment “The Wilderness Downtown”. Multiple pop-up windows, perfectly choreographed to the music using HTML5’s audio and video tags and an interactive contribution by the viewer. This online experience literally adds new layers and dimensions to the possibilities of making music videos. With the main consumption of music videos shifting to online, we expect to see more and more of this, pushing the technological boundaries further.

The app allows users to play virtual instruments by tapping the screen and shaking the phone and uses the accelerometer to produce the sound of the selected instrument. Users can download the app for iphone or Android for free and start jamming right away. Pringles Crunchband turns smart phones into a electric guitars, a double bass, drums, a mic and the Pringlesshaker. Up to 15 different instruments can be unlocked by scanning barcodes on Pringles cans or becoming a fan of the Facebook page. The cans can also be turned into an amp for a free Pringles can speaker.

The music video for the first single “Bullseye” can be downloaded as an app for Ipad and IPhone. The clip is a character based, narrative music video in which the user follows a creature called You-Me. The ever-evolving world of You-Me is transformed by the music as well as the user’s touch or the tilting of the device.

Swedish musician Robyn has also released an interactive video for her track “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do”. The singer teamed up with agencies Blip Boutique and Stopp Web for an interactive 3D video, created entirely in code and built with user-generated content. Users can tweet using the #killingme hashtag and see their message included in the latter half of the video, creating a unique viewing experience every time.

Interactive music videos are a trend on the up, and the clips are no longer necessarily limited to websites like YouTube. Videos can be released outside of these platforms to allow more creativity and stick out of the mass of released music videos.

Artists seem to be more and more open to fans personalizing and adding to the mix. The most notable and interactive offerings being the Cold War Kids, which let listeners remix the song ‘I’ve seen enough’ while playing it, and of course Google Chrome’s Wildnerness Downtown experience.

Seat already has a history of music collaborations. Earlier this year, Seat and Universal Music won the Music and Brand partnership title at the Music Week Awards for the ‘On track with Seat’ campaign. Currently, the brands’ Facebook fans can win Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. ‘We want to extend our target demographic to encompass a younger age group— which music and social networks are perfectly tailored toward. We’re having to work much harder to engage with our audience so any opportunity that helps create that two-way dialogue is something we want to push,’ commented Seat UK’s head of marketing Steve Robinson.

Volkswagen offers something similar in the Dutch market: In their collaboration with Universal, VW offers music fans 75 free downloads if they bring their company car for a check up during the holidays. VW drivers can choose from a wide selection of Universal’s top artists.

The Radio Maliboom Boom Station Concert Tour will visit 10 cities around the US this summer, starting on July 16th in Miami until September 1st in Phoenix. The concerts will feature Taio Cruz, Ciara and MTV’s DJ Skribble.

At the same time, the brand presents a new bottle design by Nikki Farquharson, who has already worked for BMW and Nike. Concertgoers can also take part in interactive activities, such as a competition to win a meet and greet with the artists. Fans can also win the Radio Maliboom boom airstream trailer. The Station Invasion Concert Tour will be hosted by Radio Maliboom Boom Correspondent Nick Vitale, who won the chance to report on the live events as part of a Facebook promotion.