A backwards approach proved to be forward thinking in the marketing of the new Oasis album “Dig Out Your Soul.”
The conventional litmus test for a hit CD is that the music seeps into mainstream culture–or at least pockets of culture–resulting for example in hit songs being performed by street musicians, each offering his or her own unique artistic rendition or variation of the original.
However BBH New York creative directors Calle and Pelle Sjonell turned that dynamic on its ear. In a world where established bands are protective of their music, with labels paranoid about a cut being leaked online or elsewhere prior to an album’s release, BBH’s approach was instead to share several new Oasis songs with New York street musicians. These artisans then performed the pieces one day (on Sept. 12) in their own styles in Manhattan subways and public venues–prior to the actual release of the Oasis album containing those songs.
So the music got its first exposure in the streets, with a heads-up for Oasis fans posted on the band’s website. People came to subway venues to hear what Oasis had in store–and other folks who just happened to be going about their daily commute got an earful as well.
A placard at each venue read, “You are the first to hear this Oasis song.”
The event got loads of coverage in consumer and trade press, generated genuine grass-roots buzz and interest in Oasis’ latest work.
When the album launched, it immediately hit the number three slot on the U.S. version of iTunes and number 11 on Amazon.
Warner Records, the label for Oasis, had been in discussions with BBH on other projects. The Sjonell brothers approached Warner with the idea of taking new music to the streets in order to launch a band’s album. The creatives were looking for the right album to act on that concept–and along came Oasis’ new CD. Warner and the band embraced the idea.
“It was just about creating an opportunity and then opening it up to others,” related Pelle Sjonell.
Among the others was BBH tourism client NYC & Co., which through this initiative realized its goal of providing New York visitors and locals with an unprecedented, memorable experience. The CD launch was of special interest to one sizable visitor segment in particular, Europeans.
In terms of promoting New York City, the project was a major success. Traffic on the NYC & Co. website (nycvisit.com)–which carried footage of the subway music debut performances–increased 15 percent on the day of the event.
At press time, a documentary chronicling the event and what led up to it was being cut. Directed by the Malloy Brothers (Brendan and Emmett) of bicoastal/international HSI Productions, the film shows Oasis band members meeting with the street musicians at a studio venue and providing them with music from the new album.
Oasis then heard the different interpretations of its music as performed by these street artisans.
The Oasis members seemed genuinely moved to see and hear the street musicians. Oasis singer Liam Gallagher, said Pelle Sjonell, noted that the street performers reminded him of when he was a youngster starting out, fueled by his love of music.
“This is an unknown community of musicians,” related Pelle Sjonell. “But there are some great performers and players in this community. They have to get a license from [New York subway authority] MUNY to be able to perform. They are the cream of the street crop.”
The documentary gives us a sense of the passion and talent of these street performers, including Nicole Holz, Michael Shulman, Dominic del Principe, Thoth, Jason Stuart, Dagmar, Suki Rae, Theo Eastwind, Next Tribe and Majestic K. Funk.
And the Malloy Brothers captured the subway performances themselves. Five cameras were deployed for the film, which also showed the performers connecting with enthusiastic crowds. The music seemed to strike a responsive chord.
As SHOOT went to press, it was yet to be determined exactly how the documentary would be used. Suffice it to say, though, that the film conveys the spirit of the street performers, the Oasis members and the receptive audiences–all united by a genuine love for music, and for experiiencing the music. Heightening that passion is the excitement of being party to the debut of music never heard before publicly.
Pelle and Calle Sjonell worked in close collaboration with the music video pioneering Malloy Brothers, whom Pelle Sjonell described as being the ideal choice for the project. The Malloys have a host of lauded music clip and film credits amassed over the years, working intimately with assorted notable bands, musicians and vocalists spanning different genres…
“The Malloys have both the documentary and music sensibilities to do full justice to this job and what it entailed,” affirmed Pelle Sjonell. “They got it right away and it was great to see them go about their work.
“It’s all about the music,” he continued. “The documentary celebrates music and musicians. It shows that you don’t have to have a polished music video or a perfectly recorded soundtrack to get your message across to an audience. The bottom line is that it’s all about the songs and the performers–and if they’re good enough, they connect with people.”
Speaking of connecting, Sjonell observed, “We went with a nontraditional way of doing things in a traditional business. The lesson learned from both the advertising and marketing perspectives is that sometimes you have to change the rules.–perhaps even more so today with a changing, constantly evolving media landscape.
“The street musicians were our media–they connected with the people whom we wanted to see the product, and in this case the product was the new album,” continued Sjonell. “You don’t have to broadcast widely and spend a lot of money to hit those you want to hit. There are discussions everywhere about different ways to reach an audience–a television commercial, a viral spot, YouTube, a documentary, a short film, different elements working together to create a good experience. And a good experience generates positive word of mouth. This work for Oasis was a good example of new media today.”
At press time, sales of the Oasis album propelled it to number one in the United Kingdom and Italy, number five in the United States (the band’s first top 10 stateside showing since ’97), number one and two, respectively on Japan’s international and domestic charts, number two in Ireland and Switzerland, number four in France, number five in Australia, number six in New Zealand, number eight in Germany and Sweden, number nine in Belgium, number 11 in Norway, number 13 in Denmark and Austria, and number 14 in Spain and Finland.
Gene Hackman and His Wife Are Found Dead In Their Santa Fe Home; Oscar-Winning Actor Was 95
Gene Hackman, the prolific Oscar-winning actor whose studied portraits ranged from reluctant heroes to conniving villains made him one of the industry's most respected and honored performers, has been found dead along with his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, at their home in Santa Fe, N.M.
Foul play was not suspected, but authorities did not release circumstances of their deaths and said an investigation was ongoing.
Hackman, 95, Arakawa, 63, and their dog were all dead when deputies entered their home to check on their welfare around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday (2/26), Santa Fe County Sheriffโs Office spokesperson Denise Avila said.
Hackman was a frequent and versatile presence on screen from the 1960s until his retirement. His dozens of films included the Academy Award favorites "The French Connection" and "Unforgiven," a breakout performance in "Bonnie and Clyde," a classic bit of farce in "Young Frankenstein," a turn as the comic book villain Lex Luthor in "Superman" and the title character in Wes Anderson's 2001 "The Royal Tenenbaums."
He seemed capable of any kind of role โ whether an uptight buffoon in "Birdcage," a college coach finding redemption in the sentimental favorite "Hoosiers" or a secretive surveillance expert in Francis Ford Coppola's Watergate-era release "The Conversation."
"Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity," Coppola said on Instagram. "I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution."
Although self-effacing and unfashionable, Hackman held special status within Hollywood โ heir to Spencer Tracy as an everyman, actor's actor, curmudgeon and reluctant celebrity. He embodied the ethos of doing his job, doing it very well, and letting... Read More