Downloads go overboard
September 26, 2007
Surf’s up on iTunes
What?: Quicksilver has teamed up with iTunes on a promotional campaign to mark the release of Young Guns 3 (no, not the 1980s Emilio Estevez Western). Young Guns, the third in a series of surfing films, will be promoted via the distribution of 60,000 Quicksilver iTunes cards. The cards will enable a free soundtrack album download featuring a host of Australian and international music talent, with bands such as Cut Off Your Hands and Mercy Arms. The campaign will run in Quicksilver stores and feature in Tracks (a surfing magazine) as well as a Fuel TV campaign. Each card features a unique code in order to active the download from iTunes. The download also features Podcasts and playlists from renowned surfers Kelly Slater and Dane Reynolds.
So what?: A free album of new Australian music on a unique download card. Imagine our excitement. But no, we fell foul of Apple’s territorial pricing structure, meaning no access outside Oz’s iTunes store. Damn!
Even so this is a great idea, linking in Quicksilver, the film and great upcoming bands such as Operator Please. As ever, no one knows the financial nature of an Apple deal, but what the joint companies are delivering here seems right on the button. The campaign promotes new acts to a wide sport-orientated community in a targeted, simple and well-executed manner. Engaging celebrity surfers and their playlists also adds to the package; its just a shame it doesn’t have a wider global remit for promoting Australian music.
Downloaded the release and there are some seriously great tracks on there! Slick design too, very nice indeed..