Call off the search

Talent searches are so over

What?: Talent searches are reaching saturation point, just when will the public and ultimately brands finally tire of this formulaic format? * XM and MySpace are combining forces on an online hip-hop and R&B talent search called “Show Us What Ya Got!” The overall winner will create a mixtape with a yet unnamed DJ.

* Virgin megastores is to host a battle of the bands competition. The winners will be given access to an A&R rep from Immergent Records and a Virgin Megastore consignment deal.

* Smirnoff and MTV Latin America are partnering up to find the best unsigned act in Latin America and the Caribbean. The eventual winner will receive a $50,000 recording contract.

So what?: American Idol has a lot to answer for; its lucrative business model of revamping the dated talent show contest has provided many brands with an easy route to market.

Costs are minimal for the brand and the public gets introduced to new music, surely that’s a winning combination? No, it’s lazy. Both consumers and unsigned bands want more than a lottery system for listening to and promoting their music.

When the rug is pulled from under American Idol it will hopefully have made enough cash from its 4 billion endorsement tie-ins that it won’t care. For everyone else, it will pay off more to invest in something more creative.

See this months Five Eight for some guidance on creativity: www.fiveeight.net

www.virginmegamashup.com