Nike takes gaming to the streets

Nike’s experimental Alternate Reality Game (ARG) campaign is set to kick start this Friday across London. The footwear brand is promoting both its products and a positive fitness message via Nike Grid, a 24 hr urban running game that divides the capital into a game-board of 40 competing postcodes. The location-based game sees users registering online  and then running between telephone boxes, entering 4-digit codes as they go, in order to receive points. (Apparently locations will be monitored to stop users from donning skates or hopping on a bus)

The activity owes much to location-based service Foursquare, as it utilises the service’s ‘badges’ concept enabling participants to acquire badges for speed, endurance and stamina during the event. The person who manages to collect the most points in a particular area claims that postcode’s crown’ (aping Foursquare’s ‘Mayor’ status)

A promotional ad has been running online featuring London grime artist Tempa T – who created a track especially for the event -  encouraging users to get involved.

Gamers are in many ways a disconnected community despite their deep online social connections. A console gamer dispatching opponents on Call Of Duty, or thrashing a competitor on a sports game, has no more than an ID for reference. Likewise games such as World Of Warcraft are ultimately shrouded by the virtual self as users create uber idealistic identities online. ARG’s – which blend the real with the fictional, the digital with the actual – play out with a far more human touch. Confined by consoles, a clutter of Guitar Hero peripherals and deep MMORG networks, gaming is now looking for a new tangible lease of life outside the screen.

ARGs have been growing in popularity for a while now, but what is particularly interesting about this one is the use of ‘found’ or existing tech – in this case virtually obsolete phone boxes – as the centre piece for the concept.  With the advent of Augmented Reality and the ability to layer the real environment with digital media, the opportunity to explore the city – the reality you find yourself in everyday – suddenly opens up into an exciting and constantly morphing playground for brands.

Brands see the value of music

This week saw the 50th edition of the Brands Bands Fans newsletter. Since its inception in May 2007 – and the subsequent launch of our blog, Twitter feed, events and panels, we have covered a vast and ever expanding selection of brand and music partnerships and marketing activity. We hope you’ve found it as invaluable as we have and that it has opened your eyes to the full spectrum of opportunity available within music.

What our ongoing involvement in this space has consistently impressed upon us is the break neck speed of activation; it is relentless, ever-evolving, adapting and diversifying. However, in many ways it is hard to keep track with hundreds of branded music campaigns springing up each month. Many of these can fly under the radar in such a busy marketing environment, and we hope we’ve managed to capture the heart of the brands and music zeitgeist over the last few years. We’ve uncovered some marketing gems along the way, from innovative digital platforms harnessing the power of social media; right through to intimate gigs bringing fans closer to the music they love.

Despite a perceived lull in marketing spend, 2009 has been among the most creative and active years for music marketing, with brands recognising that music touch points offer a longevity of consumer traction that few other routes to market can match. With green shoots of economic revival sprouting as we approach the year’s end we envisage that this level of creativity will continue throughout into 2010. And, as ever, we’ll be there to capture the very best as it happens across the globe.

So What?: For all the campaigns that we cover are any of them cutting through? Do music fans even want brands involved with the music their hold so dear? The answer, it appears, is a resounding “yes”. Exclusive research from FRUKT Music Intelligence’s ‘Brands and Music Manifesto 2010’ (more details on back page) can reveal that consumers are increasingly more accepting of brand involvement in music. A nationally representative survey undertaken in the UK depicts a nation that has moved away from the old concept of seeing bands as “selling out” by aligning with brands. In excess of three quarters of consumers now believe music is an important factor in brand engagement, with 86% open to brands that enrich their experience of a product with music tie-ups such as downloads, festival sponsorships or live music events. The research also highlighted how 31% of 16-18 year-olds, and one in five adults, say music drives their choice of brand if the involvement adds value.

“Brands Bands Fans was created in order to highlight the myriad of music oriented marketing activity, innovations and trends across the globe. Over 100,000 words later, since our very first Pepsi story, we are still delivering a resource unmatched in the industry. A little light analysis shows interestingly, that we’ve covered significantly more activity from the US than anywhere else on the planet, and that MySpace, Sony, Nokia, Samsung and Coca-Cola rank as the most ‘busy’ brands in music according to their respective citations in BBF. It’s so positive that so many brands are now beginning to explore the potential of music – and to understand it’s not just a TV sync or an opportunity for a bit of ‘cool’ by hanging out with new bands… but that music is a vast cultural space.”
Jack Horner, Creative Director, FRUKT

FRUKT Brands and Music Manifesto 2010

97% of consumers like or love music*
…but how can brands harness this passion?

Packed with insight including:
• FRUKT’s vision for 2010
• Building relevant artist endorsements
• Maximizing live music’s potential
• Delivering successful campaigns
• Differentiating music activity
• New research, essays & case studies

* FRUKT Research, as featured in the special report

Download the sampler here

Only £150 or get it for free when you subscribe to FRUKT Music Intelligence (£400pa).

To subscribe, or to order your copy, contact Dudley Ashton:
+44 (0)20 7017 8146 / sales@fruktmusic.com

Nokia is once again turning a part of London into a roller disco, as it rolls out Nokia Skate Almighty for a second year. The event offers up a free hour of skating accompanied by DJ’s and live performances from Little Boots and Calvin Harris. Nokia is to offer an exclusive remix of the Little Boots track Remedy (A1 Bassline remix) via the Nokia Music Store and Comes With Music for four weeks. The skate park will be open from 6-9th August at Potters Field, next to Tower Bridge

skatealmighty.nokia.co.uk

No flies on this poster campaign

Britney Spears, Leona Lewis and Christina Aguilera get a pasting in Berlin. An underground billboard has been ambushed with lovingly applied Photoshop stickers depicting how the images may have been altered. Undeniably clever – even if it is slightly lost on the average non-Photoshop-using passer by. Ironically though, it probably draws even more eyes to the artists in question than it would have done minus the stickers.

More photos available here