Just a warning, this will probably be a longer post than usual, about a topic relating to viral messaging, advertainment, and more.
Ask any of my friends and they'll all tell you the same thing: I love music. Sometimes, it goes a bit further and I sit only researching and buying music from artists I may not like (hello, Britney? I'm still waiting for a response as to why you shaved your heard). Nine Inch Nails is one of those bands... I appreciate the music, but I'm not really a fan. There's a few songs I genuinely like, but that's about it. However, I love Trent Reznor.
Reznor, the frontman and, essentially, the band, is one of the most intriguing people I've never met. I remember reading an article about him and thinking to myself, "This guy is someone to watch out for." Now, I'm glad I did.
NIN has an album due out April 17 called "Year Zero." It's a concept album, based around (from what I gather) 2022 as the year in which everything "starts over" and becomes, well, rather Orwellian. 2022 is actually Year 0000, making 2007, -15 BA with BA possibly standing for the phrase "Born Again." Reznor himself describes the concept as:
"The world has reached the breaking point — politically, spiritually and ecologically. Written from various perspectives of people in this world, Year Zero examines various viewpoints set against an impending moment of truth."
It starts on the back of a tshirt, with letters spelling out "I Am Trying To Believe." That simple phrase sets you on a real-life game to discover what Reznor believes the world will be like in fifteen years.
It's advertainment to me because in the most basic sense, consumers make it into a game. Yes, it's extremely viral - how else could it work - but remember the Lost Experience? That was viral. That was addiction. That was entertainment at its best - even people who don't watch Lost were talking about it. I can't say this campaign will get me actually listening to NIN, but it's certainly gotten me paying attention to Reznor.
Want in on the fun? Go to*:
http://yearzero.nin.com/ (This is the main site for the album)
http://www.iamtryingtobelieve.com/
http://anotherversionofthetruth.com/
http://105thairbornecrusaders.com/
http://www.consolidatedmailsystems.com/nooneimportant/
http://bethehammer.net/
http://churchofplano.com/
*Note: I got these links off the NIN Wikipedia Site, which was created by members of the NIN Echoing the Sound forum.
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1 comment:
This is great info to know.
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