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Music!

Symphony Orchestra Plays to Younger Demographics

It’s not a surprise that older people like classical music more than younger people. For the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra (OSB), that trend needed to be fixed. Since most of their audience is older than 65 years, the OSB started playing orchestral themes from blockbuster movies like Jaws, E.T., and Star Wars to show younger people that they had an unknown appreciation for classical music.

Rio de Janeiro agency Artplan also incorporated YouTube videos of film clips to add a visual presence to the experience. As a result, the OSB saw a 40% increase of young people in the audience. The case study gave a healthy boost to the box office draw as well: all of the orchestra’s concerts in the upcoming season are already sold out. Unfortunately, young people still like Kesha more than Wagner, but I don’t think there’s a lot that the OSB can do to remedy that. Credits after the jump.

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Mediabistro Event

Early Bird Rates End Wednesday, May 22

Revamp your resume, prepare for the salary questions, and understand what it takes to nail your interviews in our Job Search Intensive, an online event and workshop starting June 11, 2013. You’ll learn job search tips and best practices as you work directly with top-notch HR professionals, recruiters, and career experts. Save with our early bird pricing before May 22. Register today.

Welcome to the New Red Bull Studios

After battling several “international adversaries” as we’ve been told, Dutch digital shops Momkai was tapped to create a new visual identity and website for Red Bull Studios, which spans a network of ten recording studios from L.A. to New York to London to Auckland. The end results of Momkai’s efforts can be found in the case study clips above and below. The goal of this project for Red Bull, which is based in Austria (news to us), is to give the brand’s studios some digital uplift while helping support creative talent and introducing visitors to both known and unknown artists. Well, it sure beats the hell out the spots we’ve been jamming and practicing at over the years.

And Now, a Little Wake-Up Call from JWT/Casa Brazil

JWT Brazil chief integration officer Mauro Cavalletti and his crew continue their string of quirky projects (remember this?) with this latest app called “91 Rock Clock,” which will wake your ass up–but in progressive fashion–as it veers from soft AM gold to heavier rock tunes (think Metallica and Sepultura). Think of it as a snooze button with distortion. In case you’re not based in South America, 91 Rock Radio is a rock radio staple in SA and…well, let the video above explain things. We’re light sleepers, so we’d probably spring out of bed during an REO Speedwagon track, but if you’re into it, you can go here or here to download the app. Credits after the jump.

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Boards of Canada Unravels Another Piece of New Album Mystery (Updated)

The veteran electronic music twosome from Scotland has been getting very Easter-eggy with the recent publicity for their upcoming album, which may be titled Cosecha. There are sequences of numbers and vague video clips that may have been shot on the Zapruder family camera, and the latest clip above premiered last night on Cartoon Network. But what does it all mean exactly? I’m not sure, but it may have to do with Thomas Pynchon and subliminal messaging.

There is no scheduled date for the album release, and some people aren’t even sure there will be an album. But there is a very, very hazy viral campaign for Boards of Canada that is getting fans hot and bothered and has provoked bloggers to plunge down the rabbit hole and delve into its meaning. So, let’s just assume there will be more puzzle pieces and snippets of new music in the near future.

Update: Well, mystery solved as Pitchfork reveals that there is indeed a new BoC album and it’s called Tomorrow’s Harvest.

And Now, Your Weekly Video Miscellany

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood and you’re undoubtedly going to try and get out early. Our goal is to prevent that via a compelling series of YouTubes that will take up an inordinate amount of time. To streamline, don’t read the copy. Just press it for glory.

5.We don’t usually post videos with so few views, but this cat with the cone of shame on who also gets a can of cat food stuck to his face (due to aforementioned can) should be noted as a bit of glory that a brand can immediately turn into a gif and post to their Facebook, Tumblr, or whatever. Or not because, durrr, legal issues. But still, in a perfect world, this poor bastard would achieve fame for it.

4. And now, the 5th iteration of BMW-like films, this time by Jaguar. Watch as Damian Lewis careens a new F-Type through the desert. I won’t name all the other brands that have done this kind of thing already because that would be rude. Still, I wonder if it’s still interesting. With two days under its belt, the clip has just 26,897 views despite being produced by Ridley Scott(Associates and having music from Lana Del Rey. Maybe there’s something to take away from that – doing what once was wonderful won’t win? Dunno, but seems as such.

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Here’s Some Coachella 2013 Perspective from a GoPro-Wearing, 6’7″ Director/Designer

Since we’ve never been able to make it out to Cali for the annual, now-bloated Coachella festival (we went with “Couchella” this year), we’ll instead enjoy this birds-eye view–literally–from one Chris Crutchfield. The 6’7″ director/actor/motion graphic designer who strapped on a GoPro Hero 3 to give us a “Coachellavated” perspective of the musical extravaganza.

The project was creative directed by Scott T. Chan and produced by his L.A.-based creative studio Whirled, which is perhaps now best known for its annual “Zeitgeist” work for Google. Seeing as we’ll probably never make it out to Coachella though we’ve been saying otherwise every year, we will gladly take this three-minute diversion from the usual advertising news as we head into the late afternoon. Speaking of Coachella, Jimmy Kimmel and his crew getting attendees at this year’s fest to lie about liking bands that don’t actually exist.

Dr. Pepper’s Biggest Fan is Apparently a Straight-Edge Metalcore Guitarist

Meet Andy Williams, a 30-something bearded musician who shares a name with a recently deceased beloved pop singer/actor. Williams hails from Buffalo, New York, eschews the mere notion of a 9-to-5 office gig, and plays guitar in semi-popular hardcore band Every Time I Die.

It might seem to a naive person that Williams has it all: A cool job, musical chops, great friends, adoring fans and a magnificent beard. However, Williams suffers from a debilitating addiction. While his bandmates indulge in the clinically recommended rock star diet (drugs, fast food, booze), Williams battles every day with his 23-flavored soft drink crutch, Dr. Pepper. In fact, as the above video from Dr. Pepper and Code and Theory suggests, Williams cannot even take the stage some nights without receiving his fix.

As with most cases of substance abuse, Williams’ crippling habit has racked up quite the bill over the years. It’s become so bad, in fact, that Williams is now soliciting fans to buy him cans of Dr. Pepper via Twitter. More disconcerting still is that having heard of Williams’ unique problem, Dr. Pepper has decided not to encourage the guitarist to seek the medical attention he requires. Rather, Dr. Pepper is integrated Williams’ story into their “1 of a Kind” campaign, propping up his near lifeless body against a wall and making him pose with a guitar for a giveaway.

Remember, the moment your friend gets a Dr. Pepper tattoo is the moment you start setting arrangements for an intervention. Credits after the jump.

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OK Go Asks You to Direct New Music Video

They’ve already charmed us with symmetrical treadmill dancing and Google collaborations, so it’s no surprise that rock band OK Go is getting creative and innovative for their newest music video. Well actually, it’s you who will get creative, since the band partnered with Saatchi & Saatchi, Talenthouse, and BUG for a contest aimed at new directors searching for exposure.

The latest Saatchi & Saatchi Music Video Challenge, which has involved collaborations with the likes of Moby in the past, lasts until early-May, so auteurs have a few months to get adequately funky and artistic with OK Go’s new single “I’m Not Through.” The rockers won’t be making their own video this time, since they’re still in the studio finishing their next album. Outsourcing for cheap labor, Nike would be proud. We joke; OK Go gets the benefit of the doubt for their quirky videos that have been going viral for years, unlike now, where anything remotely creative/funny/newsworthy/embarrassing gets chewed up and spit out within a few days.

It’s a safe bet that whatever video they choose as a winner will be plenty imaginative. It just won’t recall Rube Goldberg, because they did that already.

Justin Timberlake All Night Long? Justin Timberlake All Night Long!

Well, ad guys and gals, after seven long years we finally have a new album from the 21st century equivalent of late ’90s-era Justin Timberlake, Justin Timberlake.

On Tuesday, JT dropped his third full-length solo album, The 20/20 Experience. While it won’t live up the expectations of those who wanted another FutureSex/LoveSounds, 20/20 is still a very enjoyable listen front to back. For those of you who just want to put on some entertaining jams to dance around to with your friends and/or significant other(s), 20/20 will not fail you. You will smile, you will have fun, and if you’re lucky, you might even feel alive again.

To celebrate the triumphant return of His Timberlake-ness, creative team Amy Matheu and Nick Larson of CP+B Miami have created JT All Night Long, a first-of-its-kind digital experience that allows you to listen to JT’s voice on loop while staring into his soulful eyes via a compilation of music video clips. Do you like your JT vindictive and in the midst of revenge sex? Then watching him record himself while getting his lip bit off from the “Cry Me a River” video may be your thing. What about swaggy zoot suit JT? Well, look no further than his buttoned-up self in “Suit and Tie.” Are you kind of a creep who’s into teenagers? Well then, enjoy some clips from old ‘N Sync videos and stay away from me, you fucking weirdo.

In any case, if you want Justin Timberlake all night long, this is the closest you’ll probably come barring an incredibly elaborate and well-planned kidnapping. For your own sake, I’d suggest this.

360i Minds Behind Oreo Super Bowl Tweet Promote Web Singalong

Singalongs can be messy affairs, like when that guy with the bad voice thinks he can hit soprano notes, or any Journey song comes on at a bar. A tweetalong, however, might be the perfect digital response to help us control our  unprofessional musical urges. Creatives from 360i and the Brooklyn band Rumors teamed up to create a website that might help promote “Slow Down,” a single off of the band’s album XOXO.

The site, essentially a digital singalong, compiles tweets from around the world that hashtag specific words in the song. As the song plays, different tweets pop up alongside the lyrics. And if you want to take a moment to read different tweets, scrolling over the hashtag automatically pauses the song. To continue the song, simply move the mouse again.

This isn’t the first time 360i took an innovative approach to ahead-of-the-curve content. During the Super Bowl blackout, the same Dentsu-owned firm’s creatives slid out some topical content for Oreo (more on it here). Brands have to use Twitter to stay relevant in our culture, but how they go about doing that has been hit-or-miss thus far (with more misses than hits). The success of Rumors will ultimately come down to the quality of music, but this blip on the social radar screen could earn them at least a fan or two.

FYI, Matt Wurst, director of digital communities at 360i, will be keynoting Mediabistro’s April Social Media Marketing Boot Camp. Go here for more info.

Credits:
Senior copywriter: Nick Panayotopoulos
Senior art director: Roberto Max Salas
Creative Technologist: Tore Holmberg from Your Majesty.

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