[identity profile] freakytigger.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] poptimists
Saatchis turns to disposable pop as it creates girl band
by Suzanne Bidlake Brand Republic 10 Apr 2006

LONDON – Saatchi & Saatchi is touting a manufactured girl band, created by the agency, as its latest ad weapon in the battle to reach young consumers.

Marketers will be able to hire the as-yet-unnamed group to promote their brands in their songs, their clothing and what they eat and drink.

Already a drinks company, a consumer goods marketer, an entertainment business and car manufacturers are said to be lining up for the chance to align their products with what appears to be the most disposable incarnation of pop in a post reality-TV world.

Created by Saatchi youth division Gum, the idea aims to surmount the problem of ad clutter by taking brands into a fresh medium.

The agency is understood to be planning to roll out the concept further to a rock band and a comedian if selling pop as a marketing vehicle is successful.

Any similarities between existing brands and the girl band members' stage names -- Mercedes, Chanel, S-Jay and Rockwell -- is said to be merely coincidental.

The girls all hold down day jobs and are being groomed into pop stars with singing and choreography training and styling. It is estimated that the agency might have to send over £200,000 a year to develop the band.

The girl group will make its public debut next month in a "mobisoap" -- a series of minute-long soap opera-style films reflecting their real lives relayed via mobile phones.

Established music talent has already moved closer to marketing brands. Kanye West and four other rappers mentioned Seagram's gin in songs in 2004, and hip-hop acts such as Busta Rhymes and P Diddy lifted cognac sales with the 'Pass the Courvoisier' hit two years earlier.

The idea of manufacturing bands is hardly new with The Spice Girls, Boyzone and S Club 7 all blazing an early trail, which has been followed by reality TV groups Hearsay and Liberty X.

But creating them specifically as a marketing tool is likely to make some wince and question if it is not a step too far.

Whether brand owners will be tempted by the Saatchi girls' entreaty in an early track -- "Anything you want me to be baby, I'll play the part" -- remains to be seen.

Date: 2006-04-11 10:23 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] carsmilesteve.livejournal.com
truly, we are living in the future...

Date: 2006-04-11 10:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] friedslice.livejournal.com
"...manufacturing bands is hardly new with The Spice Girls, Boyzone and S Club 7 all blazing an early trail" !!!!

Date: 2006-04-11 10:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] carsmilesteve.livejournal.com
what are these "mon-keees" of which you speak?

Date: 2006-04-11 10:35 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dubdobdee.livejournal.com
where is beatles band?

Date: 2006-04-11 10:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexmacpherson.livejournal.com
possibility of success = close to zero. i think mcdonald's offered rappers $$$ at some point last year to mention them in their songs and the idea flopped spectacularly.

Date: 2006-04-11 10:41 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sbp.livejournal.com
Although it got a few laffs in Boondocks.

Date: 2006-04-11 10:37 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] carsmilesteve.livejournal.com
the "mobisoap" is kind of more interesting than the pop group bit, perhaps. soap operas returning to their original function?

Date: 2006-04-11 10:41 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sbp.livejournal.com
Well there's a series of behind-the-scenes things on Gurls Aloud on E4 starting tonight.

Date: 2006-04-11 10:47 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sbp.livejournal.com
Ironic that they are saying "ooh, Mercedes-the-girl has nothing to do with the brand", when the brand was named after a girl called Mercedes in the first place.

Chanel is a surname though. And according to Goggle "Rockwell International is a mainstay of the nuclear weapons industry." So they probably didn't pick that one on purpose....

Date: 2006-04-11 10:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] awesomewells.livejournal.com
This won't work - it'll be riven with conflicts of interest, half the media (and therefore teh kids of today) won't want to go near them. Ergo kiss of death for any brand.

Date: 2006-04-11 11:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] awesomewells.livejournal.com
That's my point - why would any self-respecting Marketing Director pay for a completely unknown band to flog, I dunno, Tizer? And more importantly, why would anyone in their right mind pay for them after they've already been closely associated with another brand (ie whoever their first campaign is for)?

Date: 2006-04-11 12:25 pm (UTC)
juliet: Avatar of me with blue hair & jeans (blue hair jeans avatar)
From: [personal profile] juliet
This sounds like it comes from the Onion.

Date: 2006-04-11 02:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] genie22.livejournal.com
Whatever Charlie S throws money at tends to end up a success right?

We've only got half a dead cow to thank him for.

Go back to eating cereal Charles :P

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