Battle Of The Brands
Ladies and gentlemen, we live in interesting times. Aeroplanes are falling from the sky, Leslie Ash is taking millions of pounds OUT of the National Health Service without providing any major health-related service beyond being a bit of an MRSA sponge, and the ´óÏó´«Ã½ is taking heat from people who pretend to be pop stars for a living because they claim The One And Only is making , which does take the pot and kettle thing into a whole new kitchen.
And now, as if to put yet another cherry on a particularly rich cherry cake, it has been revealed that EMI records is considering placing corporate ads on their future releases, in a new and bizarre business model which could theoretically see Coldplay's next album being part sponsored by Coca-Cola or McDonalds.
The idea apparently comes from EMI's new owners Terra Firma (nothing to do with the Young Knives song of the same name, apparently), and comes part of a series of measures they're taking to try and keep up with the effects of what we're going to have to call 'web stuff' on their finances - they also told the press that 2,000 jobs would have to go, which is something like a third of their staff.
In the light of which, it does kind of make any complaints Chris Martin (or Kylie, or Supergrass, or anyone else on EMI's roster) may have about taking corporate sponsorship hard to express. I mean it's one thing to claim that your art is being compromised by the placement of a McDonalds logo in your CD insert, but in the face of massive job cuts, that might just seem a little insensitive.
On the other hand, it's Coldplay, innit? If adverts appear on their CDs, won't that damage the the thing they do to such a degree that it might actually harm sales? I mean if they're that band who stand tall against the evils of corporations and their steamroller diplomacy, won't some of their fans feel let down?
Mind you, it could drive the sales of Coldplay downloads - which will presumably be ad-free - through the roof!
Comments
MSSA, not MRSA. Who knows what the difference of one letter does?
[Believe it or not, I agonised about whether to go with the medically correct term, or the one which most people will understand. I do appreciate that it's like calling flu pneumonia, mind. - Fraser]
If adverts appear on their CDs, won't that damage the the thing they do to such a degree that it might actually harm sales
You've got 2 the's!
[I was temporarily lost for words, which is why the next word is 'thing'. Oh alright, it's a typo! - Fraser]
Lols.. two comments.. two corrections!
Who are these people anyway? I heard something about Sir Robbie threatening to go on strike?! What does that even MEAN considering he's done pretty much nothing for the last couple years anyway..??