Ellie Goulding as a mouthpiece for X-Box?

We were invited along to the X-Box Reverb-sponsored Ellie Goulding gig a few weeks ago in Cardiff. It was in the recently opened Cardiff Arts Institute. Despite having reservations over the way the campaign had made several venues campaign against each other to be the “chosen” venue, potentially driving divisions in a scene small enough to be more unified, it was interesting to watch the buzz swell on Twitter and other social media channels.

We arrived, greeted by a large promo team shipped in from London to grinningly sign people in and ask for their Twitter passwords so that they could tweet what a great time they were having on their behalf every time they passed a special digital “keycard” over several hotspots scattered around the venue. Alongside this, they’d brought in tens of thousands of pounds worth of X-Box consoles, flatscreens, and AV equipment to make this a gig that Cardiff Arts Institute would possibly never see the like of again. For a venue that can hold just a few hundred people the likelihood of a local promoter being able to spend this kind of money on production is infinitessimally small.

And so, as our minds turned to how artists are increasingly aligning themselves with brands over traditional record labels, one of our number returned from a trip to the toilets with a piece of paper they’d
found. It essentially detailed all the things that golden girl Ellie Goulding should say about X-Box when speaking to the press. It was media training on a single side of A4.

It opens with this statement:

“We would ask that Ellie Goulding try, wherever possible, to include these messages as much as

possible when doing interviews.”

Then it continues with these choice cuts that Ellie is requested to casually drop into conversation with journalists:

“XBox is the home of great music experiences, along with great music games like Beatles Rock Band and Guitar Hero. You can also download 100s of music videos on XBox Live”.

“XBox 360 is more than just a games console – it’s an entertainment hub where you can enjoy great music, movies and of course games. Not to mention connect and communicate with your friends and family wherever they are”.

“XBox Live opens you up to a world of great entertainment simply by plugging your XBox 360 into your broadband. Play, watch and connect with your friends”.

There then follows some press gumph about XBox and XBox Reverb (their music community brand). We made a copy of the original piece, and then handed it over to a journalist friend of ours. He later questioned some of the promo team about the document, but they immediately confiscated it and refused to return it. Boo!

While we’re completely open-minded about artists working alongside brands if they feel that’s a legitimate means to an end, and a way to reach their fans, we’re distinctly uncomfortable about them becoming mouthpieces for the brands. Is it too much to expect an artist to regurgitate marketing copy of a product they’re affiliated with, despite the fact that this is increasingly becoming a legitimate means of gaining exposure for your music?

Are you happy with the level of influence that brands are now starting to have over the acts they’re associated with? Or is this no different to them being signed up to advertise a product in the same way that Hollywood actors do with coffee, aftershave, cars etc….?