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Subway, MTV Team To Buzz Up Emerging Artists

Subway Fresh Buzz

Subway and MTV Networks have forged a partnership to bring emerging artists, comedians and musicians to a wider audience through a digital marketing program being promoted as "Subway Fresh Buzz."

The program, which will feature profiles, performances and exclusive content from 20 performers, will be anchored by SubwayFreshBuzz. MTVIggy.com and will be promoted through the MTV Network of Web sites and digital properties, including social media platforms.

"This taps into our consumers' passion points of music and entertainment," Karie Ford, vice president of marketing for Subway Franchise Advertising Fund Trust, tells Marketing Daily. "Social media is a great outlet for us to push our message out, and we're excited to use it."

A video on the site introduces several of the artists who will be profiled through the three-month program. Split in two halves, the video shows the artists working and conversing about their craft. The site has launched with profiles of Keiji Ando, a sneaker painter; Jennifer Chung, an online singing sensation and indie rock band Xylos, pop trio Pow Wow! and online comedy team The Fine Brothers. Two new profiles will be added each week through February.

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The site will offer free merchandise such as CDs, signed photos and work and Subway gift cards, and will feature integrated real-time chat capabilities, while graphics and colors will reinforce the Subway branding. In addition, Subway branding -- denoting the video as part of the company's FreshBuzz program -- will open and close each video and will be transferrable with the content if it's embedded elsewhere).

Promotion of the site will be purely digital, with Subway using its customer database and advertising through MTV's various online properties, including MTV.com, ComedyCentral.com and SpikeTV.com as well as other social media initiatives.

The site came about through Subway's Upfront negotiations with Viacom, Ford says. "We were looking for a way to come up with something groundbreaking," she says. "It's a great way to associate our brand with content that is current."

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