• April 22, 2008

RCA Records has partnered with WeeWorld to promote singer/songwriter Alicia Keys' "As I Am" tour. The campaign--the second that the label has launched in the avatar-based online community--will utilize WeeWorld's email newsletter, branded items like clothing and accessories, as well as an in-world scavenger hunt.

As part of the promotion, Keys has designed items like a piano and posters for WeeWorld users' rooms, t-shirts for their avatars, as well as a secret prize for an upcoming scavenger hunt. The campaign is similar to RCA's initiative for pop star Avril Lavigne that launched earlier this year, which featured custom-designed branded merchandise and in-world multimedia.

According to Lauren Bigelow, WeeWorld's general manager and senior vice president of marketing, this latest promo is indicative of marketers' growing confidence in WeeWorld's utility as a social marketing tool. "We've had great success offering our advertising partners groundbreaking alternatives to reach the coveted youth demographic," Bigelow said. "We are helping brands connect with consumers in a way that speaks to them and gives our users a voice."

--Tameka Kee