http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmU5YEJkjB0
Are artists going too far?
Last summer, Jay Z released his latest album, Magna Carta Holy Grail exclusively through Samsung before the LP was available for retail nationwide. He went platinum in the blink of an eye thanks to the deal. Earlier this year, DJ Mustard–who is signed to Jay Z’s Roc Nation label–released his album early through Google Play, a frequented but not unanimously celebrated media platform. While media marketing experts everywhere debated the pros and cons of artists attempting to further monetize the release of their music due to the catastrophically low levels at which music is legally acquired in the 2010’s, artists and their labels are becoming increasingly innovative with the monetization methods–Mr. Usher Raymond is the latest to push the line.
He’s already got several singles out, the most popular being the paradoxical “Good Kisser,” and the Nicki Minaj and Pharrell-assisted “She Came To Give It To You,” but his new single, “Clueless,” will undoubtedly be the most scrutinized thanks to Usher and his label’s method of release. Unless you purchase a box of Honey Nut Cheerios, you won’t be able to hear “Clueless,” at least not right away. According to General Mills associate marketing director for Honey Nut Cheerios, “We saw great results from the Nelly ad, as we hope to with the Usher ad. But at the core they have two distinct messages.”
Above, the Usher ad that likely sparked General Mills new infatuation with the bonafide hit-maker.
