Link of the day, 15th November 2007: EMI cash in on Radiohead
http://www.music2dot0.com/archives/82
In a sneaky move by EMI to cash in on Radiohead’s unprecedented popularity, EMI had been running a scam ad campaign on Google until the end of last week, purporting to already have the new Radiohead album “In Rainbows” in boxset and CD versions for sale even before the official release in December. In an attempt to obviously mislead and cheat users, EMI used the phrase “Rainbow” in the ad which appears as a paid listing at the top of search results when users searched for the keyword “Radiohead” in Google.
My friends at Music 2.0 wrote about this in detail. There is also some coverage at NME, which is at;
Radiohead and former label at war
http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/32491
Radiohead speak out about box set mix-up
http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/32494
I'm trying to find a suitable comparison for the situation.
Radiohead = That hot girl that everyone wants to date.
EMI = former boyfriend.
Radiohead and EMI ended their long relationship a few years ago and Radihead was out of the party scene during that time. Her ex, EMI used to handle all her parties in the past, all that Radiohead had to do was to think up the content, get the show together, tell EMI about it and EMI executed. For a cost, that is. EMI was running all the fulfillment that Radiohead required.
Granted, EMI helped out Radiohead early on in her party life. EMI named her a "freak" and catapulted her onto the international party/socialite scene. But somehow, in the back of Radiohead's mind, she didn't like the contrived nature of EMI's parties and having to pay a lot of her own money that she made out of being a party to EMI.
So, she was out of the game for a while, thinking about herself, what she wanted in life. She knew she still wanted to party, but this time thought, "Hmm, meibi I can do itz maself".
She thought, "I need to party, dahling" and decides to invite some friends over for a big do. A big get together. She named it "in_rainbows".
Invitations. She sends out the invitations out herself, using a new computer network, called the INTERNETZ. Before, all the invivations were handled by EMI, mostly in the form of a digital disc that had outlined the party and one had to contribute a relatively fixed sum to join the party.
During that time, some of the scenesters were using digital methods of party invivations, that seemed rather interesting to Radiohead. So she thought, she'd try it herself, but instead of enforcing a relatively fixed price, she said "dahling, you can name your own price to my partee". But for those people that wanted the whole presentation, she offered them an extra special invitation that costs more than what an EMI invitation was, but Radiohead promised that it would be "special".
During this time, EMI had to look at all of this from the sidelines, for their relationship was no more.
But, EMI had the old party invivations, indeed, a work of art, but from the past. Hmm, EMI thought to himself.
"Kaching".
Catering. Radiohead wanted EVERYONE to come to the party, so she thought, she should do out the invitations like she always used to do, in the form of a digital disc, that would be widely available in the known capitalist nations.
Previously, Radiohead had to use the catering company that EMI, her former boyfriend runs. With their relationship, Radiohead usually ended up with about 15% of the door, but with a buffer stating that 20% of the door might have broken invivations.
Instead, she sees that can send out the inivtations pretty effectively via the internetz, so she think that the cartering can be aquired locally. There must be enough party lovers out there that can do the same or exceed the quality of work EMI had done for her. And there was.
Radiohead wanted some international cuisine. Whilst she was dating EMI, EMI sorted it all out for her, through the various subsidaries EMI have. But, EMI's services were paid for by Radiohead, at a premium. She partners with a company in America for the bugers and BBQ, a company in Europe for the cheese and wine, and a company in Japan for the sushi. Sounds all rather hunky dory.
What made it even better for her was that she got 50% of the door. Once all the flyers, balloons and other costs were accounted for, her local caterers and Radiohead split the costs, 50/50. There might still be a 20% buffer for broken invitations, but she still got 50%, it was a joint venture, a partnership. And, she didn't have to commit to multiple parties.
Great deal. Wow.
EMI, being the jealous kind, gets a bit cross. For the fact that Radiohead left EMI to lead her own life of independence, and the fact that her new party isn't going to make a dime for EMI. Time to get the old invitations, repackage them, and do EMI's own party, but without the main attraction, the warmth and love that Radiohead brings. Radiohead is a live, warm, blood pumping human being, not just a brand stuck onto the invivations.
EMI decides to throw their own party, but he lied, saying that Radiohead is coming to it, and the party is called "rainbows". EMI put out an ad about the party called "rainbows" on google, the biggest classifed on the internetz.
"in_rainbows"
and
"rainbows"
???????
Those that can't wait to go to Radiohead's party "in_rainbows", does some searching on google classifieds for pictures of Radiohead. What they get instead, is EMI's parrrty "rainbows" which Radiohead ISN'T going to be at.
Hmm.
Some fans, thinking that the old invitations are worth something, decide to buy them. But the old invitations cost a lot. As much as the latest party "in_rainbows" costs. But EMI's party is old, without the main attraction in presence.
Sounds like a thumbs down to me.
Paint the whole world with a rainbow!
It's all done in the best possible taste!
and here's the original. cupid stunt <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
and on a more serious note, here's a good "current" summary of the waves, as of November, 2007. courtesy of Coolfer.
http://www.coolfer.com/blog/archives/2007/11/what_radioheads_1.php
i say, get the party started.
