It’s not fu@%ing marketing. I’m not trying to sell anything. – Trent Reznor, NIN,Wired 01.2008
This is what Trent Reznor, lead singer of Nine Inch Nails, had to say about the alternate reality game (ARG) component of his new album Year Zero. (Note: if you haven’t heard the ARG term before, think of all the online components that surround LOST or the Audi A3 art of the heist campaign). Interestingly he deflects this add-on to his music as a progression of the intricate story lines and liner notes that accompanied the traditional concept album, but denies it’s selling potential. Now in a digital age free of the printed CD accompaniments Reznor has turned to this online technique to tell the story. I think this is genius, not just because this seems to be the next logical step in concept albums, but because of the level of engagement NIN and their ARG partner, 42 Entertainment, were able to achieve through the game.
Games are about engaging with the most entertaining thing on the planet…which is other people. – Jordan Weisman, 42 Entertainment, Wired 01.2008
It all began with a jump drive, containing a copy of a NIN song withering away to the sound of crickets, which was surreptitiously left in a concert arena bathroom. This file was then loaded on a fan forum like Echoing the Sound, setting in motion a chain of clues, 30 connected websites, and events that would eventually touch 2.5 million fans before the album was launched.
Where I have to throw the bull-s#!t flag is when Reznor says this isn’t marketing. This new form of engagement may not be what traditionally comes to mind when you think of marketing (i.e. TV ads, distribution deals, street teams, etc.), however in my opinion this is definitely marketing. The main goal of communication is to engage the audience, and I can’t think of a more immersive experience than this. To me ARGs are just another available tool in a marketer’s tool box that can be used to communicate with a group of people. This nomenclature and weighted connotations that follow words like “marketing” and “advertising”, which all seem tied to the traditional methods of the past, make it harder to talk about what it is that we actually do as marketing and advertising professionals. For this reason I am happy to see that my esteemed alma mater has now changed its name from VCU Adcenter to the VCU Brandcenter. What the school teaches stretches way beyond the bounds of what is typically considered advertising and it is great to see an outward representation of this with a heartfelt stake in the ground. So to me, Reznor is just using a new method of engaging his fans, creating a more entertaining and immersive experience for them and in the end selling albums, that is marketing 101.
Southern Planner 