PROMO PACKAGE Slayer digipak, vinyl, figurine + promo videos

I mention beer as a great example of merch below - you can buy both Slayer and Iron Maiden beer in Luxembourg (Auchan), and Motorhead, plus some other branded wine/spirits if I recall correctly. That this is now a common strategy, especially in heavy metal, can be seen from a simple google ('heavy metal beer'). See this Pinterest for a gallery (pic, right comes from it):

A salutary lesson - I'd tapped out a lengthy post on a smartphone using the Android app ... only to see every word blink and disappear (possibly because the broadband connection flicked off). If using this very useful tool, its worth saving a few times to avoid the risk of this...

NB: As the article link contains a filter-unfriendly term, its below the read more line; the videos featured in the article contain uncensored strong language.  

Multi-editionalising has become the norm, certainly for rock/Indie acts

Here's a new example of a converged, web 2.0 promo package featuring a digipak, vinyl and download options, a range of videos/vodcasts, and even an expensive, limited edition figurine (which clearly anchors the core target audience as being male, and a significant chunk of this being older males, more likely to be able to afford such items!).

The Metal Eagle Edition of Repentless is also available. Made of aluminum alloy, measuring 15” X 17” X 3” and weighing in at a hefty 7.8 pounds, the Metal Eagle Edition will house a deluxe digipak of the new Repentless CD plus bonus material detailed below. The limited (only 3,000 copies worldwide) and numbered Metal Eagle Edition will be a direct-to-consumer item and available exclusively via the Nuclear Blast mailorder online stores.

You really should take note of this - regardless of how simple your brief might be, your ads should reflect not just a digipak but the wider range of options we expect to see today, and you could usefully (and very simply) spin off digipak designs into vinyl editions - after all, the digipak is in large part mimicking vinyl sleeves.

Thrash metal icons Slayer are signed to an Indie label, Nuclear Blast, who astutely exploit the potential of online tools to engage with the existing fanbase and target a new audience for their acts.

Teaser video, VR, crowdfunding, fan engagement - Megadeth are exemplary

social media can be enigmatic...

IN THIS POST:  a quick look at some examples of how Megadeth, a band whose debut album was in 1985, use multiple platforms to engage with existing fans and seek new ones, generating media coverage along the way. Any music video producer can learn from their strategic approach. As I can't access FB + other sites while writing this, I've used limited examples, but you can always look further yourselves.

If you're producing a music video you really should seek to engage with an audience long before you've got to the final cut stage.

Blogging does that to some extent, but being active on social media (Instagram, Twitter, FB...), posting snippets and updates of what you've been doing, should be part of that mix, generating content for a website in turn.

Just as film has the trailer, so many artists are now creating their own (often put out on record company YouTube channels) trailers (see Slayer example on this blog) and even teasers, as with this example from Megadeth (featured in a popular e-zine; marketing involves a mix of social media and publications/channels - such content will typically generate lots of articles in magazines, e-zines, radio...):

Bing (yuck) results galore, showing the success of the strategy to generate attention

Megadeth are an act skilled in keeping a buzz going, over 30 years since their debut album - they're engaging with VR (and note the serializing of the feature too, drip-feeding segments):

Official Megadeth YT channel.

FINANCE & MERCHANDISE: band wine

We've clearly established the importance of pushing tour dates within an ad ostensibly for a digipak, and also the usefulness of pushing an official fansite URL (it is likely these days to feature a subscription package). Here's another example of how bands are seeking to generate revenue outwith sales of their music:

Slayer‘s music is certainly meant to be consumed with an accompanying libation. So it’s no surprise that the band has launched its very own brand of wine, much like Motorhead and AC/DC before them. The first beverage in the brand is Slayer Reign in Blood Red. The Cabernet Sauvignon from California is available solely in Sweden right now, so it’s not like you can cruise on over to the local liquor retailer to nab a bottle for dinner. Yet.
Reign in Blood Red features dark berry fruits and spicy, oak flavors. What could go better with ‘Angel of Death,’ ‘Mandatory Suicide’ or ‘Dead Skin Mask’ than a nice, tall glass of Reign in Blood Red? It’s not lost on us that the band chose red wine as opposed to white for its first foray into the liquor realm.
Rock band-branded wines are popping up with increasing frequency and it’s a smart association, reaching the fans in a totally different way. Besides, what looks cooler on the table than a tall, sleek bottle of wine with a Slayer logo stamped prominently on the front of it?
Go here to check out more details on Reign in Blood Red and to order if you can’t wait to toss some back.

Here's a more detailed rundown, via Roadrunner Records:

California thrash metal legends SLAYER have released their own Sweden-exclusive red wine. The name of the wine, "Reign In Blood", is taken from the band's classic album, which came out in 1986.

In the past few years, hard rock acts like MOTÖRHEAD, AC/DC and KISS have all launched their own wines, and now it's time for SLAYER to join in the battle for the thirsty metalheads, reports Dante Thomsen of the Swedish business magazine Dagens Media.

Behind the launch is the start-up company Brands For Fans.

The fact that Sweden is the first market to enjoy the "Reign In Blood" wine is a well-thought-out strategy.

"Sweden is a good market to start with," says Brands For Fans founder Sari H Wilholm. "We are a small country but we have incredibly dedicated fans, which makes it worthwhile to do the test launch in Sweden."

For the launch, Brands For Fans hired Agent Kommunikation, which designed the bottle and wrote the press release.

According to Wilholm, the response to the wine has been astounding. If the wine is successful, she hopes to export it to other countries.

"The demand has been enormous; we never expected it to be quite like this," she says. "Given the reactions, there seems to be a lot of SLAYER fans out there. Especially the response we have received from Finland, which has a lot of metalheads."

When asked why it was a good idea to launch a SLAYER wine, Wilholm tells Dagens Media, "I think people understand that SLAYER would never sell their name without having been involved throughout the process and having tried and approved the product. That kind of commitment, I think, is different from other artists who release similar products."

She adds, "It is quite unexpected for a band like SLAYER to release a wine, but they are just ordinary guys who like the same things as you and I do."

The wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon from California, is as uncomprimising and tough as the band. After a couple of Seasons in the Abyss, the wine has an undisputed attitude and a soft nose of dark berry fruits with oak and spicy nuances. Good mouth feel with hints of fresh fruit and juicy, smooth tannins. Well structured and rounded with subtle notes of oak, showing true Divine Intervention. Enjoy it while headbanging, riffing or with food, friends and great music. Reign in Wine!

Name: SLAYER "Reign In Blood" Red Cabernet Sauvignon
Item No.: 74527-09
Year: 2010
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Origin: California, USA
Quantity: 6 bottles (cardboard)
Price: 714 SEK (approximately $107) per cardboard box (6 bottles)