Micki Boas is Planning Director – Youth Connection at SaatchiNY. In her career she spent some time working at Jive Records. After her career at Jive she worked with a variety of artists on strategic marketing projects. Recently she collaborated with Contramano on an innovative piece of Sisomo called “When you Need Them.” Below are some of her thoughts on why the idea works so well.
Against The Traffic
My passion is music. And, prior to my time in advertising, I was lucky enough to translate my love into a job working with inventive artists at a label. I learned so much about how to take messages to the street in unique ways. I had always thought that my dream job would be managing a band. I had the privilege to give this a try with a creative, driven, indie-alt rock band named Contramano.
Contramano is an Argentinean band by way of Brooklyn, and their name in Spanish translates into “against the traffic.” It’s a great name, but what’s even better is the way that they’ve truly extended the concept into their brand mantra for years. As a band you have the freedom to experiment, push boundaries and compose the future. It’s a way of thinking that’s just as important in our industry when we ask clients to move with us towards the unknown.
A Transmedia Tale
Their insistence on pushing boundaries is obvious in their latest, truly original endeavor. Most bands have always created a series of separate music videos written to make individual statements within an overall album. Not Contramano. Their new album is a Gen Y rock opera portraying the social commentary on the age of Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. It’s called “When You Need Them,” and it focuses on the interpersonal relationships and ability to interact in a basic social situation with the advent of new technology.
It’s amazing how great a final product can be when a simple idea is at the heart of it. I hope you enjoy the (above) sneak peak. It’s a perfect example of what happens with hard work, a small budget and the will to approach a project thinking CONTRAMANO.
Contramano is currently seeking distribution deals and partners. We are exploring topics for the next content piece which explores the ups and downs of dating in 2011.