Today's Music News

Armada & Bacardi

'Brand meets band' deal has been signed

27 March 08 - In a move that may well encourage closer relationships between bands and brands, Groove Armada and Bacardi have signed a deal.

It involves a one year marketing agreement where the band will record and release new material and play shows throughout 2008 exclusively through the drinks brand.

Tom Findlay from the band: “I think we need to still be convinced about what a record label can bring to live performances 'cos we’ve done it perfectly credibly for the last 10 years and that’s been our bread and butter.

“So I think before you sort of suddenly take that plunge and sign it over, this seemed like a perfect sort of relationship.”

"It gives us total creative control of what we do and we get a brand that I think has had a long association with music so it doesn’t feel too sort of weird"
Tom Findlay

Tom had more positive things to say about the 'brand meets band' deal.

“It gives us total creative control of what we do and we get a brand that I think has had a long association with music, so it doesn’t feel too sort of weird – it’s a bit of a no brainer really.”

He reckons that deals like this are going to become more common.

“For us it sort of made sense as there was a kind of a void in our lives in terms of having, y’know, financial backing and that sort of support.

“But also….the whole kind of network of pluggers and things that we can tap into here…I don’t see why other bands wouldn’t go down this route.”

You can hear the whole of that interview on the Music Week show this Sunday 30 March from 1pm on BBC 6 Music.

Kelly Stooke

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Comments so far

Andy - Manchester
All those declaring 'Sell-Out' should wake up and smell the coffee - U2 and Apple, Rolling Stones and Microsoft...anyone?, this is a commercial world where weak-nerved record labels pull the plug on talented atrists after 1 ablbum if the sales dont hit a minimum. If I were still in the music business (and thankfully I'm not)I'd be looking for the biggest brand with the deepest pockets, who have no interest in changing the music you play in order to hit minimum unit sales. These brands just want to bask in the reflected glow of something creative and cool and hope that some of it rubs off on their brand appeal - as if Virgin ( record Label) hadn't been doing this with the ubiquitous 'V' for years. Its Called the music BUSINESS for a reason - Grow up and move on !

David Jones. Brighton.
What can you say but SELL OUT!!! Have GA not got enough money behind them from gigs, merchandise, albums (including mixes and compilations), downloads plus goodness knows how much they charge for a DJ set (money for old rope). At least have a bit of self respect and team up with with an ethical organisation and spread their message! I am burning my copy of Goodbye Country hello Nightclub as I type.

Alan - London
Two words.......SOLD OUT

Nick, Liverpool
Lets face it Grove Armada have always been corporate stooges, so this type of deal does not surprise me. Most bands with any integrity will never sign such a deal however, nor will they need to. Follow the radiohead example, cut out all the middlemen and sell your music on your own website for a greatly reduced price and you will make as much, if not more than you would from selling an album in HMV. The best quality bands will suceed in this way as their music will speak for itself and not need to corporate endorsement to promote them. The poorer acts will thankfully fall by the wayside.

Niko Batallones (Manila, Philippines)
If I may share a story from my neck of the woods (the Philippines), a band has signed a deal with a similar drinks brand, and has since been called as a sellout by the listening public. All singles released as sponsorships? I think it didn't help the band, as nobody could request their songs (it was pretty much treated as an ad, even if the song doesn't have references to the brand) and it wasn't charting, thus.If it happens here... well you guys do differently than us.