Virgin/EMI to Hold Virtual Concert in Whyville.com

Virgin/EMI to Hold Virtual Concert in Whyville.com

source: http://www.marketingvox.com/archives/2006/12/08/virginemi-to-hold-virtual-concert-in-whyvillecom/

Virgin/EMI is promoting a concert this weekend for one of its young recording artists, pop/R&B singer Stacie Orrico, but don't look for it in a stadium or theater - it will be presented on the virtual world of www.Whyville.com.

Whyville.com, described as an edu-tainment virtual world for the tween-age generation, is creating the concert for Orrico, whose target audience is 8-15-year-old kids, reports ClickZ. The event will include 45 minutes of songs performed by an Orrico avatar and will also make it possible for attendees to purchase Orrico's songs or ringtones, in addition to virtual souvenir sales and an eBay-based charity auction for the virtual clothing that Orrico's avatar will wear during the event.

"We're excited about it. We think it's a perfect target to hit Stacie's primary demographic, which are teens," Aaron Simon, director of marketing for Virgin Records, is quoted as saying. "It's the very first virtual program that we have done with any of our artists. We would definitely want to continue it. It's something that is so important when you're a teen artist to really get in front of your buyers. In front of your fans."

Whyville has just under two million "tween citizens" and is preparing for as many as 6,000 of them to attend the concert, said Jay Goss, COO of Numedeon, Whyville’s parent company. The concert is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m. Pacific time.