Part of the problem is I don’t understand the award categories. While the Emmys and Oscars have Best Actor/Actress and Best Supporting Actor/Actress, the Grammys have awards for Best Song, Best Album and Best Record. Aren’t those all the same thing? Plus, the past few years the Album of the Year award has gone to albums no one has even heard of and acts well past their prime.
So why am I even talking about the Grammys this year? Because its new advertising campaign entitled “Music Makes Us” is ridiculous awesome! While the Music Makes Us ad campaign has been running on television, in print, online and on the radio for weeks, it’s the print ads that really have The Blot excited (click here or here to find out more).
It features current and former nominees with their likenesses made up of lyrics from songs that influenced and inspired them as artists. While some collages reference little known artists, others like Lil Wayne and Rihanna’s “pays tribute to Jay-Z’s ‘Can’t Knock the Hustle’ and” Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name” respectively. (link) As you can see from the photos in this post, the Grammys’ new ad campaign features some seriously heavy hitters from the music industry including Coldplay, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, Lenny Kravitz, Kanye West and Stevie Wonder.
Evidently the Celebrate The Music Makes Us ad campaign was created in direct response to “the Grammys suffering their lowest ratings since 1992,” but for whatever the reason I think this is a bold move in the right direction for the world’s preeminent music awards show. (link) Just think, if the ad campaign is this revolutionary what might they have in store for the actual ceremony? It might just be just enough to get me to actually tune in this year.
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards air this Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 8/7c on CBS.
