O2 customers will be treated to a UK premiere of OutKast’s brand new music video later this month, with the American duo choosing O2’s mobile platform to showcase their latest single exclusively to music fans before it appears on any other medium in the UK. This exclusive deal is part of a renewed partnership between O2 and Sony BMG, which now not only incorporates ringtones but full tracks to mobile and PC as well as video downloads. From Monday 24 July 2006, O2 music fans will be able to receive an exclusive first viewing of OutKast’s energetic video antics in their brand new video release ‘Morris Brown’ – one week before it airs elsewhere! To tie in with the launch of OutKast’s latest single on Monday 4 September, O2 customers will also be able to download bespoke versions of ‘Morris Brown’, taken from the brand new album Ildewild which is released on 21 August, and will have access to exclusive OutKast content such as ringtones, images and back catalogue video mixes. Offering fans the chance to get closer to their music heroes, existing O2 customers can also win the chance to join the OutKast album launch party in London on Wednesday 26 July 2006, when the US band, made popular by top ten hits such as Ms Jackson and Hey Ya!, will be broadcasting their brand new album for the first time to VIP guests on The London Eye. Four lucky customers can win the chance to bring three of their friends to party in a private pod on The London Eye and will also get to rub shoulders with Andre 3000 and Big Boi at their exclusive after-show party. To enter, O2 customers need to simply text OUTKAST to 2020*. Or visit o2.co.uk/blueroom.
In addition to the exclusive content from the OutKast activity the new deal between O2 and Sony BMG will provide O2 customers with access to music videos, full tracks and ringtones from world-renowned artists such as Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, The Zutons, Pink, Sandi Thom, Il Divo, Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Presley. O2 will also be able to offer customers access to Sony BMG artist albums and singles via both their handset and online when O2’s new music download service launches later in the year. Grahame Riddell, Head of Content Marketing at O2, comments: “OutKast’s Hey Ya! was one of the most popular ringtones of all time and their video one of the most memorable! This new deal with Sony BMG strengthens O2’s music proposition further allowing us to offer our customers compelling music content they won’t find elsewhere – in the case of OutKast not even on MTV! “Sony BMG and OutKast’s decision to offer O2 customers the first view of their new music video demonstrates the power of the mobile community in offering a captive audience for artists to showcase their music to. Through our renewed partnership with Sony BMG, we are looking forward to bringing our customers even closer to their music heroes by offering an enhanced portfolio of music video exclusives and downloads.” Clive Rich, SVP Futures, Sony BMG Music Entertainment UK, says: “We are fully committed to offering music fans the opportunity to access, interact and engage with our artist’s content in a variety of formats and through a range of mediums. “Over the last three years our relationship with O2 has grown and they have become a key strategic partner for Sony BMG in the mobile music marketplace. This new deal and the formation of a 360 degree marketing campaign to coincide with the release of OutKast’s new album further demonstrates our respective positions towards mobile and music.” Fans of OutKast can access all this exclusive content through O2 Active, O2’s entertainment portal, where they can download full tracks, video clips and realtones direct to their handset. Alternatively O2 customers can also text ‘OutKast’ to 2020*. All OutKast promotions will be hosted on O2 Active or at www.o2.co.uk/blueroom, where O2 customers will experience a VIP service offering money-can’t-buy competition prizes, access to exclusive content from their favourite artists, and much, much more! *Standard network and browsing rates apply. Please visit www.o2.co.uk for further information
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