I’ve always floated around the music industry in some shape or form and I’ve always been surprised how un-creative the environment (and its output) is; despite the fact that there are so many talented people involved.

When I was commissioning music videos (I still do the odd one), I always felt there were quite a few other ways of translating music into moving image or into a (dirty word coming up) ‘campaign’. But there weren’t many examples and everyone kept making music videos; some great ones, lots of disposable ones.
But it seems the music industry is coming round and is no longer completely averse to exploring non-traditional routes.

It’s not really a surprise that creative artists like Soulwax do something as ambitious as their tour-film ‘Part Of The Weekend Never Dies’, but none other than Oasis recently did something that made me smile.
Not only did they give away sheet music of songs on their upcoming album, allowing people to play/record/upload their own versions; they also taught a bunch of buskers in New York how to play the songs and sent them out on the street, as an exclusive preview. Original, simple, to-the-point, pretty much (another dirty word coming up) ‘360′. And you document it and you have a film. I think it’s great. 

So yesterday I was talking to some friends and we were wondering who came up with the idea. And the answer is: the advertising agency BBH. While I find it a bit scary that the big advertising agencies are getting involved in music, it actually does make sense. I’m not talking about positioning a ‘brand’ like a pack of butter, but at the end of the day agencies generate ideas. And if anything, the Oasis ‘campaign’ shows that in an era where everyone has a video camera, a strong idea makes all the difference.
So maybe, just maybe, the major record companies and mainstream artists will start tapping into the creativity that’s all around them.