South
By Southwest’s (SXSW) original goal was to
create and event that would act as a tool of creative expression for people and
companies alike to work together in developing their careers. The festival features presentations on music,
film, and interactive innovations. The
music conference aims to bring together people from a wide area to meet and
promotes the share of groundbreaking ideas and good creative music. The festival is held in Austin Texas during
the month of March, and just concluded their very successful 2012 conference.
As a
young and eager individual I have wanted to attend for sometime now but was
unable to attend this year. This festival bridges together young individuals;
31% of attendees are between 21 – 30 and 40% are between 31-40. The festival consist of a “Start Up Village”
that brings together entrepreneurs, investors and cutting edge digital
tastemakers in one environment to share ideas and network with some amazingly
creative and intelligent individuals.
The
festival was first held in 1987 and appeals to artist from all over the
world. This year the show featured the
musical styling of Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent and Eminem, and Jay-Z. Alternatively,
SXSW who usually caters to an alternative and rock crowd, this year show
consisted on many prominent names within the hip hop industry. A remarkable brand alignment was announced at
the performance of hip-hop superstar
Lil Wayne and Mountain Dew, while commenting on his new partnership Lil
Wayne stated, "If you get anything from me, it's to find your name and
do you because, ladies and gentlemen, that's what I dew." Its always great to see artist brands grow
and reach a new demographic.
Another prime example of brand alignment is between
Jay-Z and American Express. Thanks to Amex
Sync Show, fans were able to watch the show live on American Express’
Twitter, YouTube, and Xbox Live accounts all while obtaining and interactive
experience, that significantly promotes all five brand being used, SXSW,
American Express, Jay-Z, Twitter, and Xbox Live; overall creating great awareness
for each.
SXSW
is vital to the entertainment industry because it promotes new, young and hip
ideas and acts as a catalyst for future business ventures. I hope one day soon
I will be attending my very first SXSW experience.
See
below for videos of Jay-Z and Lil Wayne performing at SXSW.
