Start off in Times Square...

The Warner Bros. Records youtube channel is pushing him.

[img:$uid]http://i238.pho.../img:$uid]

Was actually going to post something similar but hadn't got around to it yet. Yesterday I was in Oxford Circus tube station going up the big escalator when all of a sudden the advertising screens lining the escalator all lit up with same display Militant describes seeing at Paddington. As the advert appeared I heard a girl further down the escalator excitedly scream, 'it's Prince!'

I just about managed to get a couple of snaps on my phone before they disappeared. Was very cool to see, will post the pics tomorrow, they aren't great quality though.

The Twitter account of Warner Bros Records has the album cover as their profile picture.. Based on what has been done so far, there is no doubt that this release is going to get massive marketing, and that Warner Bros really is backing this 100%. So please Prince, don't screw this up; be a part of the promotion campaign...

Justfortheloveofit said:

The Twitter account of Warner Bros Records has the album cover as their profile picture.. Based on what has been done so far, there is no doubt that this release is going to get massive marketing, and that Warner Bros really is backing this 100%. So please Prince, don't screw this up; be a part of the promotion campaign...

I kind of feel like Prince knows he has to really work to push this record. After all, it's his first in 4 years, and his first US release in 5 years, since 20TEN was only officially released here in Europe.

The press release alluded to "a series of promotional events", or words of that nature. Some TV appearances would be good - award shows, talk shows. Of course we need a solid music video. Being on the cover of various magazines etc.

Militant said:

The press release alluded to "a series of promotional events", or words of that nature. Some TV appearances would be good - award shows, talk shows. Of course we need a solid music video. Being on the cover of various magazines etc.

He needs to get stuff on youtube etc as well.

Crappy photos from Oxford Circus tube as promised

Not 100% obvious here but stretching the entire length of the escalator, and it's on the opposite side too.

Yep, exactly what I saw at Paddington! That is big promo. Most artists just get one or two posters in the tube stations. Great stuff. I would imagine there's at least 4 or 5 of the major tube stations running those. That's gotta be millions of eyeballs a day seeing these.

Agreed on the Youtube push. A triple push via the Prince account, the 3EG account, and the WB account would be good.

[Derailing trolling snip - Militant]

Pentacle said:

[snipped]

There is no way I'd be frequenting and contributing to a site dedicated to an artist I didn't believe had released anything decent in nearly 20 years. That you are speaks for itself really and conveys a lot more about you (and others like you) than Prince's music.

OperatingThetan said:

Pentacle said:

[snipped]

There is no way I'd be frequenting and contributing to a site dedicated to an artist I didn't believe had released anything decent in nearly 20 years. That you are speaks for itself really and conveys a lot more about you (and others like you) than Prince's music.

Well, I'm a professional fundraiser for the handicapped. And so I sometimes frequent sites for the deaf. Also, I like a good laugh once in a while.

And Prince did release something (very) worthwhile quite recently, namely the U Will Be demo on Andy Allo's Facebook. But that, of course, isn't on the new album.

Ad in the new edition of Dutch music magazine Lust For Life:

[Edited 8/31/14 2:24am]

Pentacle said:

And Prince did release something (very) worthwhile quite recently, namely the U Will Be demo on Andy Allo's Facebook. But that, of course, isn't on the new album.

I'm glad about that, didn't like the track. Plus this way we also avoid all the bitching from the people that did like it, because you know there's no way the finished track would be anything like the raw demo version.

The Guardian says :

"U Know" and "Whitecaps" mark a return to form.

and that "U Know" is "a dazzling future soul groove"

source.

Militant said:

Justfortheloveofit said:

The Twitter account of Warner Bros Records has the album cover as their profile picture.. Based on what has been done so far, there is no doubt that this release is going to get massive marketing, and that Warner Bros really is backing this 100%. So please Prince, don't screw this up; be a part of the promotion campaign...

I kind of feel like Prince knows he has to really work to push this record. After all, it's his first in 4 years, and his first US release in 5 years, since 20TEN was only officially released here in Europe.

The press release alluded to "a series of promotional events", or words of that nature. Some TV appearances would be good - award shows, talk shows. Of course we need a solid music video. Being on the cover of various magazines etc.

Talk shows - yes, as a music guest, play a song or two and leave. But please no interviews!

Rebeljuice said:

Militant said:

I kind of feel like Prince knows he has to really work to push this record. After all, it's his first in 4 years, and his first US release in 5 years, since 20TEN was only officially released here in Europe.

The press release alluded to "a series of promotional events", or words of that nature. Some TV appearances would be good - award shows, talk shows. Of course we need a solid music video. Being on the cover of various magazines etc.

Talk shows - yes, as a music guest, play a song or two and leave. But please no interviews!

TheEnglishGent said:

Crappy photos from Oxford Circus tube as promised

Not 100% obvious here but stretching the entire length of the escalator, and it's on the opposite side too.

Yeah, they bought the whole tube escalator walls. Are they all for AOA and none for PE?

[Edited 9/7/14 4:35am]

Yeah, all the promo I've seen has been for AOA. Which makes sense, because a rock album without Prince on lead vocals for half the songs just isn't as commercially appealing as a synth/pop/R&B Prince solo record.


It seems incredibly likely that the AOA sales will be significantly higher than the PE sales. Rock music in general, isn't really in fashion right now. If you look at the Billboard charts, there's not a single rock song in the Top 20.

breakbeat said:

Yeah, they bought the whole tube escalator walls. Are they all for AOA and none for PE?

[Edited 9/7/14 4:35am]

I didn't see anything for PE.

OK...Having seen these pics, I'm totally changing my mind about the album cover.
This is working.
The 'It's Prince!' excitement from a girl on an escalator shows it.

XSX said:

OK...Having seen these pics, I'm totally changing my mind about the album cover.
This is working.
The 'It's Prince!' excitement from a girl on an escalator shows it.

That's why they photoshop the pictures so much. It's been so long since the general public have seen him that if they put a naturaly picture on there nobody would recognise him. They need to make him look 20 years younger.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Can we not derail this thread please.

The album cover has grown on me to be honest. It's awful, but it's memorable/strong awful. Which is good for marketing.