It's become a hot topic of conversation in the Paste offices: has "indie rock" become the new "alternative"? Those who were around at the height of the grunge era will likely remember corporate America's attempts to co-opt the Seattle phenomenon, from record labels feverishly scouting for the "next Nirvana" to designer flannel in clothing catalogs. Just like that old "alternative" lifestyle, "indie culture" has always been fairly impossible to pin down. But that won't stop advertisers from trying.
That leads us to an excellent report that the Daily Swarm filed yesterday. Camel Cigarettes, the friendly folks behind Joe Camel, apparently wants to get onboard the indie bandwagon. The Swarm had previously detailed Camel's rather visible sponsorship of recent gigs by Dinosaur Jr. and the Flaming Lips. Ostensibly, these events were intended to "reward loyal Camel smokers," but tickets also found their way to the general public. Based off of the Swarm's sources, these shows were essentially all-Camel festivals, with ample logo placement, free cancer sticks for attendees and tour buses repurposed as smoking lounges.
When asked about hopping into bed with a cigarette company, members of the bands in question pretty much rehashed the familiar "it pays the bills" routine, although Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips added an interesting wrinkle:
"People don’t realize how much productions cost these days. I’m always looking for a way to say, 'Can we get to these places, do a big production and not make it $50 [for a ticket], so kids can come and see us?'"
So kids can come to a cigarette-sponsored event, you mean? C'mon, Wayne!
Also included in the Swarm's article: a suspicious bit of product placement in last month's issue of Rolling Stone. Camel took out a multiple-page foldout spread supporting "The Farm," its independent music initiative. Included in the section was a fold out poster, produced by Rolling Stone, mapping out the "Indie Rock Universe" (apparently, Mogwai hails from "Outer Spiderland" and Spoon is actually a Northwestern rock group). Sure comes across as collusive, doesn't it? According to a report in The New York Times, this little slice of editorial/advertisement synergy could land both Camel and Rolling Stone in some hot water.
“This is one great big cigarette ad,” anti-tobacco activist Matthew L. Myers told the Times. “The fact that Rolling Stone produced the content, but displayed it in such a manner that it is indistinguishable from the Camel ad, only makes them an accomplice."
The package also contains cartoons, which could violate a 1998 settlement (inspired primarily by Joe Camel himself) banning toons in cigarette advertising.
So what does it all mean? Well, considering the sponsorship dilemmas that many indie bands have encountered lately, this Camel exercise could be the first of many tricky decisions that your favorite artists have to make in the future as the corporate cash starts to flow in.
Do the old D.I.Y. ideals even hold sway anymore? Perhaps we'll know soon enough...
Related links:
DinosaurJr.com
FlamingLips.com
RollingStone.com
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