Amazon to Mark Birthday With Live Content/Marketing Concert

Amazon.com is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a star-studded party, to be streamed live from its site, that will promote the retailer’s offerings along with those of sponsor Chase.

Musical performers at the July 16 event will include Bob Dylan and Norah Jones, while comedian and author Bill Maher will host. Additional entertainment, like musical performances, author readings, and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the “Lord of the Rings” DVD series, will be added to the schedule, as the date gets closer. Amazon says performers were selected based upon their popularity among buyers on its site.

Chase will gain exposure on the official Web page for the event, and its logo will be prominently featured on the media player users will employ to watch the streaming video.

The streaming anniversary party is the latest of Amazon’s efforts to mix content with commerce and marketing. As part of this strategy, the company has hosted two short film series on its site, one in conjunction with American Express and the Tribeca Film Festival, and another, called Amazon Theater, that highlighted the site’s full array of products during the 2004 holiday season. The year before, the company invited authors, musicians and others whose products are sold on Amazon to contribute original content.