Virgin Gets Heavy with Music Promotion

Virgin Digital has launched a rich media promotion for its music download service that asks viewers to “Exercise Your Music Muscle” by naming 74 bands represented in an interactive picture. The creative is running on video content provider Heavy.com.

Instead of the network’s usual video content, the search-and-find promotion consists of a static picture featuring images that represent band names like “Matchbox 20;” “Pet Shop Boys;” and “Guns N’ Roses.” Mousing around drags a magnifying glass around the screen, allowing visitors to make a closer inspection of the images.

Correctly identifying even one of the 74 bands enters visitors in a contest where they can win an Alienware computer; an MP3 player with a one-year subscription to Virgin Digital’s music service; or a one-year subscription to Paste magazine. Players can submit answers or challenge friends to do the same.

In keeping with Heavy.com’s off-beat humor, low scoring participants will likely be sent to sites like lasikinstitute.org.

The Virgin game resides on its own Heavy.com channel and has attracted over 600,000 visitors in the three weeks since it began. Though the channel itself is sponsored, visitors are served run-of-network ads prior to viewing the creative.

“This qualifies as actual entertainment, not just an ad,” Heavy.com co-CEO David Carson told ClickZ News. “It’s integrated into the site. It starts an interesting conversation with the audience we’re trying to reach.”

The promotion was developed by Virgin Digital’s agency, Palisades Interactive. It’s exclusive to Heavy.com, however the image is now on many blogs and other sites through viral forms of distribution.

The Heavy.com Web site increased its traffic from six million unique monthly visits reported this summer to a current ten million.

Additional recent promotions hosted by Heavy.com include one for Burger King and another for the shot “The Family Guy.”