Niche Markets

A band will promote through an array of means:

• Lyrics, themes, songs
• Record covers (Singles and albums; the image of the band)
• Media coverage (Interviews about the career and private lives)
• Live performances
• Branding

However in the contemporary music industry, the music video is one of the most influencial means of promoting an artist. Through the ability showcase on screen, it plays a significant role of an artist's representation. A band or artist who's music video's become prolific will have something about them that will stand out from the rest of the world's.

Lady GaGa
Lady GaGa had a very successful year in 2010 and was credited for her work at the 2010 MTV VMA awards in September. The pop/rnb artist came away with eight awards including the coverted 'video of the year' with the single 'Bad Romance'. This song alone won 6 of the 8 Lady GaGa winning awards.

The success of Lady GaGa isn't too hard to pinpoint; her debateable fashion trends collaborated with the latest in dance choreography create music videos that are both alarming yet asthetically pleasing. I would describe it as controlled chaos. This complexity of image within her video's gives an impression of Lady GaGa which goes beyhond what can be seen or heard; her music video's reveal the person she is inside and allows the audience to connect to her in a way other artist may not be able to. However the artist hasn't risen to fame without critics; the appearance she made at the VMA awards caused controvisy as she dressed up in raw meat. Lady GaGa consistently makes headlines with her red carpet dresses, reinforcing audience ideas of the artist.


Gorillaz

Gorillaz is a 'virtual band' that was launched in 1998 (first release in 2000) by 'Blur' artist Damon Albarn and cartoonist Jamie Hewlett. Together they created this project with the idea of delivering music in a way audiences had never experienced before. The four animated characters were to be for forefront of the music: 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle and Russle Hobbs. These characers are explored through the online website, including blogs, as wells as through the music videos; by doing this it allows audiences to connect with the band members almost parallel to that of a human artist.

With the ever more advancing technology, Gorillaz took a new step in promotion and performance, stepping out of the 2D screen and being projected onto a stage in 3D as hollograms giving the characters life like appearance. This 'Musion Eyeliner' technology was first used in 2005 at the MTV European Music Awards when Gorillaz performed 'Feel Good Inc'.

Dubbed 'The Most Succesful Virtual Band' by the Guniess Book of World Records after selling over seven million copies of debut album 'Gorillaz', the band has since then launched 'Demon Days' (2005) that went five times platinum in the UK and 'Plastic Beach' (July 2010.) The stlye image of the band is the only successful one in the contemporary music industry and instantly makes Gorillaz an icon.