Prince of publicity
By Todd Martens, Times Staff Writer
Scheme:
Copies of Princes latest album, Planet Earth, were included July 15 with British newspaper the Mail on Sunday.
How it worked:
Without a single roaring up the radio charts, Prince not only found a way to get people to talk about his new album, but he also put it in the hands of customers for the price of a Sunday newspaper -- a brash and crafty move that generated the ire of his local label,
Scheme:
Prince was a surprise performer on the 2006 finale of American Idol.
How it worked:
To promote last years album 3121, Prince stooped to performing on American Idol, which may be a highly entertaining karaoke show, but its still a karaoke show. Although it generated press and inspired debates about the use of American Idol as a marketing tool, chances are you still dont own 3121. (Kevork Djansezian / AP)
Scheme:
In what ultimately amounted to a protest with his record label, Prince changes his name to a symbol in 1993.
How it worked:
It all started harmlessly enough, with a public and entertaining feud between an artist and a corporate giant, resulting in Princes declaring that his name had become nothing more than a marketing tool. All fine and dandy, but changing ones name to something that looks like a brass instrument crossed with a seahorse doesnt really stick it to the Man. (Adam Nadel / AP)
Scheme:
For the release of 2004s Musicology, Prince gave away the CD with concert tickets.
How it worked:
After some downloadable and instrumental releases, Prince found an ingenious way to secure a top 10 album on the Billboard charts -- give it away with tickets to a massive arena tour. It was also a bid to stay relevant, as fans who packed the stands to hear Purple Rain walked away with an album they probably wouldnt have bought otherwise. And finally, with what Prince charges for concert tickets, a free CD is the least he could do. (Amour Photography / AP)
Scheme:
Performing at the 2007 Super Bowl halftime show in Miami.
How it worked:
This marked the official end of an era, as Prince had gone from a scandalous star with sex-drenched lyrics (see Darling Nikki) to a devout Jehovah’s Witness with family-friendly, halftime-ready performances. Sigh. It was predictably safe, with three cuts from Purple Rain and a medley of covers, including the Foo Fighters Best of You, but Prince can still control an arena better than Peyton Manning. (Tannen Maury / EPA)
Scheme:
Prince opened the 2004 Grammy Awards by performing with Beyonce.
How it worked:
The year 2003 brought us solid albums from such mainstream artists as OutKast, the White Stripes, Jay-Z and Radiohead. So why was Prince opening the 2004 Grammys performing a medley of his non-2003 hits with Beyonce? For purely marketing and promotion reasons, and it stank, especially at a show thats supposed to be honoring the past year in music. (Frank Micelotta / Getty Images)
