Microsoft Buys Linkin Park
 

http://www.linkinpark.com/

Anyone else find that kinda funny? Is Linkin Park saying "man, we really like playing Xbox, and we're fans, so here's a link we've put up" - or is it "Microsoft bought a spot on our webpage for a prominent Xbox link"?

Re: Microsoft Buys Linkin Park
 

Well, Linkin Park are young, hip, and have sold 7 million copies of Hybrid Theory. I would guess that MS ad geniuses are behind it. "Hey! Check out these guys. If they can move that many CDs, imagine if WE were connected to them."

Linkin Park is a marketing product that accidentaly is designed around a group of musicians. They do not have creative control of their web site, marchandise or image. That's standard contract clauses.

Products associating themselves with "hip" celebrities is old news.. Think of the Spice Firls and Pepsi.

... at least that's what I think.

Right. But is there a Pepsi banner on the Spice Girl's website?

But the Spice Girls were a few years ago. And the ad market online has been sputtering. It seems to me that you have two forces that came together at the right time: a hot new game system and a hot new band. And I would suspect that most people that like both have net access.

ALTHOUGH, there is part of this that I find ironic: Microsoft is now hawking MSN as better than AOL (not to mention IE vs. NS). Linkin Park is signed to Warner Bros. Records, a division of AOL Time Warner. Hmmm...

*deep in thought*