Though not generally associated with lending its songs to sponsorships, Green Day and its label, Reprise, have entered into a partnership with the Independent Film Channel (IFC). The pact will weave the nine-minute-plus “Jesus of Suburbia,” the centerpiece of the punk trio’s latest album, “American Idiot,” into the fabric of the network’s on- and off-air promotions and programming.
“American Idiot” recently won the best rock album Grammy and peaked at No. 1 on The Billboard 200. Now No. 3 in its 23rd week on the chart, the disc has sold 2.74 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
” ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ is the ultimate articulation of our national zeitgeist — it speaks perfectly to the anxiety, emotions and passions of our audience,” said Evan Shapiro, general manager and executive vp at IFC.
In announcing the arrangement, the network is careful to point out while it will find various opportunities to showcase the song: “IFC is a non-commercial network and the partnership will not include music video airplay or any type of commercial involvement,” it said in a statement.
Off the bat, exposure for “Jesus of Suburbia” includes a two-minute IFC clip utilizing frames from dozens of films leading up to the network’s tagline, “tv, uncut,” and use in opening and closing credits of IFC original programming. As the marriage evolves throughout the year, possibilities include programming specifically created for the IFC Website and a festival of films inspired by the song.
Although the song’s length has limited its airplay exposure, several U.S. radio outlets have played it in its entirety, including WXRK (K-Rock) New York. The band also taped a performance of the song that aired in January on NBC’s “Last Call With Carson Daly.”
Green Day is in the midst of a world tour that plays Brisbane, Australia, tonight (March 7). The current leg ends March 22 in Sapporo, Japan, with a North American run set to open April 15 in Coral Gables, Fla. June and July will find the band playing European festivals.
