Warner Music International (WMI) has teamed with Italian clothing company Diesel on a worldwide marketing campaign. Under the promotion, the companies will encourage Diesel customers to part with the “most embarrassing” items in their record collections, in exchange for one of 12 limited-edition “Greatest Hips” compilation albums, available only through Diesel outlets.
The compilations — which feature such acts as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alice Cooper, Chris Rea, the Ramones, Busta Rhymes and Queen Latifah — will be given away through April, mainly in the United Kingdom and continental Europe. Diesel will invite guest DJs to play selections from the collection during in-store events.
All the “embarrassing” records collected by Diesel will be auctioned off through eBay, with proceeds going to a charity for unsuccessful musicians.
The collaboration, instigated by the Warner and Diesel affiliates in the Netherlands, is the first major international marketing pact between the two companies. “We see Diesel as a brand that speaks with young people,” WMI senior VP of marketing Jay Durgan tells Billboard.biz. “The combined strength of our brands enables us to continue to be at the forefront of bringing our artists and music to consumers in new ways.”
