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Is the Eraserheads concert the most expensive viral marketing stunt ever?

The recent buzz on the upcoming Eraserheads Reunion Concert has gotten a lot of Eheads fans go crazy. The company behind it is cigarette giant Marlboro — a stunt that could land them the title of most expensive viral marketing campaign.

In most ways, I’d agree with Carlos Conde in his article “Why the Eraserheads reunion concert sucks “. He basically hits the nail in the head with this one.

With the big cigarette companies now being banned from doing any ads, the only way they can get some airtime is via the web. Indeed, will all ad money stuck in the bin, they had to go all out with some creative viral campaign (so to go around the restrictions — they can still sponsor participate, but they cannot advertise or directly sponsor an event based on the new law).

eraserheads concert

If the rumors are true, then that Php10 Million talent for each of the band members is a huge premium. It is in itself a national record for biggest fee for a single night’s performance of a local band. A total of Php40 Million for the band, a couple more millions to set the stage for the concert night itself and they’re all set. Online searches should prove that. Hordes of bloggers blogging about it and throngs of media reporters covering the story sealed the deal.

But how will Marlboro actually measure their success? Well, aside from the media coverage which is already well worth the Php40 Million, they’re driving all traffic to their local website (marlboro.ph) and require people to register in order to get the coveted invites to the concert. That’s tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of personal information and their email.

I think Marlboro will surely get their money’s worth.

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Avatar for Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

34 Responses

  1. Avatar for classics online free classics online free says:

    I was just thinking how much i love technology and the internet….it gives us access to so much goodinformation…just like this post..thanks will be back again A+

  2. Avatar for DudeFromGym DudeFromGym says:

    The full concert is now available online! Just watched it yesterday. It’s fascinating how the concert ends.. the one where Eli sits down…

    http://eheads.abs-cbn.com

  3. Avatar for Dong Dong says:

    well… the concert pushed through.

    although Ely passed out or had an attack during intermission.

    sad. but they sang at least 12 to 15 songs.

    hopefully Ely gets better.

  4. Avatar for rabidaskal rabidaskal says:

    All the people angry at Marlboro are very funny.

    1.) Cigarette companies are not allowed BY LAW to advertise by print/radio/TV, their events are BY INVITATION ONLY for CIGARETTE SMOKERS and yes it has to be FREE (law also says you can’t make money from a yosi event)

    2.) Marlboro then came up with this concert idea and followed the law by making it for yosi smokers only and FREE

    3.) People whine and bitch and complain to the DOH. That they are being discriminated against because they don’t smoke or something like that. So Marlboro decides fine forget about it and pulls out of the concert. Sony BMG picks it up and decides to charge for it. Well, its their concert so why not, and its better than no concert at all.

    4.) People complain and bitch that they have to PAY for the concert now, OH NO! 0_o

    And to Mr. riaps who seems to be angry against big corporations. Wake up, you live in a consumer society with a capitalist economy. You moan and groan about corporations, well I bet you and your friends and family have ipods and sip coffee at Starbucks, so where does that out you now? That’s they way our society is built, you don’t like it why don’t you move to North Korea I hear they don’t have any events sponsored by big companies there.

  5. Avatar for Anonymouse Anonymouse says:

    THIS IS NOT A VIRAL CAMPAIGN!!!
    Believe me, I worked for one of their agencies…it was a work of an arrogant, “atat” manager.

  6. Avatar for riaps riaps says:

    i don’t believe that marlboro is totally out of the picture as the reports have mentioned. they got the publicity that they wanted. they will surely be present at the event in one way or another.

    when i first heard about this concert from a friend, i went on the internet immediately to check the specifics out. i too am one of those avid fans of the band that got super excited when i found out about the reunion concert. i love the eraserheads! i read some blogs saying that the concert will be free to those who will register on the marlboro website. as i went on to research on the event a little more, i found out that there are already people arguing about its authenticity. in short, this event that was spread by word-of-mouth (obviously by no less than marlboro/philip morris) and no other formal announcements were made about its specifics (even the venue was withheld until the last minute), caused so much hoopla on the internet. a dream come true to a sponsor that seeks to get attention from its target audience without having to advertise, since they can’t. then a few days ago we all found out that it is actually NOT a free concert. a big joke, if you ask me. after gaining momentum they announce that you actually have to pay for the concert. it is actually a small price to pay to see one of the greatest OPM bands come together after years of hiatus but all this manipulation, honestly, is just a bunch of crap!

    i suggest that we all BOYCOTT MARLBORO, BOYCOTT THE CONCERT. if we allow this to go on, what will happen next? i love the eraserheads too but these big sponsors/advertisers are playing as puppet masters and making a mockery of the fans. they should learn to respect us. no more run-arounds. get the facts straight first before announcing it to the public. BOYCOTT THE CONCERT!!!!

  7. Avatar for gamberro gamberro says:

    I want to watch the concert. But I don’t know where I gonna buy a ticket.

  8. Avatar for jarjar jarjar says:

    DAMN YOU MARLBORO !!! I SWEAR, IN THE NAME OF ALL MY ANCESTORS ,I SHALL NEVER CONSCIOUSLY / SUBCONSIOUSLY BUY MARLBORO FOR THE REST OF MY LIVING LIFE…

  9. Avatar for catcat catcat says:

    ui panu b mkakakuha ng tiket!!san mgreregster?

  10. Avatar for cathygomez cathygomez says:

    ui..panu b mkkakuha ng tiket..share nyo nman!!!

  11. Avatar for quitter quitter says:

    it’s sad that eheads, one of the greatest pinoy bands of all time, has allowed a cigarette company to use them in propagating addiction. beside,s kawawa naman kaming hindi naninigarilyo, do we have to lie just to get to the concert?

  12. Avatar for kaka kaka says:

    guys, panu makakuha ticket? share nman..ü

  13. Avatar for jon jon says:

    it’s a win-win situation for marlboro. matuloy man o hindi sponsorship nila nakuha na nila yung target “advertisement” nila as a whole with all the buzz online and through word of mouth.in general, people really wouldnt care kung sino p mang magsponsor ng eheads concert, kahit n sabihing si gma pa magsponsor para tumaas ang aproval ratings nya eh pupuntahan p din yan ng mga tao.

  14. Avatar for kaka kaka says:

    sama nman kng cno man meron ticket..ü

  15. Avatar for kach kach says:

    i find the whole idea interesting, the invitation only party and the acquisition of the ticket(with all those people, wanting it, my gaah -it’ll be fun to brag about having one), and selling it, for like a thousand bucks or more. but then – those passes have names printed on it. and they also require ids(along with the pass) during the event.

  16. Avatar for Abe Olandres Abe Olandres says:

    @jhay, you’re right. they can’t sponsor and advertise but can still participate.

    @snowflake, i realized that earlier but I thought Marlboro is the more familiar name/brand.

  17. Avatar for Snowflake Snowflake says:

    LOL. Marlboro is a brand, not a company. Philip Morris, actually, is the company you’re talking about.

  18. Avatar for jhay jhay says:

    Marlboro can sponsor but not advertise? But didn’t Carlo H. Conde cited a law that specifically says tobacco sponsorship is also banned from there on in? I better re-read that post again.

  19. Avatar for Jan Alvin Jan Alvin says:

    siguro totoo yun kasi malaki na kinita ng marlboro sa event pa lang. kahit icancel nila ung event, malaki pa rin kita nila.

    watch the solar eclipse live here

    http://blogtambayan.blogspot.com/2008/07/watch-aug-1-total-solar-eclipse-live.html

  20. Avatar for zaldy zaldy says:

    I heard it was 10million for the whole band, quite cheap compared to what marlboro pays for in tv ads. I have been logging in and out of marlboro.ph the past days pero di pa nila change yung loob, it still shows my name from their last promo…hehe

  21. Avatar for zaldy zaldy says:

    I heard it was 10million for the whole band, quite cheap compared to what marlboro pays for in tv ads. I have been logging in and out of marlboro.ph the past days pero di pa nila change yung loob, it still shows my name from their past promo…hehe

  22. Avatar for Jeffrey Jeffrey says:

    Even a 2 million a for each is really huge for a local artist. Even unknown, startup musician are willing to have 1000 pesos a night.

  23. Avatar for ronn ronn says:

    i always visit your page.

    All i can say is that for us fans of the band, what important is that we will get to see them again perform live together.

    Still, those issues are quite unavoidable.

  24. Avatar for nooknook nooknook says:

    for me, with marlboro as their backer, the more reason not to watch them…

  25. Avatar for sylv3rblade sylv3rblade says:

    Win Win situation for Marlboro. Hope their servers can handle the digg-(like)rape.

  26. Avatar for blozoom! blozoom! says:

    considering the humongous ego of ely and raimund, to suck it up for night, that 2.5 m is cheap for a company like marlboro. next up, prettier than pink reunion.

  27. Avatar for Animohosting.com Animohosting.com says:

    they deserved it

  28. Avatar for Abe Olandres Abe Olandres says:

    So that huge payout rumor isn’t true. IMO it’s a huge talent fee really. Still Php2M is a sizable amount for an overnight gig.

  29. Avatar for Rico Rico says:

    It’s around 2 million for each of them.

  30. Avatar for anonymous anonymous says:

    CORRECTION:
    It’s PhP10 Million for all of them and not PhP40 Million like the rumors.

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