For the release of DYLAN, the "ultimate Bob Dylan collection" we developed a messaging tool that allowed users to rewrite the cue cards from Bob Dylan's classic Subterranean Homesick Blues video (originally from D. A. Pennebaker's 1967 film, Don’t Look Back).
The resulting clip could then be shared via email or embedded on an external website. A Facebook application with the same functionality was also developed.
We manually edited over 600 individual video frames from the Subterranean Homesick Blues sequence to form the canvas for users to share their messages. In addition, we created a full alphabet to retain the idiosyncrasies of the original hand-drawn letterforms and cunningly spliced the opening and closing segments of the sequence to keep the whole thing under 40 seconds long.
The campaign was an huge success:
The site was very popular in the national and music press and received mentions in The Guardian, The Times, Word, NME and many more publications. It also won a BT Digital Music Award for Best Artist Promotion.
"The simple ideas are always the best. Take one incredibly famous video for a great song... adapt it online so that people can write their own message on the placards that the singer famously scrawls the song lyrics on and flings away in nonchalant fashion in the original film. Ensure site promotes new album by said singer. Job done. Easy."
Creative Review Pick of the Month: October 2007
With experience, expertise and enthusiasm, Ten4 have provided an invaluable contribution to the DYLAN campaign, and made a significant contribution to the future promotion of Bob Dylan. Charlie Stanford, Senior Marketing Director, Sony Music Entertainment
September 2007