Fans become band producers in new Cold War Kids video

Hot on the heels of Empire of the Sun, Cold War Kids have also created an interactive video to help promote their new single I've Seen Enough.

Rather than adding interactive elements to their standard promo (see Empire of the Sun), the band have instead opted to partner with MTV to create a bespoke widget where fans can remix / re-produce the song by selecting a range of different instruments for the Kids to play.

The band start off with their basic set up of piano, guitar, drums and bass, but the feel of the song is very quickly changed when alternative instruments are introduced (or even band members muted).  I'm a big fan of a fully electro version that can be created by selecting all the "green" instruments.

Playing around with all the different combinations is fun despite some slight buffering delays.  While the widget also includes the expected social sharing features it doesn't look like its possible to save and share your own version (I was quite keen to post my electro version here but had to settle for a static image).  There is a Fans Favourites link which I would expect to include this feature but I couldn't get any joy out of it so maybe its just me!

Either way this is another example of how bands are using interactive technology and trends to give fans more reasons to spend time with, remember and hopefully promote their efforts.  The partnership with MTV should also give them an extra audience boost as no doubt they will also be directing viewers to this feature on their site. 

Empire of the Sun make interactive promo video

While MGMT-ites Empire of the Sun prefer to look backwards when it comes to musical inspiration, their new promo video is distinctly forward looking.

Viewers are encouraged click on sun logos that appear throughout the video in order to unlock exclusive content and enter a various competitions.

With different suns leading to different pieces of content or codes, the promo works as a kind of treasure hunt which, while engaging, ultimately distracts you from the video itself. It also appears that the interactive functionality works only on EOTS's own website and therefore they will still have quite a bit of work to do to drive views.

That said this is a novel approach to viewer engagement, data capture and a welcome innovation in music video that is therefore surely a step in the right direction. With laser precision brand fit partnerships and sensitive implementation, this type of technology could represent a new way for artists & labels to monetise their content.