Reviving a WB television program that tanked last summer, Pepsi and Yahoo! are teaming up to add the music show, Smash, to Yahoo! Music’s cache of features.
The format allows music lovers to download short clips, updated weekly and monthly, of exclusive performances, lifestyle insights, and interviews of popular performers. Smash on Yahoo! Music marks the first full time TV-to-Web transition.
Featured artists include Coldplay, Kanye West, and Gwen Stefani.
The program is not without original ideas. In a feature called “100 Conerts/100 Days,” Pepsi and Yahoo! will send two music fans around the country to see (surprise) 100 concerts in 100 days. Daily video, photos, and diary accounts from the two fans will be available for download.
This one should be interesting. “Cover Art,” another Smash feature, includes popular bands performing their favorite covers. Country music’s Big and Rich offer up a unique rendition of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin.”
For rap fans, “Mic Pass” could be a crowd pleaser. Visiting a new city every month, rappers straight from “da street” will be testing their skills for online artists.
Smash on Yahoo! Music will also offer up a music news segment, creatively titled “News Smash,” to keep fans updated with breaking developments in music and pop culture.
Dave Goldberg, vice president and general manager, Yahoo! Music seemed excited about the partnership.
“Together we will expand the scope of the music programming experience and leverage Yahoo’s broad reach to bring quality original content to the voracious audience of music fans on the Internet and beyond,” he said.
Dave Burwick, senior vice president and CMO,Pepsi-Cola NorthAmerica, cooed a little more about it.
“Yahoo! possesses a credibility in the music industry and among teens that is invaluable and we’re looking forward to working with them to bring fans this exclusive music content.”
The Daves are hoping for a better ROI than the original WB broadcast provided. During the first two runs of the show last summer, it returned a disappointing 1.8 million and 1.3 million viewers respectively.
