I read some statistics over the weekend about creativity and how it is affected by age. During the related study, it was found that 5-year-olds had original answers to questions 90% of the time, while 45-year-olds had original answers only 5% of the time.
Somewhere during our lives, most of us lose our creativity.
You'd think in the music business, because it's (apparently) built on creativity, things would be different.
They're not.
This is especially obvious when you listen to music or see how it's promoted. The majority of what you see, both on the creative and business sides of the music industry, is copied. In some cases, it's downright plagiarized.
I get it -- especially when it comes to songwriting or the way songs are performed. It can be an uphill battle to get people to listen to (and buy) something that is too different from everything else they've been exposed to.
But music marketing is different. Certainly, there are tried and true ways or getting the word out about what you're doing, but bending the rules (not breaking them) can give you the extra momentum needed to take your marketing and promotion from good to great.
Garcia Goodbye is a Belgian pop group. They took a simple technique, that at one time was very common for children's science experiments, and put a new twist on it.
Is this a great way to launch a single? Not directly maybe, but it's a creative way to get attention.
See Toronto Musician Hijacks Starbucks "Pick Of The Week" for a similar story of a guy who took a very basic idea and made a great video to make it even more powerful.
Things like this are all around you, but they're so simple, you're probably missing them.
Is "creativity" coming up with original answers? Sure. It also involves asking the right questions though.
As you're going through your day, ask yourself, "Is this something I can use to promote music?"
You'll be amazed at what you can do to get attention for your creative endeavors...
For some other very creative video ideas, visit the Garcia Goodbye website. You can also purchase the single via iTunes.
NOTE: I found out about this promotion when the band sent me a message via Twitter. If you have something worth mentioning here, please reach out to me.