Rock River Music
Encyclopedia
Rock River Music
Rock River Music, a division of Rock River Communications, Inc., is a music branding agency with offices in San Francisco, California and Putney, Vermont.Founded in 1995 by Jeff Daniel and Billy Straus, Rock River Music produces music-based products, advertising campaigns and promotions for clients such as Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn is an American-based home furnishing store chain with retail stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Since September 1986, when it was purchased from GAP, Inc, Pottery Barn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams-Sonoma, Inc....
, adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, Gap
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
, Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
and others.
History
Music producer and founder Billy Straus created one of the first for-sale branded CD compilations for Pottery Barn in 1995. The collection of holiday music entitled A Cool Christmas sold all 15,000 units within two weeks. Rock River has continued to produce branded CD compilations for Pottery Barn, with over 100 titles released in over a decade. At least three compilations have sold in excess of 100,000 copies.In 2001, Rock River provided Volkswagen with "RadioVW", an early example of brand-sponsored internet radio. RadioVW offered listeners multiple channels of music, including tracks from Volkswagen television ads.
With the continued rise of digital music in recent years, Rock River has negotiated innovative licensing deals with record labels for client-branded online promotions. For example, in early 2007, Rock River began producing music-based video and audio podcasts for clients such as Chrysler and Ford. According to the Wall Street Journal, Rock River "struck some of the first deals to license major-label content for podcasts."
Rock River's services have also expanded to include original music production. For the 2007-8 Major League Soccer season, Adidas tapped Rock River to select well-known artists from every city with an MLS team to create song "anthems" for their hometown teams. Artists featured included Mike Jones (Houston), The Rapture (New York), OK Go (Chicago), Bad Brains (Washington, D.C.), E-40 (San Jose), Barenaked Ladies (Toronto) and The Polyphonic Spree (Dallas). After the Houston Dynamo won the MLS Cup, the team asked Mike Jones to perform his anthem "Houston Dynamo (Don't Play)" during their celebration at Houston's city hall.
In 2009, Banana Republic tapped Rock River to help coordinate their “City Stories” advertising campaign in North America and internationally for Banana Republic's overseas and franchise-owned stores. The campaign featured nine established and developing artists including Sara Bareilles, Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional), Liz Phair, OK Go and others.
The “City Stories” media campaign included print ads, banners and billboards with the featured artists, an online microsite with video interviews, live performances and free music downloads, as well as the first ever branded video channel on Virgin America's RED in-flight entertainment system.
Additionally, Banana Republic distributed download cards for 9 free songs as a gift-with-purchase. Rock River also worked with each of the artists to write and produce a set of original songs written about Banana Republic's overarching "City Stories" theme for download in the second phase of the campaign. Other Rock River produced tools for the campaign include video podcasts, a YouTube channel and in-store performances by several of the artists.
Clients
- adidasAdidasAdidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
- Banana Republic
- ChryslerChryslerChrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
- CuervoCuervoCuervo can refer to:Culture*Cría Cuervo, an album by Toque Profundo*Cría cuervos, a 1976 Spanish film directed by Carlos Saura*"Jose Cuervo" song made popular by Shelly West in 1983*José Cuervo, a brand of tequilaPeople...
- Diet CokeDiet CokeDiet Coke is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. It was first introduced in the United States on August 9, 1982, as the first new brand since 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark...
- Ford
- GapGap (clothing retailer)The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
- Hilton
- Intercontinental Hotels
- Levi's
- LGLGLG may refer to:*LG Corp., a South Korean electronics and petrochemicals conglomerate*LG Electronics, an affiliate of the South Korean LG Group which produces electronic products* Lawrence Graham, a London headquartered firm of business lawyers...
- MiniMiniThe Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
- Old NavyOld NavyOld Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
- Pottery BarnPottery BarnPottery Barn is an American-based home furnishing store chain with retail stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Since September 1986, when it was purchased from GAP, Inc, Pottery Barn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams-Sonoma, Inc....
- Princess CruisesPrincess CruisesPrincess Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Santa Clarita, California in the United States. Previously a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises PLC, the company is now one of ten cruise ship brands operated by Carnival Corporation & PLC and accounts for approximately 19% share...
- Skyy VodkaSKYY vodkaSKYY vodka is produced by SKYY Spirits LLC in San Francisco, California. SKYY Vodka is 40% ABV or 80 proof; SKYY 90 Vodka is a 90 proof high-priced brand aimed at martini drinkers. When SKYY Spirits LLC first launched in 1992 SKYY vodka was its first product; its creator, Maurice Kanbar, claims the...
- TropicanaTropicana-Hotels and venues:*Tropicana Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada*Tropicana Casino and Resort Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey*Tropicana Club, a nightclub in Havana, Cuba and New York City*Tropicana Casino *Tropicana Casino and Resort...
- TylenolTylenolTylenol is a North American brand of drugs advertised for reducing pain, reducing fever, and relieving the symptoms of allergies, cold, cough, and flu. The active ingredient of its original, flagship product, paracetamol , is marketed as an analgesic and antipyretic...
- VolkswagenVolkswagenVolkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
- W Hotels
- Wells FargoWells FargoWells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
- Williams-SonomaWilliams-SonomaWilliams-Sonoma, Inc. is a high-end American consumer retail company that sells kitchenwares, furniture and linens, as well as other housewares and home furnishings, along with a variety of specialty foods, soaps and lotions...