maurices, the leading small town specialty store and fashion authority, today announced the launch of its nationwide ?Small Town Sound? band search in partnership with PlayNetwork and Sonicbids. The ?Small Town Sound? program was created as an extension of last year?s ?Small Town Charm? campaign, a cross-country photo shoot which garnered immense support from local communities.
?The goal of this program is not only to discover the hottest up-and-coming band in the country, but to continue building strong connections with the maurices communities,? says Lisa Bartlett, assistant vice president of marketing at maurices. ?We pride ourselves on being the best small town specialty retailer so we look for every opportunity to reach these customers and celebrate the unique gifts and talents their towns have to offer.?
Famed girl band, The Bangles, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders and JP, Chrissie & The Fairground Boys, and all-female indie rock group, Sick of Sarah, will support the program designed to celebrate and encourage women in music. PlayNetwork, a global leader in creating media experiences, is partnering with maurices to develop a nationwide band search which will include a series of music recordings, live performances and video productions featuring the aforementioned bands. ?Small Town Sound? will offer breakthrough opportunities for the winning band in retail display, maurices online network and more. Calling out to consumers to enter or vote, maurices stores will become immersive "Small Town Sound" experiences featuring PlayNetwork-produced music. The contest website, produced by Sonicbids, will also provide a number of opportunities to engage with the brand and bands.
?With the launch of ?Small Town Sound? we are working with maurices to create a soundtrack for the brand that reaches customers and powerfully communicates the brand message, even outside the walls of the retail space,? said John Crooke senior director of creative development at PlayNetwork. ?In step with maurices? commitment to establishing an innovative and progressive voice in retail fashion, we are excited to be producing a contest, that focuses on music, searching for women that truly reflect the maurices brand and whose music enhances the overall maurices experience.?
Beginning today, any unsigned female-fronted band is eligible to enter ?Small Town Sound? at http://www.mauricesmusic.sonicbids.com. Submissions will be accepted from now through October 8. Between October 11 through November 15, consumers will be invited to vote for their favorite bands narrowing the field to the top 50 musical ensembles. From these 50 bands, a group of panelists including The Bangles, Chrissie Hynde and Sick of Sarah, will narrow it down to 10 finalists who will then have two weeks to create an original song based on the ?Small Town Sound? theme. On December 1, voting will reopen on the site and consumers will vote a final time on the best original song to determine the grand prize winner and the two runners up.
?We?re excited to be working with maurices to extend their small town outreach campaign. With more than 750 stores nationwide, maurices is a great outlet for the promotion of independent music,? said Sonicbids Founder and CEO Panos Panay. ?Sonicbids? mission is to get music in front of consumers through unique distribution channels and this campaign reinforces that.?
The grand prize winner will perform live at their local maurices and receive a trip to Los Angeles to shoot their own music video and record their winning song. They?ll also receive gifts from maurices and Daisy Rock Guitars as well as the opportunity to perform at a major national music festival this spring in a showcase with The Bangles and Sick of Sarah.
All fans that vote will receive maurices coupons and will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a maurices gift card.
About maurices
Established in 1931, maurices is wholly owned by dressbarn inc. maurices is the leading small town specialty store and authority for the savvy, fashion-conscious girl with a twenty-something attitude. Today, maurices operates over 750 stores in 44 states. maurices stands for fashion, quality, value and customer service. Offering sizes 1-24, our styles are inspired by the girl in everyone, in every size. For store information and to shop online visit http://www.maurices.com.
About PlayNetwork
PlayNetwork, Inc. specializes in the creation and distribution of entertainment media that connects the voice of the brand to the consumer across all touch points ? in-store, online and on-device. Founded in 1996, PlayNetwork is the industry?s leading integrated media provider for branded music, messaging, video, entertainment promotions and event media, systems integration services, retail advertising networks, and commercial XM Satellite Radio subscriptions. The company creates high-impact media experiences that drive consumer behavior and affinity, in-store and beyond. Working with many of today?s hottest brands in retail, hospitality, health and fitness, banking, and other business environments, PlayNetwork leads the way in creating media experiences that influence and inspire, making your brand relevant and engaging for the consumer. More information is available at http://www.playnetwork.com or http://www.xm4biz.com.
About Sonicbids
Sonicbids is the website the helps bands get gigs and promoters book the right bands. Our community includes more than 275,000 bands and 21,000 promoters and licensors from all around the world. With festivals, clubs, colleges, music licensing and much more, Sonicbids offers a diverse range of gigs for every kind of musician. In fact, last year alone, more than 71,000 gigs were booked on the site. The company was founded in 2001 by Panos Panay and continues to focus on its core mission of empowering the artistic middle class. Get a gig or book a band at http://www.sonicbids.com.
Media Contacts
Jamie Hector
GolinHarris on behalf of maurices
jhector(at)golinharris(dot)com
212-373-6018
Victoria Yarnish
Bender/Helper Impact on behalf of PlayNetwork
victoria_yarnish(at)bhimpact(dot)com
310-694-3132
Nikki Festa
Sonicbids
press(at)sonicbids(dot)com
617-502-1349
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