The Great Gimmick!

  • Thread starter Thread starter bigwillz24
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bigwillz24

bigwillz24

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I was sitting around today talking with one of my friends about getting music off the ground with minimal money.

We talked about passing out flyers at the local clubs, printing up a bunch of cds and passing those out etc...

Then we started saying yeah we could pass out a bunch of flyers and cds, But I know that most people as soon as you turn your back will probably chunk your hard work the distance of a football field!

So we started thinking of ways to get people to listen and a light bulb went off and I said we need a Gimmick.

Something that will make the people pay attention to what you are trying to do but I fell short on ideas.

So I come to you guys/gals humbly asking to tell your ideas or your stories for pulling off that Great Gimmick.
 
tell them some lost john lennon songs are somewhere sandwiched between your tracks. if that doesn't work, hit em' over the head with a baseball bat and stuff a cd in their pocket while they're passed out. They'll probably think they bought it themselves when they come to.. :D
 
Robertt8 said:
tell them some lost john lennon songs are somewhere sandwiched between your tracks. if that doesn't work, hit em' over the head with a baseball bat and stuff a cd in their pocket while they're passed out. They'll probably think they bought it themselves when they come to.. :D
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LOL.... hmmm I don't think I'm gonna resort to violence just yet :p
 
I just thought of a great gimmick...

...I ain't gonna share it with anyone though, this could be the biggest thing since sliced bread.

LOL.

Seriously though, i doubt there's anything you can do cheeply at a street level that hasn't already been tried.

How about walking around in a stupid gorilla costumn and handing out the CDs, maybe people would be curious as to how it sounded? (Tried that one once back in 1981).
 
I think I'm gonna try that. It'll be fun if nothing else.
 
I like the costume idea. Passing out cd's worksd. The trick is to only give cd,s to peopel who you feel would like the music. Make sure your easy to navigate- easy to remember/ eye catching web site is visible
 
Another idea on the costume line of thinking:

I went out for a saturday night of binge drinking at a very crowded neighborhood here in my home city. A college area with lots of youngins.

I went about my business as I normally would. Enjoying my drinks, talking with friends. Only difference: I wore a big silly wild west mustache. A false one.

I had a great many people (25+) ask me why I would wear such a thing.

When asked, I then handed them a cd and told them of the show I had coming up that weekend. I recognized about five faces from the crowd from that gimmick....
 
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Go to a ticket manufacturer…a real one and get tickets made up for your club date. On the ticket put a value of $10.00 per person as well state on the ticket that these cannot be returned for any refund. If the club your playing holds 300 people print 400 tickets. Give them to your family and friends to give away at work , gym, to people they think would go. No use giving Rock tickets to an 80 year old woman at the grocery store. The idea behind this is that you now have a perceived value and everyone likes to get stuff for free or think they are getting a deal. If you want to take this to another level have a spot on the back for an email address and state you will be having a draw. The prize could be a signed 8 x 10 , CD , T Shirt or maybe you could talk the club into donating a meal …..good news is you now have hundreds of emails you can add to your data base
 
I don't think a bunch of rappers would like putting on a gorrila suit and mess up that "I'm hard" image that they try to portray.

Heres an idea but I don't have the balls to do it.

Write your website on the back window of your car then just start speeding and get into a police chase.

Make sure the news helicopter shows up then start throwing flyers and cds out the windows.

Sure we would go to jail but the website was on TV and curiosity kills the cat. Alot of people would be like those guys are crazy and go check out the site just because.
 
Oh, I forget to add... there was also a sandwich board involved. We had a sign writer make up a sandwich board in the sahpe of a 7" single (it was 1981 remember) and the guy in the Gorilla suit also had the sandwich board.

I was more modestly dressed as the gorillas keeper.

We certainly drew attention to ourselves, especialy from drunken young men. Funny how how a man in a gorilla suit seems to be more tempting to punch than a man without the suit! (Or maybe they had heard our music?)

We handed out fliers promoting the record and the next gig.
 
pashop said:
gorillas in jail ....now were talking CNN
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this sounds more like something you'll see on The National Geographic Channel, or at your local zoo...
:p
 
Robertt8 said:
this sounds more like something you'll see on The National Geographic Channel, or at your local zoo...
:p
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This my friend is the zoo………pass the nuts
 
Hmmm..... how many people could I pass out cds too in a gorrila suit at the zoo before getting hit with a traquilizer dart :D
 
Gimmicks may get your foot in the door, but they're short lived if you don't have something good to back them up.

You're onto something with street promotion. Concentrate on getting word-of-mouth going and you'll have all the people you need.
 
i really dobt they could mistake a real gorilla for a fat guy in a suit passing out cds and dancing around. they are trained professionals!
 
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