In Monday’s (10/31) New York Times, advertising reporter Stuart Elliott writes, “Beethoven is a giant of classical music. For an offbeat effort on behalf of a classical music station, he is becoming an Obey Giant. The campaign, now under way, is for WQXR, 105.9 FM, one of three stations operated by New York Public Radio, along with WNYC AM and FM. The campaign promotes November as ‘Beethoven Awareness Month’ and urges everyone to ‘Obey Thoven.’ The bold and simple graphics of the campaign are in the style of the Obey Giant work by the artist Shepard Fairey, who blessed the WQXR effort in a statement. … And in a hat tip to Mr. Fairey, who favors so-called street media, the campaign includes wall murals, ‘wild postings’ on locations like construction sites and subway posters. … The idea of an awareness month for Beethoven is ‘obviously tongue-in-cheek, because everyone’s aware of Beethoven,’ said Noreen O’Loughlin, vice president for integrated marketing at New York Public Radio who is also the general manager of its Jerome L. Greene Performance Space. ‘It gives us an opportunity to be more playful and have fun,’ she added, and counter perceptions that classical music is only for the serious and straitlaced.”
Posted November 1, 2011
