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April 26, 2023 — No Comments

Ronald McDonald House Roblox experience wins Silver at 2023 Clio Awards

At this year's Clio Award, the Ronald McDonald House Roblox experience received the Silver Award. The project was done in partnership with Nord DDB Stockholm.

Children seeking medical treatment at a hospital could be described as a number of things from a parents perspective: distressing, traumatic, heartbreaking etc. A key part of recovery, especially for kids, is to stay connected to their ‘normal’ life; playing and talking with their old and new friends, interacting with their families, as well as staying in an environment that feels like home. Since 1974, Ronald McDonald House aims to help these families by providing 'home away from home' accommodation.

Seeing the opportunity to enhance their families' experience at a Ronald McDonald House accommodation, the charity wanted to build a virtual experience that enabled kids to connect with their everyday life whilst raising awareness of the work the charity does. The charity approached Nord DDB Stockholm and Karta to create this metaverse and help raise awareness through a nationwide omnichannel campaign in Sweden.

To read the case study, click here.

To read the award entry, click here.

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Tags: Metaverse

April 20, 2023 — No Comments

Amazon Music One Take wins another Campaign Media Award in 2023: Media & Entertainment

The Metaverse x Influence Marketing cross-over campaign, Amazon Music One Take took home a second Campaign Media Award 2023 for the Best Use of Experiential Award. Created in collaboration with Karta, Initiative and Livewire, the Youtube streamed series drew in the biggest viewership that Amazon Music had ever experienced.

The feedback received from the judges of this year's Campaign Media commented that Amazon Music One Take was “Very clever, a unique idea well executed and feels very authentic. It’s a really successful repositioning of the brand.” But according to Campaign, this wasn't always the case. 'For a brand previously regarded as about as cool as dad dancing, the project reached more than 2.8 million Gen Zs and saw 186,000 streamed over 16,000 hours. It featured earned editorial across NME and Music Ally and saw Amazon Music go from the status of unknown busker to top of the charts.'

To read the case study, click here.

To read the full award entry, click here.

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Tags: Music

April 20, 2023 — No Comments

Amazon Music One Take – Campaign Media Awards winners 2023: Best Use of Experiential

The Metaverse x Influence Marketing cross-over campaign, Amazon Music One Take took home the Best Use of Experiential Award at 2023's Campaign Media. Created in collaboration with Karta, Initiative and Livewire, the Youtube streamed series drew in the biggest viewership that Amazon Music had ever experienced.

Even though one of the judges remarked that the campaign "is so cool”, Campaign dived in a little deeper as to why this sentiment was relevant:

But for Amazon Music it wasn’t always the case. The majority of Gen Z weren’t aware of Amazon Music, and those that were likened the brand to dad dancing rather than a dance sensation.

In order to put itself on the map for this demographic, Amazon Music had to dive into the new frontier of music culture: gaming. The most coveted moments in music are often live. Gaming at its most social is played and streamed live. And Amazon has the biggest live platform with Twitch, so it was a case of linking these three things together to put Amazon Music at the forefront of youth culture.

With 88% of Gen Z individuals gaming weekly, the campaign set to work creating three playable custom maps within online game Fortnite – and its community of 350 million users – all inspired by the UK music scene.

To read the case study, click here.

To read the full award entry, click here.

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Tags: Music

April 4, 2023 — No Comments

Ronald McDonald House in Roblox got 2nd Place in Resumé’s Campaign of the Month

Karta's joint Roblox project with Nord DDB Stockholm and Ronald McDonald House was awarded second place in Resumé's April 2023 Campaign of the Month article.

Seeing the opportunity to enhance the families' experience at a Ronald McDonald House accommodation, the charity wanted to build a virtual experience that enabled kids to connect with their everyday life whilst raising awareness of the work the charity does. The charity approached Nord DDB Stockholm and Karta to create this metaverse and help raise awareness through a nationwide omnichannel campaign in Sweden.

Launched in November 2022, Ronald McDonald House in Roblox is a colourful multi-storied house complete with more than 6 outdoor environments. Taking inspiration and input from patients staying at one of the 6 Ronald McDonald Houses in Sweden, the experience also has mini-games and bespoke Ronald McDonald House Roblox features that were auctioned Ronald McDonald House Foundation Gala.

Malin Berg, Art Director of Dentsu Creative, a judge at Resumé's Campaign of the Month said 'many brands want to venture into the metaverse, but in this (Ronald McDonald House) case it actually serves a higher purpose'.

Another judge, Chris Hagberg, Art Director at Post said 'Trends run the risk of appearing boring and flat quite quickly. Metaverseifying physical locations is an example of that. But there are exceptions. Ronald McDonald House in Roblox is one such. Welcoming sick children and their classmates to a platform that is associated with joy and play becomes an addition and creates added value to the physical houses. A heartwarming idea that can really help'.

To read the case study, click here.

To read the full article, click here.

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Tags: Award

March 17, 2023 — No Comments

Latest Music Industry Hires: Warner Chappell, Arista, 300 Entertainment, BMI, Muserk, and More

Here’s a recap of recent music industry hires and in-house promotions as of March 17th, 2023.

BMI

Nine-year Broadcast Music, Inc. team member John Coletta has been promoted to SVP and managing director, international.

Karta

Metaverse studio Karta, which launched in 2021, has officially announced former Hipgnosis and EMI exec Tony Barnes as its co-founder.

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG)

Former BMI VP of creative for Europe Shirin Foroutan has joined UMPG as SVP and GM for Europe, succeeding GM of European operations Simon Baker, who’s set to “continue at the company in a senior management capacity.”

Additionally, 21-year team member Jonas Wikström is succeeding Martin Ingeström (who will retire in June) to become Universal Music Publishing Scandinavia’s MD of the Nordics.

Warner Music

Following the departure of Warner Music CEO Stephen Cooper, EVP and CFO Eric Levin has announced that he’ll retire later this year.

SoundCloud

SoundCloud president Eliah Seton has replaced Michael Weissman as the music-sharing platform’s CEO; Weissman just recently joined Wade Davis’ ForgeLight VC as a partner.

To read the full article, click here.

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Tags: Music

March 15, 2023 — No Comments

Tony Barnes Launches Music Artists With Karta Metaverse Studios

Metaverse studios Karta on Tuesday announced ex-Virgin EMI Records senior director and music industry veteran Tony Barnes as its co-founder. Digital marketing pioneer will help the company to become leader in Metaverse ad virtual world field.

What is the doer?

Karta was founded in 2021 by Tony Barnes and de facto CEO Eric Londre. The startup helps brands, artists and sports teams connect with audiences across video games and virtual worlds. In short, Karta’s main goal is to make the Metaverse accessible and effective for all brands across all platforms.

Karta successfully worked on creating experiences for big brands in Roblox, and Fortnite. These included Amazon Music, Fnatic, Unilever, and Ronald McDonald House. Similarly, the company recently created the first persistent fan hub on Roblox for female K-pop megastar Twice.

Who is Tony Barnes?

Tony Barnes is considered a digital marketing pioneer with 18 years in the music industry. He was one of the first to understand the importance of streaming platforms. He was one of the first to introduce influencer marketing for music campaigns. In addition, he is a pioneer in the use of TikTok for marketing campaigns.

He held digital positions at Universal Music, Virgin EMI and Hipgnosis. As such he worked with hundreds of major artists such as Queen, Katy Perry, Sir Elton John and Shakira, as well as dance music legends Avicii, David Guetta, Tiësto and Swedish House Mafia.

To read the full article, click here.

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Tags: Music

March 15, 2023 — No Comments

Hipgnosis Exec Tony Barnes named as co-founder of metaverse start-up, Karta

Karta, a metaverse studio that offers in-game experiential marketing for musicians, brands and sports teams, named Hipgnosis executive Tony Barnes as a co-founder alongside CEO Erik Londré.

The pair launched London-based Karta in July 2021. The startup says it aims to make the metaverse accessible and effective for brands across all platforms.

Since launching nearly two years ago, Karta has delivered projects across Roblox and Fortnite for Amazon Music, Fnatic, Unilever and Ronald McDonald House.

“We develop strategies to turn them into powerful platforms for your message. Use them for product launches, brand experiences, influencer activations, virtual product sales and more,” Karta says on its website.

The startup claims to have built “the first persistent fan hub” on Roblox for female K-Pop megastars TWICE in partnership with their label, JYP Entertainment, Republic Records and Universal Music Group.

To read the full article, click here.

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Tags: Music

March 15, 2023 — No Comments

Tony Barnes Launches Music Artists With Karta Metaverse Studio

The metaverse studio Karta announced this Tuesday ex-Virgin EMI Records senior director and music industry veteran Tony Barnes as its co-founder. The digital marketing pioneer will help the company become a leader in the metaverse ad virtual worlds fields.

What is Karta?

Karta was founded in 2021 by Tony Barnes and actual CEO Erik Londré. The startup helps brands, artists and sports teams connect with audiences from video games and virtual worlds. To summarize, the main goal of Karta is to make the metaverse accessible and effective for all brands across all platforms.

Karta worked successfully on creating experiences in Roblox, and Fortnite for big brands. These included Amazon Music, Fnatic, Unilever, and Ronald McDonald House. Likewise, the company recently built the first persistent fan hub on Roblox for female K-Pop megastars TWICE.

Who is Tony Barnes?

Tony Barnes, who worked 18 years in the music industry, is considered a digital marketing pioneer. He was one of the first to understand the importance of streaming platforms. He was also one of the first to introduce influencer marketing to music campaigns. Moreover, he’s a pioneer in the use of Tiktok for marketing campaigns.

They held digital positions at Universal Music, Virgin EMI, and Hipgnosis. As such he worked with hundreds of major artists, like Queen, Katy Perry, Sir Elton John, and Shakira, as well as dance music legends Avicii, David Guetta, Tiesto, and Swedish House Mafia.

To read the full article, click here.

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Tags: Techology

March 14, 2023 — No Comments

TONY BARNES ANNOUNCED AS CO-FOUNDER OF METAVERSE STUDIO, KARTA

Karta, a fast-growing metaverse studio pioneering the world of in-game experiential marketing for musicians, brands and sports teams, has announced ex-Virgin EMI Records senior director and music industry veteran Tony Barnes as its co-founder.

Founded in 2021 by Barnes and CEO Erik Londré, Karta helps connect brands with billions of people that inhabit the world’s most popular video games and virtual worlds. The startup is on a mission to make the metaverse accessible and effective for all brands across all platforms. Since its launch, Karta has delivered successful projects across Roblox and Fortnite for the likes of Amazon Music, Fnatic, Unilever and Ronald McDonald House. Karta recently built the first persistent fan hub on Roblox for female K-Pop megastars TWICE, in collaboration with JYP Entertainment, Republic Records and Universal Music Group.

Hailing from a stellar 18-year career in music, Barnes is widely regarded as a digital-marketing pioneer. As an early torchbearer for streaming platforms, Tony devised award-winning digital strategies, introduced influencer marketing to music campaigns and was among the first music execs to collaborate with and champion Tiktok. Rising to senior digital positions at Universal Music, Virgin EMI and Hipgnosis, he’s worked on campaigns for hundreds of artists including global superstars Queen, Katy Perry, Sir Elton John, Shakira, Kanye West, Florence & The Machine and Halsey, as well as dance music legends Avicii, David Guetta, Tiesto and Eric Prydz. He also helped to launch the careers of artists such as Emeli Sande, Jonas Blue and James Bay, and played a key role in the success of Swedish House Mafia. Furthermore, Tony is a forward-thinker who chaired the 2020 Brit Awards Digital Committee which smashed previous online records and brokered the first deal between Tiktok and the BRITs, heavily featuring Lewis Capaldi.

Tony Barnes, co-founder of Karta, commented: “Erik and I started Karta with a simple mission - to help artists and brands connect with the vast number of people that are playing and socialising in video games and virtual worlds. Over the past few years we have witnessed the growing momentum in cross-industry collaboration between gaming and music, for example, starting with Marshmello’s unpredictable success in 2019 with the first Fortnite in-game concert, which became the cornerstone that led to other in-game activations from Travis Scott, Lil Nas X, Ariana Grande and many more. But we see a world beyond one-off activations, where artists can harness the metaverse as an evergreen channel to grow and connect with their community. I am so excited to continue building Karta alongside Erik and our incredible team of passionate music lovers and life-long gamers.”

To read the full article, click here.

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Tags: Business

March 14, 2023 — No Comments

Tony Barnes announced as co-founder of metaverse studio, Karta

New 'metaverse studio' co-founded by ex-Virgin EMI Records executive.

Music industry pioneer, Tony Barnes, is helping to launch music artists and brands into the metaverse
Karta is making the metaverse accessible and effective for artists and labels

Karta, a fast-growing metaverse studio pioneering the world of in-game experiential marketing for musicians, brands and sports teams, has announced ex-Virgin EMI Records senior director and music industry veteran Tony Barnes as its co-founder.

Founded in 2021 by Barnes and CEO Erik Londré, Karta helps connect brands with billions of people that inhabit the world’s most popular video games and virtual worlds. The startup is on a mission to make the metaverse accessible and effective for all brands across all platforms. Since its launch, Karta has delivered successful projects across Roblox and Fortnite for the likes of Amazon Music, Fnatic, Unilever and Ronald McDonald House. Karta recently built the first persistent fan hub on Roblox for female K-Pop megastars TWICE, in collaboration with JYP Entertainment, Republic Records and Universal Music Group.

Hailing from a stellar 18-year career in music, Barnes is widely regarded as a digital-marketing pioneer. As an early torchbearer for streaming platforms, Tony devised award-winning digital strategies, introduced influencer marketing to music campaigns and was among the first music execs to collaborate with and champion Tiktok. Rising to senior digital positions at Universal Music, Virgin EMI and Hipgnosis, he’s worked on campaigns for hundreds of artists including global superstars Queen, Katy Perry, Sir Elton John, Shakira, Kanye West, Florence & The Machine and Halsey, as well as dance music legends Avicii, David Guetta, Tiesto and Eric Prydz. He also helped to launch the careers of artists such as Emeli Sande, Jonas Blue and James Bay, and played a key role in the success of Swedish House Mafia. Furthermore, Tony is a forward-thinker who chaired the 2020 Brit Awards Digital Committee which smashed previous online records and brokered the first deal between Tiktok and the BRITs, heavily featuring Lewis Capaldi.

To read the full article, click here.

Published by Admin

Tags: Music