Most Branded Entertainment in the music realm is formulaic. A brand sponsors an artist’s album and tour. The brand provides a sales promotion for concert tickets and VIP backstage access. Logos appear on tickets. Brand ambassadors— usually attractive models wearing logo-laden t-shirts—offer product samples and swag bags. Selfies from the audience are broadcast to the big screens on stage with a sponsor logo. Pics from the concert are posted on Facebook. This scenario is played out again and again by big music sponsorships of major brands.

However, there are no restrictions that prevent going deeper with Branded Entertainment as exemplified by our campaign that invited shoppers at tech stores from coast to coast to collaborate with a Grammy-Award winning artist to create and broadcast their very own custom, concert experience. So instead of Intel just sponsoring the content, they provided all of the tools to create and distribute it, enabling a far deeper appreciation, connection and personal engagement with the brand.

We created an interactive digital experience in 50 stores, enticing shoppers to engage with 2-in-1s to create their own multimedia concert starring NE-YO.

Shoppers remixed stem tracks from NE-YOs yet-to-be-released single on the 2-in-1 in laptop mode, then flipped to tablet mode to design the lightshow. Custom software with artificial intelligence enabled real-time reactions from NE-YO —personally commenting on performances, good or bad.

The soundstage, crowd sequences and 3D lightshow were created by digital renderings displayed on intersecting horizontal and vertical 4K touchscreens creating a seamless “you’re on stage” experience. Shoppers instantly recorded and broadcast their mix via social media.

• In-store engagement with the “Get in the Mix with NE-YO” experience generated 10X more shopper engagement with Intel-powered 2-in-1s in the 50 Best Buy stores that used the display1

• The shoppers who engaged with the 2-in-1s in the 50 Best Buy stores touched, flipped and played with the 2-in -1 devices as they created NE-YO mixes.2.

• The NE-YO online videos generated nearly half-a-million views (495,856) on YouTube and Facebook during the launch.3

• The experience sparked dozens of media and blogger stories from the West Coast to the East Coast.