Walkman would lead the music revolution and gain credibility amongst the new breed of music enthusiasts. Walkman’s sponsorship deal with the NME, the UK’s no. 1 music publisher, was a genuine partnership. It created a unique Breaking Bands talent search competition, with the winners being voted for by their peers. The ultimate prize was at stake… the chance to play live at the NME.com’s 10th birthday party, alongside Kasabian, the hottest rock band of 2006.

The campaign gained massive interest, with 20+ million website visits and 100+ million page views. Walkman became uniquely associated with new music and gained fantastic kudos with the new breed audience. Whilst Apple outspent Walkman by 12:1, Walkman’s sales went up 75% within the first four weeks of the campaign.