Crowdsource goes postpunk

"Iggy Pop is making a new band - and plans to fill it with Kiwis he meets online. He is then going to re-record one of his biggest tracks 'The Passenger', live, online, with the magic of Orcon broadband."

That was the pitch made by New Zealand's Orcon Broadband last October in what I think is one of the coolest crowdsourcing ideas ever, because:

• Iggy Pop is a rock god
• It's such a great demonstration of the product.

Basically, New Zealanders were invited to post audition videos of themselves on Orcon's FB page, playing along to Iggy's 1977 classic "The Passenger" with any instrument they liked. Iggy then picked his top 8, and Orcon set up a live online jam between The Ig, who was in Miami, and each new member of his NZ backup band in their homes.

Here's a particularly peppy audition from up-and-coming "Japanese punk jazz" flautist Miho Wada:



Here's the teaser of Iggy connecting with the talent:



Here's the session:



And here's the final:



Orcon looks cool. Iggy is cool, plus he gets to connect (literally!) with a new generation of fans. And this campaign was just awarded a Grand Prix Award for direct marketing at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in France.

Sellout you say? This is the man whose sond about kicking Heroin is used for a cruise line ad. Who shilled for an insurance company.

This, at least, was the real Iggy Pop.



Plus, the man needs his retirement fund.