Outfitting a small truck to look like a glass-enclosed listening lounge complete with miniature dance floor, video monitor, and thumping sound system is the latest in a progressive series of major label pushes for artist albums. Of course, when the artist is Scottish DJ/producer Calvin Harris (he of the Forbes list topping $66 million dollars earned in 2013 and three top 10 Billboard dance singles at-present) and the album is the hotly-anticipated Motion, it makes sense. Setting up shop in various locales in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC this past weekend, while the campaign had similar execution style to Kanye West's roving mobile "New Slaves" video premieres in conjunction with 2013's Yeezus, it was not as well attended, offering more intrigue than excitement.
In DC, DAD came upon the truck parked near a Trader Joe's grocery store just two blocks from the city's hipster/dance nexus of 14th and U Streets, NW. While very few seemed aware of who Calvin Harris was (and yes, some wondered why there was a truck playing his music and not the DJ DJing a live mobile set), those who knew of the producer happily got on board and proceeded to set upon kicking off a dance party that shook the truck, causing quite the stir.
While yes, some may not know who Calvin Harris is in America's general population, in seeing this truck parked in front of a grocery, it feels like EDM in America these days is equated to say, quinoa. Everybody now knows they're supposed to try it because "trendy" people think it's healthy and great. Now will these same people eventually try it? That's a matter of conjecture, but with marketing like this, at least they know what it is, that it's available for purchase, and (finally) how the word is pronounced. Is Calvin Harris' album a case of a giant budget for a small domestic music marketplace victory? Or, is this a longer-term investment in acculturating Americans to switch the "rice" of rap and rock for the trendier (and potentially market "healthier") alternative of EDM-as "quinoa?" Who knows? But check out that video below. It pretty much says everything:
