Napster "To Go" Tour

When Napster launched its "Napster to Go" subscription service, it turned to Grand Central Marketing to create a series of events around the country that would generate buzz and increase consumer awareness of its newest offering.

GCM converted hip coffee shops into "Napster to Go Cafes" in four cities known for their distinctive musical genres: New York, Los Angeles, Nashville and Austin. Each venue was given a complete makeover to reflect the theme, including Napster-logoed napkins, placemats, specially designed and produced jukeboxes and diner clocks, and aprons and hats for the staff. A separate VIP lounge was created where celebrities, music industry executives and media could mingle while enjoying complimentary cocktails and listening to Napster downloads.

At each Napster cafe, hundreds of music fans waited in lines that wrapped around the block to receive free MP3 players and Napster To Go subscriptions to "fill up" their devices, as well as "free fills and refills" of gourmet coffee. Celebrities including Lindsay Lohan and Nick Lachey helped serve free coffee and give away MP3 players and Napster subscriptions to consumers.

The "Napster to Go" tour generated over 50 million media impressions, including stories on MTV, Access Hollywood, and CNN, and print features in USA Today, US Weekly and the Wall Street Journal. The tour was successful in reaching thousands of music fans, as well as key players in the music industry. Within a year of the promotion, the number of premium paid subscribers to Napster's subscription service had surpassed 500,000 and its subscriber base had grown by more than 100%.

GCM handled all aspects of event production and logistics.