James Blunt, Warner Music and Metro International have announced a global brand partnership that will see the singer-songwriter guest edit the global edition of Metro.
Blunt will assume his duties on Nov. 17 at the Rome Metro office, where he will collaborate with the global editor-in-chief. Alongside editing the paper and commenting on news affecting readers around the world, Blunt will be involved in a feature on Médecins Sans Frontières, an international humanitarian organization which he and Metro Newspapers support.
A month-long global marketing campaign across radio, online and print will support the editorial. A new microsite has also been launched, offering Metro readers the chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy and act as Blunt’s editorial assistant. The Metro and James Blunt website homepages will host his new video along with behind-the-scenes footage of Blunt at work. Print ads will run across 20 countries, as will 20-second radio spots, coinciding with the release of his new single, ‘Love, Love, Love,’ and his All The Lost Souls album.
‘This innovative concept provides Metro readers with a unique experience that will increase readership and brand loyalty,’ Bill McDonald, group publisher, Metro English Canada, tells MiC.
Metro is published in 20 countries and more than 150 cities, with a worldwide readership of over 20 million. Circulation in Canada is at 840,000, with 320,000 in Toronto alone. Metro editions are published in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, as well as on the web at metronews.ca.
‘I have long been fascinated by the media and am excited to have the chance to go behind the scenes and experience things from the other side,’ says Blunt. ‘With so much going on in the world right now, I am looking forward to editing a newspaper, raising the profile of subjects close to my heart and hopefully having a little fun along the way.’
