The folks at Capitol/Virgin Music are unleashing a ‘typhoon’ promo using radio, print, OOH, SMS and scooters to hype up the Jan. 24 launch of rock band Yellowcard’s new CD. In a national promo called Yellowcard Typhoon, five Yellowcard-branded scooters will be given away via CDs equipped with unique PINs.

‘The core demo for Yellowcard is 15-22 males, very active, aggressive web surfers who like to be on the pulse of things. [It was a great fit because] Typhoon is the number one scooter in Canada,’ says Angie Bazzana, director of marketing at Capitol/Virgin Music Canada.

As such, a text SMS component was an important aspect to the campaign. ‘When you text ‘yellow card’ to a short code, you get a bounceback phone call and an m-coupon to a particular retailer. The phone call is a recording [that] tells kids, ‘don’t forget, you have the opportunity to win one out of five customized scooters.” A website touting the Yellowcard Typhoon contest and CD, found at yellowcardtyphoon.com goes live on Jan. 24 and promises to be yet another vehicle for database gathering.

Viral was also part of the campaign, and the record label used its own database to send emails to fans. Back in September, Capitol/Virgin teamed up with Xbox for Yellowcard’s 16-day tour – a perfect fit as the band’s song appeared on Xbox’s Burn Out game. The traveling Burn Out branded vehicle was a tag along on show dates, culling names for a database that is 5,000 strong and growing exponentially.

And while Capitol/Virgin is expanding its Yellowcard fan database, the label’s hoping to expand its partner network as well. ‘We explore all opportunities [because] you can get into different markets. We take a look at the band and then we look at the demo. We found out [Yellowcard] loved Xbox, and they were already involved with them so it was natural for us to develop a partnership.’

Bazzana says in addition to traditional media such as radio and print, the Yellowcard Typhoon promo will also have street teams across Canada handing out specially-created Yellowcard fanzines printed on newsprint – ‘for that really kind of raw for the streets [look].’ Branded mobile phone stickers, Typhoon stencils and posters will also be distributed. At the retail level, fanzines will be available at select HMV locations and in Canadian Scooter’s Vespa shops.

All creative, promos and media buys were done in-house.