Contact:
Diana Gil-Osorio
Antenna Group/for UltraStar
415-977-1930
diana@antennapr.com
Kristen Gariepy
kgariepy@thingworld.com
ThingWorld.com
617-796-0860
David Bowie's 52nd Birthday Nets Fans Interactive, Collectible "Things" From UltraStar and ThingWorld.com
Bowie fans can take and collect bona fide interactive David Bowie ThingScreenSavers containing official Bowie content
NEW YORK and NEWTON,
Mass., ?Embracing the empowering aspects of the Internet and technology for music, UltraStar Internet Services celebrates David Bowie's 52nd birthday today by offering David Bowie "Things" on BowieNet (www.davidbowie.com) via its partnership with ThingWorld.com (formerly Parable). These interactive and bona fide multimedia Things and collectible ThingScreenSavers are photo-realistic Bowie graphics and buttons that come alive with sound. They play clips of Bowie's music or also serve as interactive puzzles that test one's knowledge of Bowie albums and images from various decades. The Bowie Things are immediately available at BowieNet for fans and members alike.
A total of nine Things are available at BowieNet, including five for placement in ThingScreenSavers by the public at large and four exclusive Things accessible to BowieNet members only. By taking and collecting official Bowie Things for use on personal home pages or in interactive ThingScreenSavers, fans can access an official digital sampling of David Bowie's intellectual properties, plus interact with the music innovator, his brand and content in a way not previously possible. Members have access to additional exclusive Bowie Things and membership options, including chat and the ability to participate in the creation of a virtual David Bowie CD. The David Bowie Things were created based on the design work of Nettmedia, a New York-based new media development company.
"UltraStar has been looking forward to seeing the Things made available to fans at BowieNet for some time. We see it as an ideal way reach out to fans with official, collectible and unique content. No other musician or artist currently offers Things to their fans and Bowie always prides himself on being the first when it comes to using new technology. This extends BowieNet beyond the member site to everyday fans worldwide," stated Bob Goodale, a partner in UltraStar.
Things are dynamic, self-contained multimedia experiences that can be animated scenes and characters, puzzles, games, Digital Collectiblesä, point-of-purchase, membership and associates program buttons, digital kiosks, music clips and more. In addition to brand-building functionality and interactivity, Things have unique properties, including the ability to lock, copyright, collect, and control access and brand context. With these capabilities, BowieNet can offer secure official collectibles that can animate, play music and drive traffic while also engaging fans directly online.
In November 1998, UltraStar ? pioneers in morphing the entertainment industry with Internet services ? and ThingWorld.com, an Internet multimedia company, announced a partnership to employ Things for UltraStar's clients to drive traffic and membership, build brand and facilitate e-commerce. David Bowie is the first recording artist to adopt Things.In addition to the introduction of David Bowie Things on BowieNet, other events commemorating the legendary artist's birthday include an online, Java-enabled chat between BowieNet members and Iman, Bowie's wife and illustrious super model, today at 3 p.m. EST.
ABOUT THINGWORLD.COMFounded in August 1996, ThingWorld.com, formerly Parable, provides technologies, tools, services, and a distribution network headquartered at www.thingworld.com, for delivering Brand value through the creation, management and distribution of compelling digital multimedia content (Things) both online and on the desktop. Things can be found at various locations on the Internet including ThingWorld,ä the Web's multimedia showcase and distribution hub. The growing list of companies creating or distributing Things for online fans includes Ben & Jerry's, Comedy Central, Electric Artists, GeoCities, Hasbro (Frogger and Monopoly), Houghton Mifflin Interactive (Curious George), Jones Soda, Lycos, Major League Soccer, the New England Patriots, the New England Revolution, theglobe.com, Tripod, UltraStar (BowieNet), Web Review, WGBH, World Wrestling Federation, and Xoom.com.ThingWorld.com offers a wide range of branding options, from limited edition Digital Collectiblesä and broadly distributed branded content to promotions and brand extension campaigns. Within this range, a growing line-up of entertainment, music, sports and consumer brand companies are serving up their content broadly, selectively or exclusively to specified Web sites, including some of the most highly trafficked portals and communities on the Web. The unique locking and copyright features of Things provide these companies with solutions for securely distributing and extending their intellectual property. Headquartered in Newton, Mass., ThingWorld.com is part of the CMG@Ventures portfolio of companies. In addition to CMG, other current investors include BankBoston, The Kraft Group, Venture Management, and Wasserstein Adelson Ventures.
ABOUT ULTRASTARBased in New York, UltraStar is a management, technology partnership that specializes in the arena of Internet services, bringing major entertainment, sports and fashion clients to the world in a community-based forum delivered over the Web. The UltraStar philosophy is simple ? allow Internet users the opportunity to get "up close and personal" with their favorite personalities, in a members' influenced community via the Internet. Never before has there been an ISP gateway where the private and public worlds of famous figures has been opened with the continued support, input and materials of each star. BowieNet (www.davidbowie.com) is UltraStar's first in a wide range of planned entertainment-focused ISPs. For more information, contact Bob Goodale at UltraStar, babbagee@ultrastar.com, 212-647-1945.
ThingScreenSaver, ThingWorld, and Digital Collectibles are all registered trademarks of ThingWorld.com. All other properties referenced herein are trademarks of their respective owners.