Hard Rock Takes Pals to Music Fest

Brandweek, May 22, 2000 by T.L. Stanley, Theresa Howard

Mountain Dew, Music-land's Sam Goody and Motorola will join returning sponsors Sony PlayStation, Discover Card ,Entertainment Weekly and presenter Oldsmobile Alero for Hard Rock Cafes Rockfest, a one-day concert of marquee bands scheduled for July in Chicago.

Hard Rock, which took over the event two years ago after originator Blockbuster dropped out of the fest (as well as the music business), produces Rockfest with TBA Entertainment, a marketing/special events firm.

For Hard Rock, whose core demo has been the 25-55-year-old classic rock fan," it was imperative to backfill the pipeline with 18-25-year-olds," said president/COO Pete Beaudrault. "Also, we had gotten to be a product-based experience with food and merchandise. We want to become dominant in providing the rock experience."

The show, which drew 127,000 in Atlanta last year, will feature Metallica, Stone Temple Pilots, Kid Rock, Third Eye Blind, Barenaked Ladies and others. There's talk about expanding overseas in subsequent years, he said.

Unlike a promoter-based show in the mold of Lollapalooza," this exists because sponsors have embraced it, and they buy into the event rather than any one particular artist," said TBA executive producer Brian Murphy.

Aside from music, the fest will feature a mini-Sam Goody store built on site, a Hard Rock Cafe, PlayStation's game-packed 18-wheeler, a Discover entertainment zone, Alero-backed volleyball teams and air-conditioned lounges and Motorola cell phone sampling.

Hard Rock will support the event in its 46 locations; Sam Goody plans displays of Rockfest bands in Chicago-area stores; Discover will do direct mail drops. A Web cast and syndicated radio show, plus live remotes on MTV, back with a special likely to follow.

Mountain Dew will make its own appearance as WDEW, a limited reach station set up in modified bread trucks where local DJs can spin tunes. Sampling and account specific promos will dangle tickets.

Separately Bacardi and Dr. Marten will sponsor another one-day lineup in Washington: the HFStival, with Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against the Machine and Cypress Hill among others. A Bacardi BAT tent will offer contests and giveaways.