Operah, Iuma, Iuma, Oprah

Brandweek, Sept 4, 2000 by Becky Ebenkamp

Finally, a promo for parents-to-be with a penchant for indie music and excess vowels: Seminal site the Internet Underground Music Archive is dangling $5,000 cash prizes or a lifetime supply of music merch to those who dare to name their progeny after the site's acronym: IUMA. Parents visit www.iuma.com to submit their newborn's photo and copy of the birth certificate, then opt to receive the dough or an unlimited supply of CDs, MP3s and concert tix.

Publicity aside, management sees the promo as a weapon for weaning the public off the slick, sappy commercial output that's now predominant. "Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys have put our children in peril," said IUMA gm Antony Brydon in a press release. "By the time they reach the age of 7 or 8, it's too late. But a baby named 'IUMA' will grow up in a loving home filled with the best new music on the planet."