The Black Keys incorporated an unusual method of announcing their new album Turn Blue, utilizing the Twitter account of Mike Tyson to get the word out.
The Black Keys have enjoyed much success in recent years based on the strength of their previous album, 2011’s El Camino . That effort yielded two No. 1 alternative hits, Gold on the Ceiling and Lonely Boy , and the Black Keys earned Grammy’s for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song.
For Turn Blue , which represents the eighth album for the band and the follow-up to El Camino , the Black Keys decide to use some clever marketing tactics. The use of Twitter as a platform is interesting enough, but requisitioning the account of retired boxer Mike Tyson makes it all the more bizarre.
Here is the original tweet:
Turn Blue http://t.co/N7SaVjl1eD
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) March 21, 2014
This message is obviously cryptic and completely devoid of information, including the release date for the album. Curious Black Keys fans seeking clarification were tasked to click on the link, where they were greeted with a video that quickly turns surreal:
As you can see, the video is an odd little piece of filmmaking on the part of the Black Keys, complete with an apparent hypnotist speaking directly to the viewer in a monotone that becomes sinister and vaguely sexual as it continues. The screed culminates with maniacal laughter and the desired information regarding the May 13th album release, presented in retro analog fashion and describing the Black Keys amusingly as rock musicians.
This method of marketing is certainly unusual, but also imaginative and practical . The fact that Mike Tyson’s Twitter account features 4.15 million followers compared to 608,000 for the Black Keys is certainly not lost on frontman Dan Auerbach. The Black Keys clearly have a sense of humor, and have used videos such as this to promote their previous work, including 2011’s El Camino, in which Breaking Bad’s Bob Odenkirk plays a used car salesman named Ross Lipnik.
In addition to work on the Keys new album, Auerbach has also recently collaborated with Lana Del Ray on her new album Ultra-Violence. This album, whose title references the film A Clockwork Orange , is looking at a May 1 st release date.
Meanwhile, Auerbach and the Black Keys are scheduled to play the Hangout Music Fest in Alabama in mid-May, a precursor to their summer European tour.
[Image via YouTube]
[Videos courtesy of Turn Blue and WannaBuyAVan /YouTube]
