The Jungle Giants front Smirnoff Australia ‘ads for artist’ cash campaign
With live music returning nationally, this indie rock band is looking for 12 songs to soundtrack a summer ad campaign.
In a boon for emerging artists whose careers have been stunted by pandemic live-music restrictions, chart-topping Australian indie rock quartet the Jungle Giants are on the hunt for 12 songs to soundtrack a $1m summer advertising campaign.
With live music returning nationally as the states and territories reach vaccination targets, it’s an opportunity for artists looking to make up for lost time.
“When we were coming up, we didn’t have anything like a pandemic; we didn’t have this situation where we weren’t able to get some money for ourselves by playing shows,” frontman Sam Hales told The Australian.
“One of the worst situations for a young band is when you can’t play shows for people to share your music, so the chance to give those bands a leg up right now is really what they need.”
Songwriters and performers of the chosen tracks will be paid a licensing fee above the APRA AMCOS industry standard.
But while the band – whose members are split between Melbourne and Brisbane – will curate the campaign playlist, someone else is paying for their placement across social media and YouTube: Smirnoff, owned by British multinational Diaego.
The vodka brand has sponsored plenty of Australian music events over the years; Hales recalls that his group played a DJ set in the Smirnoff tent at Splendour in the Grass before it was booked to play full-band shows at the annual Byron Bay winter festival.
Formed in Brisbane in 2011, the Jungle Giants enjoyed a new career highlight in July when its fourth album, Love Signs, debuted atop the ARIA chart.
This marks the first time the quartet has partnered with an alcohol brand, though, and what got it over the line was the notion of giving back to its peers.
“This is new ground for us, but to connect through this kind of messaging, where it’s supporting young bands that have just had it tough? That’s literally what we talk about all the time, so it was easy for us to jump on board with this campaign,” said Hales.
“This is something that makes sense to us, and it’s not really scary ground; it’s familiar. Smirnoff are coming through and backing up the artists, so for us to be doing this feels pretty easy.”
Artists can submit tracks by direct messaging Smirnoff Australia on Facebook or Instagram, and including links to tracks published on platforms such as Spotify, Soundcloud or YouTube; unpublished tracks won’t be considered.
The contest is open until December 12, at which time the band’s members will lend their ears to the entrants before the online ad campaign begins in January to promote Smirnoff’s new mixed berry seltzer range.
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