MTV is starting its social takeover for this weekend’s VMAs, including social voting through Twitter, Instagram and Vine, even a Beastie Boys remix video. And rumors about a possible, though improbable, *NSYNC reunion can’t hurt.
Kicking off later today with live-streamed and other video content, the VMAs is creating a sort of choose-your-own adventure theme, so fans can tune in throughout the weekend, vote on social media, follow along with artists and check out music videos through the site and on Sunday during the show. They can even choose which camera feeds they’d like to follow.
This year’s VMAs will offer, for the first time, the opportunity for fans to vote for the show’s new award, Best Song of the Summer, using Twitter, Instagram and Vine videos. According to Lost Remote, fans can log in to any of these to vote using hash tags #votemiley, #votedaftpunk, #voteselena, #voteonedirection, #votethicke, or #votecalvinandellie. MTV also has been using its social campaign #RoadToTheVMAs, which has rolled out over Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Facebook, showing the Moonman statue at venues across New York.
MTV’s awards shows have a reputation to uphold, as last year’s show broke Twitter records and were among the first to feature Twitter prominently during the awards show itself. This year will be no different, with all forms of social media playing major roles leading up to and throughout the show.
According to Ad Age, MTV has turned to Twitter to turn news-making moments into sponsorship dollars. Viacom, a partner in Twitter’s Amplify program, is working with Twitter to sell packages of sponsored tweets to the award show’s sponsors like Degree Women and Pepsi. VMA All Access, live today at 4:00 p.m. ET, is possible through a partnership with Windows Phone and will be a behind-the-scenes all-access pass for fans wanting to know what’s happening leading up to the actual event. Another partnership with Pop Tarts will bring live GIFs to create and share during the show on Sunday.
And leading up its series premieres this fall, MTV also said today that it will be launching a subscription app on Xbox 360, featuring content from shows such as “Catfish” and “Teen Wolf” as well as extra content from specials and award shows. According to The Next Web, the app requires Xbox Live Gold access and to get more than just the recent episode of a show, users also need to log in using their pay-TV subscription information.
Read more about the latest updates at Lost Remote.
Brief Take: In preparation for its signature awards show, the VMAs, and its upcoming fall season, MTV is headed to where its fans are, with marketing campaigns spread out across social media, and streaming apps for the Millennial-targeted platform, Xbox Live.
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