Having returned from Glastonbury Festival, albeit very blurry eyed and nursing a few painful scars, Glasto remains to be the one and only music festival.
Founded 39 years ago by Michael Eavis and a load of other hippies, Glastonbury stands head and shoulders above any other music event. With more and more music fans shying away from other large festivals such as Reading/Leeds Festival, Wireless and V Festival due to their commercial connections, Glastonbury remains a safe haven for the music, fun and festivities.
But don’t be fooled in thinking that Eavis is part of the anti-establishment for beneath his big, bushy, white beard lies the jaws of a cunning capitalist. Sure, Glastonbury appears innocent enough from the outset…there’s no blatant sponsorship of the overall event and those who do promote themselves alongside it such as the Guardian and Orange, actually provide a useful service.
However, 170,000 people crammed into fields which usually hold just over 300 cows, is a consumer PR and marketer’s wildest fantasy! And this is where Mr Eavis comes into his own by not allowing the overall ethos of Glastonbury to become corrupt but allowing corporations to fight it out between themselves inside the famous Glasto walls - hence those who provide a useful service to revelers, get the most exposure…alcohol is surprisingly popular!
Jokes aside, corporations such as Smirnoff, Strongbow and Carling aren’t paying for the privilege to sell their product. They’re selling their product alongside an unforgettable experience. For example, I can remember sipping a Strongbow whilst witnessing Blur bang out their set, laughing at Spinal Tap whilst tucking into a Yeo Valley yogurt and launching a George W approved SCUD missile at Lady GaGa…
Even the small market traders are as ruthless as the big corporations. On the day of Michael Jackson’s death, the news was common knowledge onsite at around 11pm. By 7am the next morning, traders throughout the festival were selling commemorative T-shirts…cashing in long before rigor-mortis had even set in.
For the moment, Glastonbury remains the king of festivals and the most effective form of direct interaction with consumers. With the emergence of increasingly popular small festivals who pride themselves on honesty and virtue, can these niche/bespoke festivals draw enough hype to pull away Glastonbury’s loyal audience? Furthermore, how long can they keep it just about the music?
As for me, I’m going to book my Brazen holidays now…see you at Glasto 2010!
By Graeme Anthony, Account Manager
