Tag Archives: Universal Music

Palace creates Elton John capsule skatewear collection

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London-based skateboarding and clothing brand Palace has created a special licensed Elton John capsule collection with the icon himself, celebrating his legacy and his legendary music career.

The capsule drop includes a retro velour tracksuit with ‘EJ’ Elton and Palace branding, in white or navy with lurex side strips; a knitted jumper featuring Elton’s image, and a selection of T-shirts in short and long-sleeved versions, with archive images from such legendary performances as his landmark gig at LA’s Dodger Stadium in 1975.

In addition to the apparel collection, Palace has produced a special Elton John board and a rug that bears a Palace-doctored woven image of Elton at the keys, on stage at Dodger Stadium. The collaboration was brought together by Bravado, Universal Music Group’s leading brand management company.

Elton John says: “I’m so excited about my forthcoming collaboration with Palace. I’m always looking to the future, but the range brings back some fantastic memories – it really captures the essence of youth and freedom from my time on the road in the 1970s. I’ve never been a skateboarder but that’s not going to stop me wearing the lot.”

The collection launches in the UK on Friday 11 March at 11am GMT, in-store and online, and online in the EU at 12pm CET.

In the US, the collection goes live the same day online at 11am EST and 8am PST, in-store in New York at 11am EST, and in LA at 11am PST.

The collection launches in Japan, in-store and online, at 11am JST on Saturday 12 March.

LEGO teams with Universal Music Group to launch creative music franchise LEGO Vidiyo

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The LEGO Group has teamed up with Universal Music Group to unveil LEGO Vidiyo, an innovative music video maker experience that celebrates children’s creativity and passion for music.

Through LEGO Vidiyo, kids can direct, produce, star in, and share their own music videos, using chart-topping tracks from Universal Music’s wealth of global artists.

Aimed at kids aged seven to ten, LEGO Vidiyo aims to provide a safe universe where they can explore physical and digital play by letting them experiment with play and music. LEGO states that the platform combines new technology with the LEGO System in Play, to help kids discover music, express themselves, and do so with anonymity that keeps them safe online as they upload their content to the accompanying App feed.

Accessed through a mash-up of LEGO elements, minifigures, music, augmented reality, and a new app, LEGO Vidiyo features endless combinations of editing options that are unlocked through new special effect ‘BeatBits.’

Kids can choose one of the man songs in the App from a variety of established artists. They can then create their own band form a collection of physical minifigures which can be customised and brought to life in different scales through AR tech n the Vidiyo app. Using ‘BeatBits’ – decorated 2×2 square LEGO elements that unlock special features when scanned – users can then line-up an array of special effects. This element allows them to control everything from video and music styles, to scene effects.

LEGO Vidiyo music videos can be set anywhere, and kids can set their stage by scanning their surroundings. Then, by hitting the selected BeatBits in the app, children can take creative control of their music video production, creating dance moves and audio effects in a 60 second performance. These performances can even be trimmed down to five, ten, 15, or 20 seconds clips for sharing with friends.

Finally, once the content has passed moderation, these clips can then be uploaded to the App feed.

LEGO underlines that any content featuring personally-identifiable information, such as children starring in the video, will not be approved for the App feed upload, but can be stored locally in-app, so friends and family can enjoy the content.

New music, challenges, and inspirational content will be added regularly to the App to keep gameplay fresh and encourage children to continue developing their creative skills. The challenges are designed to help young creators transform their videos from simple performances to exciting and dynamic productions, while ensuring they take full advantage of the wide range of features LEGO VIDIYO has to offer through new unique BeatBits.

“We want to feed the imagination of the next generation of creatives, providing a new canvas for kids to creatively express themselves,” said Julia Goldin, chief marketing officer, the LEGO Group.

“Research shows over three quarters (79 per cent) of parents globally wish their children had more creative confidence, so we’re launching LEGO Vidiyo to help make that happen. We know children are always chasing new ways to experiment creatively, and LEGO Vidiyo is here to help all kids with a passion for music unleash their creativity through LEGO building and music video production. We can’t wait to see what they come up with.”

LEGO Vidiyo is the first collaboration between the LEGO Group and Universal Music Group, after the two companies announced their partnership in April 2020.

Olivier Robert-Murphy, executive vice president, Universal Music Group and Brands added: “Through this innovative global partnership – with the power of music and play harnessed to support early development of creativity – children around the globe will be able to express themselves as they stage, direct, perform, and share their music videos.

“LEGO Vidiyo is a great way for millions of kids to discover new music and get closer to their favourite artists while learning and connecting through play.”

LEGO Vidiyo will witness the roll-out of a new App experience, LEGO sets, and lifestyle products, which are being brought to life in partnership with Bravado, Universal Music Group’s industry-leading merchandise and brand management company.

The first LEGO Vidiyo products will be available in the UK from March 1st 2021.