Amazon uses celebs to promote festive season offers

NEW YORK - Amazon.com is embarking on a huge marketing campaign with artists such as R.E.M and Bruce Springsteen to promote its products over the Christmas shopping season.

It is the first large-scale promotion since the Seattle-based online retailer introduced free delivery on orders over $25 in January this year.

Over the next two months, around 60 top celebrities and entertainers will promote exclusive content including original art, music and video clips on Amazon's , with the homepage personality changing every day.

Bruce Springsteen will provide a preview of a concert video from his upcoming DVD 'Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Live in Barcelona', while R.E.M. will promote its new single 'Bad Day' along with rehearsal footage.

Other celebrity participants include Justin Timberlake, Michael J Fox, Jeff Bridges, Foo Fighters, Bill Cosby, Mary J Blige and the Dixie Chicks.

The move comes as Amazon considers entering the market for music downloads -- chief executive Jeff Bezos said earlier this year that Amazon was considering an online music store.

Last month, Amazon posted its first profitable quarter outside of the Christmas season, and is expected to record a fourth-quarter profit, which would give it a full-year net profit for the first time.

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