Live8 looks set to be the event of the summer, headlined by rock 'n' roll royalty, watched by millions worldwide and, if the legacy of Live Aid is anything to go by, making its mark in history.
The concerts will be held on 2 July in five cities - four in Europe and one in the US - on the eve of the G8 summit in Scotland, and appear to be an unmissable opportunity for corporate sponsors.
Certainly, Sir Bob Geldof and the event's organisers hope so. If Live8 is to be a spectacular free-for-all that succeeds in highlighting the plight of Africa, it will have to be big; and to ensure that it pulls this off, a degree of corporate support will be needed.
But it is not as simple as that. This is not like Party in the Park, nor any other summer music festival for that matter; Geldof wants it to be a highly charged political event, saying it is 'not for charity, but political justice'.
He has already run into trouble with the authorities by calling for 1m protestors to converge on Edinburgh for an anti-poverty rally. Judging by events surrounding previous G8 summits, Live 8 could quickly become the focal point for anti-globalisation and anti-corporate protests, an element that could put off potential sponsors.
Brand backers
Some companies have already signed up. O2 is providing a mobile ticketing solution, distributing the 150,000 free tickets for the Hyde Park concert through an SMS competition. AOL has clinched the rights to broadcast all five concerts over the internet, while Capital Radio has signed up as the broadcast partner for radio. The BBC will beam TV pictures around the world, hoping to exceed the 1.5bn viewers who watched Live Aid in 1985.
It is perhaps too early to tell how many other sponsors will emerge.
Jan Lindemann, global managing director of Interbrand, says companies will have to weigh up the lure of massive publicity against the high political risk involved.
'It involves a strongly political debate. The question as a corporation is do you want to get into that or not,' he says. 'For example, does it want to be involved in anything that openly criticises the G8? Most big companies don't want to be seen to criticise the Bush administration. They don't want to risk their lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill.'
Lindemann adds that Live8 could be an excellent sponsorship opportunity if its focus is on mainstream opposition to world poverty. However, if this turns to a wider anti-globalisation and anti-US agenda, corporations could find themselves exposed. The trouble is there is no way of knowing which way the wind will blow. 'Also, by participating, you open up the opportunity for journalists to look for your dirty laundry,' he warns.
Critical appraisal
Some groups are already casting a critical eye over O2's involvement.
Pressure group Corporate Watch argues that mobile phone firms are worsening the problems of the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. The country is the source of coltan - a vital component in mobile phone pinhead capacitors. International demand for the material is said to be one factor fuelling conflict between rival militia in the Congo.
Corporate Watch spokesman Lucas Christodoulou cites this as an example of the way some companies are more interested in taking from Africa than providing the continent with help.
'If corporations participate in this sort of event, they will do so to hide their real record in plundering Africa,' he says.
O2 head of sponsorship Paul Samuels is keen to take the political sting out of the Live 8 link. 'There are two different things here, the Long Walk for Justice and the Live 8 pop concert,' he says. 'We are only involved in the music event - that is where we stop.' He says participation is an example of how O2 wants to 'use mobile technology for social good'.
Dangers of ownership
As an event designed to raise awareness for the Make Poverty History campaign, some quarters of the coalition warn against excessive corporate involvement. 'I would urge Live 8 to be careful about which brands are chosen and how they are associated with the campaign,' says Steve Tibbett, head of policy for Action Aid and a member of the Make Poverty History co-ordination committee.
'If companies are seen to own the event, that is not desirable.'
It is interesting to note that since 1985, Geldof and The Band Aid Trust have carefully protected the Live Aid brand from over-commercialisation.
That in itself should protect Live 8 from becoming a brand bonanza.
Some of the sponsorship experts working on bringing in corporate backers are acutely aware that this must not happen. They have no desire to see Coldplay's Chris Martin singing in front of McDonald's Golden Arches.
Steve Martin, head of sponsorship for M&C Saatchi, claims there will be 'no slapping logos on the back of the stage', adding that 'any company approaching this in the wrong spirit will be weeded out'.
He is confident that plenty of sponsors will come forward, and in a collaborative, uncompetitive way - echoing the spirit of the event. 'This won't be a traditional fight among brands,' says Martin. 'The majority of those that want to be involved are doing so because they see it as a good cause. They don't think of it as a political minefield.'
DATA FILE - LIVE 8
- Five concerts will take place on 2 July, in London, Paris, Philadelphia, Berlin, Paris and Rome.
- The global TV audience is expected to exceed 2bn; 1.5bn watched the Live Aid concerts in 1985.
- In London, acts include Coldplay, U2, Robbie Williams and Scissor Sisters. Bon Jovi will play in Philadelphia and Duran Duran in Rome.
- Bob Geldof wants 1m people to head to Edinburgh on 6 July as part of a mass rally on the eve of the G8 summit in Gleneagles. The challenges facing Africa are top of the agenda.
- The Band Aid Trust, which owns the Live Aid brand, has funds in the bank after a 拢4m VAT refund on sales of the Live Aid DVD and last year's version of Do They Know It's Christmas?
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