Advertising agency Fallon has created four executions called "Can't tell the difference", which explains that the Sony Walkman can supply all the music, but it takes the user to select it.
The creative demonstrates the different types of music by comparing contrasting genres in each execution. The first spot features an old couple dancing to ballroom music, but when the recipient clicks on the image, the music changes and they turn into ragga dancers.
Later executions will compare country music with hip hop, rap with show songs, and hippie music with punk.
The executions will be released exclusively to 15,000 opinion formers, sourced from pan-European database Eatmail. Sony will be supporting this with a "grassroots" strategy to ensure the executions are distributed among music fans.
Tim Kaner, director of marketing communications Europe at Sony, said: "The Sony Walkman brand has always been synonymous with youth and music. This viral campaign not only reinforces these attributes, but fuses them with the principles of Sony's umbrella 'You make it a Sony' campaign, demonstrating that it is the consumers that use and enjoy our products that make them what they are."
In addition to the online executions, the creative work will be broadcast at music festivals and on numerous music channels across Europe. An educational CD-rom has also been developed to encourages users to access music over the internet.
The campaign was written by Andy Potts and Andy Jex of Fallon and created by the American animation company, Jib Jab. Dissemination of the viral is being handled by Cake.
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