Online promotion features vintage Frank Zappa merchandise
Digital music retailer Me and uDiscover Music is featuring one of the quirkiest rock stars ever in a new promotional effort.
Me and uDiscover Music is offering exclusive items from "The Vault," a storage facility that houses the late musician Frank Zappa’s life’s work, in an ongoing gamified promotion that kicks off Thursday, July 11, 2024.
Throughout the year, eligible consumers will have several opportunities to own vintage Zappa merch, including deadstock t-shirts, rare collectibles and limited vinyl test pressings, bundled together in monthly prize packs. Customers can enter to win on the Me and uDiscover Music site without making a purchase.
The promotion launches with an election year-themed "Frank Zappa For President" bundle featuring an assortment of items including a rare promotional poster, a vintage T-shirt, a real vinyl test pressing used to verify audio integrity of 2024’s first-ever vinyl release of the Frank Zappa For President album, vintage pencils from Zappa’s office, and “Zappa For President” stickers.
Consumers have until Wednesday, July 24 to enter the drawing for the “Frank Zappa For President” bundle. Five additional bundles will be offered monthly into 2025, including a “Waka/Jawaka / The Grand Wazoo” bundle (July 25-Aug. 24), “Whisky a Go Go, 1968” bundle (Aug. 25-Sep. 24), “The Mudd Club / Munich 80” bundle (Sep .25-Oct. 24); and two seasonal prize packs, one for Halloween (Oct. 25-Nov. 24), and another for Christmas and Zappa’s birthday (Nov. 25, 2024 – Jan. 4, 2025).
Elton John partners with eBay
A living rock icon, Elton John, also recently partnered with an online retailer to clear out some vintage merchandise, although he did so in a sale that benefited charity.
To mark Pride Month in June 2024, Elton John teamed up with eBay in a charity resale event called “Rocket Man Resale” that supported the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
“Rocket Man Resale” featured hundreds of items from John’s closet, including bespoke Gucci jackets, Versace robes, customized Prada loafers, and more affordable items such as historic concert T-shirts and baseball caps.