Wanadoo in web 'pop idol' to back legal downloads

Marketing 18-Mar-04

Wanadoo, Freeserve's French parent, is launching a multi-million-pound campaign to promote legal music downloads through a pan-European talent contest.

The Wanadoo Discoveries competition, which is running across Europe and through Freeserve in the UK, is a web-based competition in the same vein as Pop Idol.

It showcases bands from across Europe. Web users will be able to watch them and vote online at www.freeserve.com/discoveries ahead of a grand final in May. Users can download the tracks, as well as songs by established artists.

Wanadoo has struck a deal with MTV to promote the competition across its channels. In the UK, Freeserve will run a promotion with Xfm.

The Discoveries concept marks the first major content initiative Wanadoo has run across its European network. It comes as pressure grows on the internet industry to be more proactive about encouraging legal downloading.

Wanadoo and ISP competitors including Tiscali and MSN run downloading services that attract thousands of users daily.