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Colombia Records promotes David Bowie album with artful Instagram video series

Columbia Records is providing an immersive experience for fans of the late David Bowie, partnering with a popular Instagram page to create a storytelling experience to coincide with the release of a new album.

Popular Instagram account InstaMiniSeries is airing a short film series, which incorporates Mr. Bowie?s latest album, entitled Blackstar. The series will premiere in short bursts on the Instagram page, supporting continual promotion for the album with diehard fans and millennials. 

"Every social media platform is unique, and Instagram is no exception," said Michael Becker, managing partner at mCordis. "Instagram is a media force to be reckoned with. It has reach.  

"According to Pew Research 28 percent of Adult Internet users use Instagram and 59 percent of these login daily," he said. "It is expressive."

Video shorts

The videos will be a physical interpretation of listeners' imaginations and was created for a worldwide audience with an emphasis on symbolism and metaphors. Launching on February 25, the 15-second videos will be shared one at a time Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

A teaser for the new series shows various moving images overlapped played to static and choppy music from the Blackstar album. The short trailer ends with various characters appearing on and around a couch in a room which resembles a library, with the words Unbound, February 25 appearing. 


The Unbound: a Blackstar InstaMiniSeries will mark the content creator?s fourth mini series on Instagram. 

Brands and social video
Similarly, Procter & Gamble paired the lure of a YouTube star with mobile coupons, laying down a clear path from content consumption to product purchase for Crest Pro-Health Advanced Mouthwash (see more).

Nike also aired a mobile video series in a bid to connect with younger women through a format and subject matter popular with the demographic while using Snapchat ads and a digital hub to attract viewers (see more).

"Instagram is a unique platform for visual expression and discovery, including video," Mr. Becker said. "Back in June 2013 Instagram announced support for 15-second video clips.  

"It is in the moment," he said. "The majority of Instagram usage occurs over mobile.  

"It is innovative. The platform is a blue ocean for leaders to find and create new and stimulating experiences. Take all this together and Instagram is a perfect tool for serialized storytelling."