Every great artist started playing someone else’s song.
MTV is home for the most popular musicians and their iconic music. But even they started playing other people’s songs when they were young and unknown. So, how do we honor today the stars of tomorrow? By giving them the big stage and infusing hours of music content to the channel.
Working in collaboration with B-reel, we created MTV Cover of the Month, a user-generated global music campaign that invites fans to make their own versions of great songs and showcase their musical talent on TV.
EXECUTION
We partnered with YouTube and some of the world’s top artists like Bebe Rexha, Shawn Mendez and Post Malone, to invite our audience to cover one of their songs per month and submit it to MTV. All the submissions infused the linear channels with music in every commercial break across our 35 markets.
First, the best covers submissions were showcased in all our global platforms. One song, thousands of versions!
Every month, the best covers submissions were shocased in all our global platforms. One song, thousands of versions!
Then, the artists themselves picked the ones they like the most and crowned them “Cover of the Month”. Every month we profiled the stories of the winners.
Finally, the best of the year won a music video shoot produced by MTV and broadcasted on our channels internationally.
EVENT
We set up working sessions at YouTube’s studios, in London.
The winners recorded their songs with professional equipment and got advice from industry insiders on polishing their sound. They collaborated with each other, expanding their networks,
Learned ways to grow their followings from our friends at YouTube, and career advice from our partners in the music industry, including advice from artist BeBe Rexha.
Then they attended a private concert, where the latest winner got to perform their cover on stage.
IMPACT
The campaign allowed MTV to generate a huge amount of hours of music content, by putting on-air not only the winners, but also the rest of the submissions from people around the globe.
CREDITS
MTV WCS
VP Creative: Sean Saylor – VP Marketing: Tanya Leedekerken – Creative Director: Maxi Borrego / Nacho Gil – Director Digital Marketing Strategy: Mikael Fröberg –
Operations & Production Director: Josefina Marfil – Design Lead: Charlx Alemañy – Art Director: Carlos Mendez – Designer: Nacho Varone – Lead Producer: Delfina Chiesa – Producer: Francisco Romairone – Editor Supervisor: Martin Rocha
Production Company: B-reel
