Categories: Articles

Duran Duran Gets A Virtual Second Life

Stuff like this is going to become a regular occurrence. Do not let this freak you out. When a band like Duran Duran decides to create their own Avatars and lead a second life in Second Life, it only further validates that people are interested in better understanding how these online communities are affecting the fabric of our lives.
Duran Duran is not just performing a concert in Second Life. They will have their own property and area for them (and fans) to grow, learn and share. Never ones to shy away from technology, some might remember that Duran Duran were one of the first bands to jump on the video craze, they were also one of the first have their music available for download off the Internet and, arguably, one of the first to truly implicate technology into their live shows.
Here’s a quote from guitarist Andy Taylor off of the Duran Duran Gets A Virtual “Life” article via E! Online:
“Second Life is the future right now, offering endless possibilities for artists,” Rhodes said. “Our community will be able to help develop the island into a fully functional, futuristic utopia, where you can never be quite sure what to expect.”
People laughed when The Beatles used to make very future-based sounding statements. While I am in no way comparing Duran Duran to The Beatles, I respect them deeply for jumping in with both feet and really allowing themselves to get wet and soak in the Second Life world.
For marketers, the implications continue to grow: new channels to speak to consumers. New ways to engage in deeper conversations and more opportunities to create unique communications that transcend the standard press release pap.

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.