MTV, VH1 GO ALL OUT FOR DUFFY
Credit the former's Amy Doyle and the latter's Rick Krim for spotting a winner when they see one.
The two networks are pulling out the stops for the May 13 U.S. album launch of the U.K. singer’s Rockferry on David Massey’s resurrected Mercury label through L.A. Reid’s IDJ.
The video for the single “Mercy” will make its debut exclusively on VH1.com, VH1Soul.com and MTV.com tomorrow (3/26), starting at 10 a.m. ET. MTV Hits and mtvU will also premiere the video throughout the day. “Mercy” will then debut on VH1’s Top 20 Video Countdown, Saturday (3/29).
In addition, fans visiting VH1.com or MTV.com can access news and interviews, music, photos and the video for “Mercy.” Beginning in April, Duffy will be named an MTV “Discover & Download” artist and a VH1 “You Oughta Know” artist. Recent artists at “Discover & Download” include Tokio Hotel, Leona Lewis, All Time Low and We the Kings. The VH1 “You Oughta Know” franchise has helped break artists such as James Blunt, Amy Winehouse, The Fray, KT Tunstall and Corinne Bailey Rae and has proven to have an impact on their record sales. Current YOK artists include Leona Lewis, Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles.
Duffy will also have a focused role in two inaugural VH1 on-air promo campaigns. “On The Road With” is VH1’s new sponsored promo campaign that focuses on one artist on tour. Running from April 14 to June 22, VH1 will roll out three separate 30-second vignettes that take viewers behind-the-scenes with Duffy to reveal life on the road.
Throughout the month of May, Duffy will take part in VH1’s “Listen & Discuss” campaign, designed to engage the audience with a designated artist through a multi-faceted blitz of on-air interstitials and promos. The final promo campaign will begin in June where Duffy will be featured in the “Celebreality Spin” promo. 30-second and 20-second promos featuring her album artwork and a fully chyroned video will appear once an hour inside all Celebreality programming throughout the week.
The 23-year old Duffy was born and raised in the tiny Welsh village of Nefyn, with a sound that has been compared to vintage Stax and Motown. She was signed by Jeanette Lee, noted founder and partner of the Rough Trade record label and management company, who encouraged Duffy to write her own material, put her in the studio with like-minded co-writers/producers, and signed her to A&M/Polydor UK. She was inked here in the States to Massey’s Mercury label.
Rockferry was recorded in England with ex-Suede guitarist turned record producer Bernard Butler, Jimmy Hogarth and Steve Booker. Butler called Duffy “someone who acts and sings utterly unselfconsciously and from the heart, a most rare and magical thing.”
