Superstars U2 with frontman Bono recently stated that their upcoming 360 Tour would be sponsored by Research In Motion's BlackBerry. The tour, which kicks off late June in Barcelona, is scheduled right around the projected launch date of the new webOS Pre device. This comes as a surprise because Bono is a partner and cofounder of Elevation Partners, who own close to 40% in the popular handset manufacturer. This also fizzles out a good marketing possibility in promoting the media capabilities of the new device.
Roger McNamee, another cofounder of Elevation, has not yet commented on the move. He was recently in the news for having his iPhone jabs and bold praise for the Pre shot down by Palm themselves.
Also surprising is that they didn't include Apple in their sponsors, who have a long history with the band. U2 has performed at Apple events, and have their own branded iPods. Microsoft also has connections with the band, with Bono and Bill Gates being named "Persons of the Year" by Time magazine, leading to a close friendship.
U2’s Manager Paul McGuinness said in a release: “This tour announcement marks the first stage of a relationship and shared vision between RIM and U2 that we expect will lead to new and innovative ways to enhance the mobile music experience on the BlackBerry platform for U2 fans. We look forward to sharing more details as the relationship unfolds.”
This leaves Apple and Palm to bicker among themselves. The two handset manufacturers are currently in a cold war over patents, primarily involving the multitouch capabilities of the new Pre smartphone.
0 Comments