Def Jam Becomes First Record Label to Advertise in Liner Notes

While Island Def Jam Music Group has executed some of the more innovative marketing plans of the last few decades, their new idea to place advertising inserts in CD liner notes might be one of their crassest moves yet. Here's how it works:

1. Artist A delivers an album that has late-oughts sales potential (read: low).
2. To sure up their bottom line, Def Jam collaborates with magazines to place special advertorial content in the record's insert. This targets the fans that might be just as interested in Artist A's favorite vacation spot as their music.

It shouldn't be a surprise that the test case will be on Mariah Carey's new record, 'Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel,' which is slated for a September 15 release. The insert "is a 34-page co-production with Elle Magazine that includes lifestyle ads from Elizabeth Arden, Angel Champagne, Carmen Steffens, Le MZtier de BeautZ and the Bahamas Board of Tourism," writes Becky Ebenkamp in Brandweek.

It's always a bit scary when multiple struggling industries collaborate in order to save each other, but Def Jam is thinking this idea could be huge. "My artists have substantial circulation -- when you sell 2 million, 5 million, 8 million, that's a lot of eyeballs," said L.A. Reid, the company's president and CEO. "Most magazines aren't as successful as those records."

Mariah selling millions in 2009? Mr. Reid, you make me giggle sometimes.

What do you think of this? Do you want a special magazine with your CDs?