You don't hear so much about Habbo Hotel in these days of MySpace and YouTube, but apparently 6.6 million unique users still log on to the 3D chat room each month, 750,000 in the UK. And EMI label Innocent are hoping to turn as many of those chatters onto their latest boy band outfit 365 who release their debut single 'One Touch' next week. They have got a partnership going with Habbo which will promote the release and establish a kind of 'virtual street team' for the band.
Mike Dowuona, Digital Media Manager of EMI's Angel Music Group, of which Innocent is a member, told reporters: "Whilst other channels such as MySpace and Bebo work well in promoting urban artists and indie bands, Habbo Hotel's demographic is an ideal fit for pure pop artists such as 365. Habbo Hotel is the ideal platform to launch 365, taking the band directly to their target audience in a fresh, fun and interactive way".
It's not the first time an EMI label has used Habbo Hotel as a promotional tool. A couple of years ago the major's Parlophone division promoted virtual band Gorillaz through the chat site.