With two events under their belt and three more scheduled by 1Q ’04, the producers of the Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp are working to expand the concept by shopping customized events to brand marketers seeking experiential promotional vehicles.
A TV show and a movie based on the camp are in the works. The camp was featured in the season premiere of “The Simpsons” on Fox in September ’02.
Producer David Fishof created the first Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp in 1997 with Ringo Starr as celebrity “camp counselor.” The weeklong camp attracted 35-40 paying attendees.
The concept was shelved for a few years as Fishof concentrated on Starr’s touring activities, but was revived last fall in Los Angeles. The Erlick Group’s Jim Erlick is working with producers Fishof and Harry Javer to develop sponsorship and promotional packages. American Express Platinum Card and Fortune are among the sponsorship deals brokered by Erlick for the event.
Camps can be tailored to attract a specific demographic group, or could be focused on a particular region of the country, says Erlick. It takes upwards of $200,000 to cover the talent and studio costs for a five-day camp, notes Fishof. Additional costs depend entirely on what sponsors are looking for, he notes.
The ’02 camp drew some 80 attendees, most of whom paid $6,000 to spent five days jamming with the likes of Motley Crue’s Vince Neil, the Kink’s Dave Davies and Grand Funk Railroad’s Mark Farner. (A handful were there gratis as contest winners or as working press).
In ’03 camps are scheduled for June 18-22 in New York City – with 70-75 registrants signed on – and in November in Las Vegas. In February ’04, a camp in London offers the chance to rehearse and record at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. In addition to American Express and Fortune, promotional partners include VH1 Classic and Rolling Stone, as well as numerous musical instrument manufacturers.
The June camp’s rock-star “counselors” include Roger Daltrey of TheWho, Levon Helm of The Band and Ace Frehley of Kiss.
Over the course of five days and nights, participants receive small-group instruction from rock stars, perform live onstage at The Bottom Line and participate in a Battle of the Bands.
They also get to record with the pros and bring home a demo from a professional rehearsal studio, jam daily with a camp band, attend seminars, and make an in-studio appearance at the VH1 Classic studio in New York’s Greenwich Village.
VH1 Classic provides news coverage of the event, including the seminars and the final performance at The Bottom Line. That gig is also a benefit for the Roger Daltrey Teenage Cancer Trust Organization.
