Creative Allies, Fan Sourcing Platform, Reaches Over 300 Million Fans Through Social Media

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative Allies, the leading fan-sourcing website for bands, has now hosted over 500 graphic design contests, reaching over 300 million music fans through social media. The Creative Allies community now includes over 50,000 designers who have created t-shirts, posters and even production truck wraps for some of the biggest acts in music. Over 170,000 users have participated in the curatorial process through Creative Allies' social media-integrated platform, creating viral conversations meaningful to bands, brands and fans.

"By tapping into some of the best emerging designers in the world and leveraging fan opinion through voting, we have given fans a voice about the merchandise of their favorite musicians," says Creative Allies Managing Director Kevin Carroll. "The end result is that we kickstart conversations about music and, ultimately, offer fans the merchandise they want. This is a win for fans, bands and designers."

Bands and brands create contests based around a theme and deliverable. Any designer - professional or recreational - can submit their graphics, then fans can discuss their favorite designs and vote directly through the Creative Allies website or a band's social media pages in a truly meritocratic process. Bands see which designs resonate with their audience and then work with the designer to develop a final product.

Designers not only gain recognition from participating, they win cash prizes and earn royalties on every sale through the Creative Allies online store. In fact, Creative Allies designers who win or have their merchandise for sale often generate numerous other design jobs and freelance projects.

Over 500 popular, upcoming and legacy bands have now run Creative Allies design contests including Keith Urban, Beastie Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Slipknot, Will.i.am, Passion Pit and Eminem. Brands like AriZona Iced Tea, Ben & Jerry's, Farmers Insurance and Toyota have also tapped into Creative Allies. Partnerships between bands and brands have leveraged enormous social networks and design talent to raise awareness of concerts, releases, products and services. The film and sports industries have also begun to run contests on Creative Allies.  

"Creative Allies offers marketers an authentic online engagement with fans through the creative design process," said Carroll. "This is merit-based system where any artist can be discovered by music industry icons and earn wide exposure. Many of our designers have gone on to do additional design projects for the bands and brands that discovered them on Creative Allies."

With offices now in New York City, North Carolina and Los Angeles, Creative Allies is moving into film and sports while continuing to grow its base in the music industry.

To learn more about Creative Allies, visit www.creativeallies.com

About Creative Allies
Creative Allies is an online art community and fan engagement platform that provides visual artists with opportunities to design merchandise for musicians, festivals and brands. Creative Allies gives anyone the chance to create original illustrations through open design contests. The website has provided hundreds of opportunities for Grammy-award winners and independent recording artists to Fortune 500 global brands. Creative Allies artists have the opportunity to win great prizes and earn commissions on merchandise sales.

Using its unique platform, Creative Allies has flipped music merchandise on its head by "fan-sourcing" the process in which merchandise is designed and sold. Fans now have a say in the process by sharing and voting on the best art. The end result is that Creative Allies can offer fans the merchandise they want. 

Check out Creative Allies design contests and limited edition merchandise at www.creativeallies.com.http://www.creativeallies.com/

SOURCE Creative Allies