NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/ Best Buy) - Beatlemania is in full swing at Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) to celebrate the release of The Beatles: ROCK BAND and The Beatles' remastered studio albums. On Wednesday, Sept. 9, the nation's leading entertainment destination will celebrate the launch by giving away all-expense paid trips to London to tour The Beatles' famous stomping grounds, including an exclusive tour of Abbey Road Studios plus all access membership to its Reward Zone Premier
Silver program. Fans can enter to win the trips throughout the day with a variety of other
Beatles memorabilia and giveaways occurring during live broadcasts with top morning show DJs in 10 cities across the country- Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Customers will also have the opportunity to experience the unique entertainment access benefits Best Buy provides its best customers with complimentary Reward Zone Premier
Silver memberships being given away throughout the event.
'With their timeless music, The Beatles have long been a favorite of Best Buy customers,' said Gary Arnold, senior entertainment officer for Best Buy. 'The Beatles: Rock Band and The Beatles' remastered studio albums are two of the most highly anticipated entertainment releases of the year, and we're thrilled to celebrate with the fans and provide our customers a unique experience they can't get anywhere else.'
Added Barbara Olson, vice president for Reward Zone, 'We're complementing the in-store experience with a first for Best Buy by giving away 50 Reward Zone Premier Silver memberships. Now every customer can experience the exclusive entertainment benefits of Reward Zone Premier Silver status along with the program's additional perks.'
Celebrate with In-Store Festivities
Best Buy brings The Beatles phenomenon back to life with a series of in-store festivities:
* Be the first to play the new The Beatles: Rock Band. A playable version of the new game is currently available at more than 800 Best Buy stores. For a complete store list, go to www.bestbuy.com.
* On 9/9/09, the festivities kick off at 8 a.m. Prizes and memorabilia giveaways, including gadgets, exclusive Beatles' t-shirts, The Beatles: Rock Band game will occur throughout the day. In addition, customers are eligible to win a one-year Reward Zone Premier Silver membership with benefits including special access to sought after entertainment events.
* Live radio broadcasts from top morning show DJs.
Win an All-Expense Paid Trip to Abbey Road!
Fans attending the in-store events can enter to win Reward Zone Premier Silver Status and the trip of a lifetime with one winner selected from each of the store locations. The winner, along with his/her guest, will be whisked away to London, England for an all-expense-paid trip, where they will tour EMI's famed Abbey Road Studios, where The Beatles recorded their albums. In addition, winners will be taken on a walking Magical Mystery Tour including:
* The Beatles 'rooftop session' location
* Paul McCartney's offices
* The 'birthplace' of Beatlemania
* The Beatles coffee shop
* A Hard Day's Night and Help! Film locations
* Registry office where Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr both were married
* The Beatles Apple shop
Entries will be accepted on the day of the event through in-store kiosks in the 10 event locations with the DJs announcing the winners on air the following morning, September 10, 2009. Visit www.bestbuy.com for a list of event locations.
About The Beatles: Rock Band
The Beatles: Rock Band allows fans to pick up the guitar, bass, mic or drums and experience The Beatles' extraordinary catalogue of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band?s legendary career. From the early touring days in 1963 Liverpool to the immortal, final performance on the Apple Corps rooftop, fans can follow in The Fab Four?s footsteps as they traverse the globe during the height of Beatlemania.
Additionally, for the first time in a music videogame, The Beatles: Rock Band introduces three-part vocal harmonies to gameplay, allowing gamers to revel in the unparalleled vocal stylings of The Beatles.
In conjunction with the release of the entire, original, digitally re-mastered Beatles CD catalogue, The Beatles: Rock Band will be available Sept. 9, 2009, simultaneously worldwide in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories for the Xbox�360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION�3 computer entertainment system from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI), and the Wii home videogame console from Nintendo. The game will be compatible with all Rock Band instrument controllers, as well as most Guitar Hero� and other authorized third-party music video game peripherals and microphones. The Beatles: Rock Band is available for pre-order at www.bestbuy.com. For more information fans can visit www.thebeatlesrockband.com.