DETROIT, MI. (Top40 Charts/
Detroit Media Partnership) - The inspirational music behind the
Detroit Free Press and The
Detroit News' branding campaign has been released as a full song and is now available exclusively on iTunes. The new single, entitled "
This Time" features Brian Vander Ark on vocals, front man for the multi-platinum, album-selling and Michigan-based band, The
Verve Pipe.
"This is the first time I've ever recorded a song I didn't write. After hearing 'This Time,' and seeing the images it would be associated with, I felt I needed to be part of this effort," Vander Ark said. "I grew up in Michigan and still live here. My wife and I are raising our daughter here. A lot of the state's success is tied to the success of Detroit. I am honored to be part of the inspiring work being done by the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News."
The song was originally written, arranged and recorded by Harvest Music + Sound Design in Lansing, Michigan and co-produced by the Detroit Media Partnership. The television commercials currently airing online, on local television and soon to be in local movie theatres, utilize video, audio and still imagery from the archives of both newspapers and were co-produced by Harvest and Detroit Media Partnership.
"Music has the ability to transcend time and to emotionally transport people. It can stir emotions and evoke memories in individuals for decades. When we first discussed and began testing this musical concept, we knew we were on to something that would resonate with people throughout Michigan, regardless if they were a subscriber or not," said Rich Harshbarger, Vice President of Consumer Marketing for Detroit Media Partnership. "The decision to release 'This Time' as a song really came from what hundreds of people told us during this four month creative process. As far as I know, this is the first time a newspaper company has ever commissioned, published and is actively marketing an anthem for their community."
Steve Curran, President and Creative Director of Harvest said, "When it came to constructing 'This Time' the newspapers spent months interviewing people about their hopes and fears in order to connect with the common denominator of their collective souls. That alone is an extension of what newspapers do for their communities. We really are all in this together and the images captured by the photojournalists and videographers of the newspapers represent the true heart of people throughout Michigan. My team at Harvest is proud to have had the opportunity to write a song that reflects that."
In addition to television and movie theatre broadcasts, thousands of people have responded favorably to "This Time" on sites such as iTunes, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter where the campaign was first released.
Detroit Media Partnership, L.P. manages the business functions of the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News. As the largest newspapers in Michigan, with two of the most visited Web sites in the market, the Free Press and The News combine to reach a weekly audience of 2.1 million people; 56% of adults in this market see our products.* Detroit Media Partnership is also the advertising sales agent for the following suburban Detroit publications: Observer & Eccentric and Mirror Newspapers, Novi News, Milford Times, Northville Record, South Lyon Herald and Livingston County Daily Press & Argus. Gannett Co., Inc., owner of the Free Press, is the general partner in DMP; MediaNews Group, owner of The News, is the limited partner.
