How the whole event came together reads like an ad for Social Media. I saw a Twitter Tweet from Granville Online, (a Vancouver green living website), promoting a video profile of a local ‘band’ who was making music with instruments constructed from recycled Vantown scrap. It looked like such a fascinating prospect for an Earth Day evening, I decided to buy tickets on the spot for myself and one very discriminating 9-year old companion.

We were blown out of our seats. What I thought would be a somewhat quaint, eclectic local performance turned out to have more in common with the Blue Man Group, or even Cirque du Soleil without high-wires. From their opening piece, a surprisingly soft and musical number played on plastic hoses, to huge, sparkling stainless-steel kettle drums rolling around the stage like careening bumper cars and thundering like 747 engines backfiring, the show had us transfixed. If you are reading this before 8pm (PST) Friday April 23, 2010, get down to the Stanley Theatre (Granville St. & 12th ave) and get a ticket, or check online. If not, well, maybe watch their Facebook video with headphones turned to 11.

The event was sponsored by ABC Recycling. Talk about a brilliant tie-in for a local firm. (I hope they get their share of props for backing this) A the same time, ABC’s partnership with the Kidney Foundation’s Recycle For Life campaign was introduced. Their ‘Kidney Car’ recycle-your-vehicle program has been expanded to include ‘Kidney Metals’, a recycling program covering literally everything (kitchen sinks included). It was a feel-good marketing combination that deserves as much coverage as it can get.

As for my difficult-to-impress companion: He wouldn’t leave until he got his new CD autographed by every member of the ensemble. And their return of his enthusiasm was much appreciated.

The GreenBriefs Green marketing 2-bits: I wouldn’t be doing my blogger-best if I didn’t offer a bit of feedback. The product is top-notch. Loved ScrapArtMusic’s use of Twitter and Facebook (check their page). They could have spread the word a bit more with some postcard media, or other quick pocket-sized take-away at the event itself. As a marketer, I’d love to see their music used on a TV spot for Reynolds Recycled Aluminum, or the Encorp Return-It Program. Or even the new Honda hybrid. (They could send out some PR to the ad agencies in charge of these sorts of accounts) But I get a bit of a head-scratch from the name – ScrapArtsMusic sounds less sophisticated and powerful than the show itself plays. Perhaps as their following (and hopefully success) grows, they may evolve their identity. Or not. Like I said, the product is superb. The world may just beat a path to their door.