The Growing Zune Culture

At over one year since the introduction of Zune, Microsoft has been moving in the right direction with the product. Namely, it is building an entire culture with Zune as the underling infrastructure. From social networking hotspots and marketing campaigns, to extensive customization options and personalized and artistic content, the Redmond company grows the ecosystem of its digital media player, beyond music or simple media materials, to offerings tailored on the end user. The question regarding Microsoft getting the Zune receipt right still remains to be answered, and will only be clarified in the market share arena, against iPod. But, the Redmond company surely has the right ingredients to make Zune 2.0 a success.

Case in point Zune Arts. The first video embedded at the bottom of this article is a collaboration between againstallodds and The Deadly Syndrome. "Intergalactic Swap Meet" is an example of Microsoft's vision for Zune, a social tool creating hybrids out of nuances. And the animation from againstallodds, complemented by "Eucalyptus" and by The Deadly Syndrome, manages to drive the idea home.

"Zune Arts continues its commitment to providing a collaborative platform for emerging and progressive artists in both the arts and music to explore the values of friendship, sharing, and discovery. The 'Intergalactic Swap Meet' film project is another great example of this exploration and we are glad to have shared this journey with againstallodds and The Deadly Syndrome", said revealed Schaltenbrand, Brand Marketing Manager, Zune.

The second video is a Zune commercial put together by Digital Kitchen. According to its creators, "Raw Deluxe" is a "a product-driven video combining rich still photography and video to personify the raw-deluxe style of the Microsoft Zune". The video is not intended for mass distribution, but instead focused on intimate Microsoft events, and it delivers an insight into the Zune universe.