Backplane Launches Social Networks For Guns N’ Roses, The Bloody Beetroots & Condé Nast
Backplane, the company that birthed Lady Gaga's LittleMonsters social network, is now preparing a full litter of big brand niche networks. Ten are reported to be launching by year's end and so far at least three have surfaced in prelaunch mode. Two continue the focus on music featuring Guns N' Roses and The Bloody Beetroots. The third is apparently a relaunch of Condé Nast's Fingerprints site.
It looks like Backplane released the news of their new networks exclusively through Josh Constine at TechCrunch who's assuming an increasingly visible role covering social networks, especially Facebook, and music tech news. Constine will be speaking at the upcoming SF MusicTech Summit as will Hypebot writer Hisham Dahud.
For some reason no one else seems to be picking up the news and Backplane's blog is silent on the issue. I assume since brands with devoted followings are involved that they will be doing the marketing to their own fanbases.
Backplane's first network was Lady Gaga's LittleMonsters, previously covered here at Hypebot. I can't remember if content was visible when LittleMonsters launched but the site now requires a login to check out what's happening. However the contents and overall look seem pretty much the same as at launch.
If this is a shift it makes sense given issues raised by Lady Gaga and her fans, dubbed Little Monsters, related to bullying both on and offline. But it's likely to be decided on a case-by-case basis given that a brand like Condé Nast may want to leave it accessible to nonmembers to entice them to join. Or vice versa to maintain an air of mystery and exclusivity. I guess we'll see.
Constine identifies sites for:
Guns N' Roses – Paradise City
Condé Nast – Fingerprints (relaunch)
Magnetic Magazine identifies:
The Bloody Beetroots – Church of Noise (relaunch)
[Update: See comments for additional networks identified by our mystery guest!]
I pushed this post past my already missed deadline in part because Google revealed itself to be almost useless in finding additional information, for example, the Magnetic Magazine article didn't show up in any of my searches. I then investigated ways to search site code and security certificates but had to stop though I'll return to that quest for tools at a future date.
Though major music acts are not a surprise, the relaunch of Condé Nast's Fingerprints suggests that they like what they saw compared to what they had or could otherwise obtain.
If you discover additional networks powered by Backplane, please share the info in the comments or hit me up at the email below.
Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (Twitter/App.net) also blogs at All World Dance: Videos and maintains Music Biz Blogs. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
Found 6 Backplane sites: 3 music, 2 communities, 1 brand. ( in order of being ready/relaunch? )
LittleMonsters https://littlemonsters.com/
The Bible Series https://community.bibleseries.tv/
Feel The Love http://feelthelove.ornishspectrum.com/
Paradise City https://paradisecity.com/
Church of Noise http://therealchurchofnoise.com/
Conde’ Nast http://www.fingerprintscn.com/
Nice. Thanks!
Do you have an inside line or do you have a technique for finding these?
More on Backplane – Post #1.
Feel the Love –
http://www.ornishspectrum.com
Takes you to the home page for Dr. Ornish’s Health and Dieting regimens. There are 2 links to the Backplane community site.
Here’s a sample:
http://feelthelove.ornishspectrum.com/post/50f6fd032555d11c650002cc
The Bible Series –
http://www.bibleseries.tv
Takes you to the home page for ‘The Bible’ mini-series; a 10 hour documentary that will debut on the History Channel in two weeks, March 3, in weekly installments. Several links to the Backplane community. Looks like Backplane has created their own social icon, similar to Facebook, but using a lower case “b” on a red background. This community would have short life – just 5 weeks.
Here’s a sample:
https://community.bibleseries.tv/post/50fc68f8eb8114b65b000369
I like the both of these projects since they are not music based, as is Little Monsters.
More on Backplane – Post #2.
Paradise City – invite mode’ since December
Here’s a sample:
https://paradisecity.com/post/51128bf898d45ce510000006
Church of Noise – ‘invite mode’ for 2 weeks
Here’s a sample:
http://therealchurchofnoise.com/post/511ece134f5cf11b25000132
‘invite mode’ = On BP + limited fans
Fingerprints –
http://www.fingerprintscn.com
Work in progress.
Detached from main site.
No Backplane activity.
Main Site:
http://www.condenast.com
Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamor, Wired, and others.
Lady Gaga many covers + photoshoots.
Troy Carter, Gaga’s manager, cover of Wired.
BP raised Series A funding << Conde Nast. Either a single upgrade, or Fingerprints is a beta-test before doing other mags??
Outsider.
No Facebook, No Twitter.
Logged on to nothing.
Google Search, same problem.
Try Yahoo! Enter:
Backplane Request an invite
I am not worthy!
Nice work.