years. Combine that with the fact that it marketed 28,000 shows and sold 68 million tickets last year, and marketers understand the GetAccess potential. The Stones presale was the perfect way to generate buzz for both GetAccess and the Forty Licks tour. Just as they and most bands have done in the past, the Stones pre- pared to release the new Forty Licks single, "Dont Stop," to jump- start the tours campaign. However, the release would push beyond     the traditional release of a single to radio stations, by including part- nerships in new media, technology, and advertising. Together they created the desired blitz in the market. The first partner was AOL. "Leading up to the Forty Licks tour, the Rolling Stones gave AOL an exclusive of the first single, "Dont Stop," before we [Virgin] were allowed to give it to radio. AOL had a five- day advance before it hit the traditional airwaves," explains Gmeiner. Fans could log on and hear the song before it hit radio stations and music stores. "It was an attempt to reach out to the masses, to the larger audience than the current fan base with a newer technology and to go beyond the traditional ways to promoting a record." The Internet release strategy attracted a lot of attention, which got the word out about the song and, more important, about the tour. It also positioned the band as current and forward-thinking among a new generation of fans. In addition to partnering with AOL, the Stones partnered with the NBA to increase exposure of the single "Dont Stop," which was used in television spots to kick off and pro- mote the NBAs 2002-2003 season. This came right after the release of the single to radio stations, in the early stages of album release to retail, and before the tour promotions started. The goal of this release strategy was to increase visibility for albums in stores and for the tour and to increase ticket sales. Using a new song in advertising and in commercial tie-ins is a trend that has recently taken off. It can create word of mouth and vis- ibility for the song as well as position the product being advertised as up-to-date. It can increase familiarity with the product among those who know the song and increase familiarity with the new song among those who know the product. Thats what happened with the collaboration between Nissan Pathfinder and singer Lenny Kravitz. " Fly Away had already been established on the radio, but using the song in the ad was a huge help in increasing popularity of the song by making it more familiar with people who heard it on the radio and those who didnt," says Gmeiner. "That strategy played an important part in making that song bigger than it already was, and perhaps bigger than it otherwise would have been." The Rolling Stones used the release of "Dont Stop" in an interest-