MUSHROOM GROUP kicks off the next 40 years in style
An exciting new era kicked off in epic style for Mushroom in Melbourne last night (Tuesday 5 February) with 550 of the leading entertainment group’s closest friends celebrating the announcement by Michael and Matt Gudinski of a major rebranding for the Mushroom Group, with new logos and a repositioning for the group’s two dozen subsidiaries.
After forty years in the business, the Mushroom Group is proudly Australia and New Zealand’s leading independent entertainment group. With more than twenty companies under the umbrella, Mushroom arguably defined the ‘360’ model long before it became a music industry catchphrase.
Encompassing international and domestic touring, booking agencies, record labels, merchandising, music publishing, creative and marketing services, venues, exhibition and events production, film and television production, there is almost no end to what the Mushroom Group does or can offer.
The announcement reveals a new alignment for the many companies within the group, seeing each becoming a publicly branded part of a unified whole, providing both artists and music fans a cohesive presentation of the group’s many offerings.
Executive Chairman of the Mushroom Group Michael Gudinski said, “After 40 years in the business I cannot express how proud I am of what the Mushroom Group is today and that my son Matt has stepped up into the role of Executive Director. Times have been tough for the music industry in general but the diversity of Mushroom and the quality of the artists we work with has ensured our position as Australia and New Zealand’s leading independent entertainment group. I can’t wait to see where the next decade takes us.”
Executive Director of the Mushroom Group Matt Gudinski added, “Mushroom has been synonymous with quality music and entertainment for many Australian and New Zealanders since the ‘70s. The sale of our perhaps most publicly known company, Mushroom Records, back in the late ‘90s led to some confusion around the Mushroom brand, despite the fact that the Mushroom Group and its subsidiaries and is now in a better position than ever before. Today’s announcement is about reconnecting the power of the Mushroom brand and its many associated companies with both the public and the industry.”
Mushroom’s new brand strategy and design was conceptualised by esteemed Melbourne-based Studio Round, who are also responsible for creative direction and design for National Gallery of Victoria, State Library of Victoria, Cumulus Inc., Gingerboy, Koko Black and others. Appropriately a universal mushroom icon has been created for the iconic music and entertainment group that will be carried across every Mushroom brand moving forward, so at any time it can be identified that a company, product or event is ‘stamped’ with the Mushroom seal of approval - a brand that has long been synonymous with quality, versatility and a serious passion for entertaining Australians and New Zealanders.
Significantly 2013 will not only be about a re-launch of the Mushroom Group. Celebrating 40 years in the entertainment business, the next twelve months will see Mushroom giving back to the fans that have helped make it the major powerhouse that it is today. First off the ranks will be a free concert event at Melbourne’s 1000 £ Bend on Wednesday 6 February – the Mushroom Free For All featuring Adalita, Bleeding Knees Club, DZ Deathrays, Owl Eyes, Stonefield, SURES, and World End’s Press. 100% subscribed to already through a ballot entry system the event will see close to 500 music fans enjoying a free night of stellar entertainment thanks to Mushroom and its amazing artists. Plans are in overdrive already for similar events to be held across Australia in 2013 as well as a number of other exciting initiatives designed to reconnect Mushroom with both new and past generations of music fans.
There’s little doubt that things have already kicked off with a huge bang, with Mushroom’s industry re-launch on Tuesday night proving to be one of the hottest tickets in town, with the invite only event featuring Mercury Award winning, 3 x Brit Award nominated sensations alt-J(∆), plus local stars British India, City Calm Down, Clubfeet, Owl Eyes, Snakadaktal, The Rubens, Vance Joy, and World’s End Press. Few would argue that Australia’s music industry is moving a little bit slower and a lot more gingerly after last night’s celebrations!
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