HSBC, Pure Play Music partnership to offer students free music downloads

Financial institution HSBC has teamed up with Pure Play Music for a promotion to give students an incentive to sign up for bank accounts.

The “Fresher sounds” promotion, which will launch in 2009, calls students to find out information about banking services while giving them free music download vouchers.

The campaign will run next spring on college campuses. HSBC will be on campuses promoting student products and services and will hand out a “Fresher sounds” CD in the student products package. Its packaging will include details of the rewards plan and a scratch-off panel containing a unique code. Students who enter this code in the registration section of the Pure Play music store will get 15 free downloads.

“The cost to go through college and university is high, so it is a great time for HSBC to start the relationship with young people through bank accounts, student loans and credit cards, and music is a great way to get in touch with students,” said Richard Labrum, VP of business affairs at Pure Play Music.

Students that open accounts, take out student loans and meet set savings will earn free music download vouchers. In addition, each student that signs up for a student bank account through the “Fresher sounds” Web site will be entered into a lottery with the chance to win 1,000 free downloads.

While the promotion is aimed at acquiring new customers, existing HSBC student customers will be given a “Fresher Sounds” pack and a voucher to download 15 free songs from the Pure Play Music store. When an existing customer signs up for an additional student product they will receive a bonus of 20 free downloads in addition to the rewards already offered. In addition, existing customers who refer a friend will receive a reward of 20 free downloads.