The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has created a Virtual rock band called Bäackpain to promote wider public awareness of back pain. The band has done well on MySpace and is getting mixed reactions from the press and media so far.
And as VNUnet.com says:
To add authenticity to the whole spoof, there are connections from the site to a Bäackpain entry on MySpace, and you can even buy Ben Yourney's spandex outfit on eBay.
What a fantastic burst of rare creativity from what I have always viewed as rather stuffy part of government. I know I'm usually cynical about all this kind of thing, and the more I think about it the more I think I should be. But credit where credit is due and the eBay touch is a lovely one.
It is perfectly pitched at the children of the eighties, those who are enjoying the Hoff's return (also through the medium of Internet and social media - interesting), and the slight revival of the fashions and 'rawk' attitudes and who are most likely to know and understand all the quirks of the social media (but not too much - lets not pretend that MySpace is massively cutting edge - just youthfully exclusive enough).
Anyway, this is an interesting, good example of how even unsexy, haggard back pain can be put through the harley street school of promotion by Internet, and emerge a pneumatic, and beautiful specimen. And the best example of one I can think of just now.
Now, I wonder if they will start touring?
