Heineken Thinks Green For Grammy Sponsorship

Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. And with the industry still in a slump, sponsors of this year's Grammy Awards used creative approaches to expose their products to the massive worldwide music audience.

One example is Heineken, which has inked a three-year sponsorship deal with the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Under the agreement, the Grammy red carpet is being turned green for the first time, to match the Heineken color. And for every person who walks the carpet, Heineken will make a donation to the Grammy Foundation to support music education.

Heineken will also debut six new music-themed commercials during the broadcast, including one with an anti-piracy message.

The deal underscores the ways that corporations are expanding their connections to music through promotions that go beyond music events themselves.

"Music is a lifestyle, so it's a platform we're really interested in expanding," Heineken brand marketing director Andrew Glaser says.

Heineken will also conduct a charity auction of a specially designed guitar signed by Sting, Eric Clapton, No Doubt, Pharrell Williams and Lenny Kravitz.

Other household brands that will be associated with this year's Grammys are American Express, Microsoft, 7-Up, Continental Airlines and Hilton Hotels.