A Brighotn-based new media agency has helped to push a boy band to the top of the interactive music charts.

Getfrank designed a web site and an enhanced CD for Blue, which helped the band to win the artist of the year award at the inaugural BT Openworld Interactive Music Awards.

Hundreds of thousands of votes were cast by the public for the awards, which also had several categories judged by panels of industry experts.

They were organised to celebrate the best music web sites, downloads, SMS (text messaging)

campaigns and artists online.

Getfrank creative director Andrew Seel said: "Prior to this project with Virgin Records, we've done stuff for the likes of Gorillaz, Vanessa Mae, The Beatles and Wings, so we've built up a decent reputation for band web sites. Blue released their debut single in May last year but, since then, they had changed and their original site didn't reflect them any more."

Alongside the new site, the fans can type in the CD's barcode to access further material, such as screensavers.

The CD, which contains both audio and computer data to play on either a CD audio player or as a CD-ROM, enables them to watch Blue TV - the band's videos presented like a TV channel.

Mr Seel said interactive media was an essential part of music marketing initiatives. He said: "Web sites and the like are another way for bands to talk to their audience and, although they've been slow to react, music labels understand this."

The agency, which recently celebrated its third anniversary, also collected an accolade for a web site and game to accompany Fat Les'

reworking of Vindaloo, England's official football anthem for Euro 2000.

www.getfrank.com
www.officialblue.com
www.ima2002.com
www.emiclassics.com