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The Minipop Invasion of Eurovision 2012 Written by on May 15, 2012

Any keen Eurovision fan will have spotted the Minipop Icons all over the Internet. After last year’s first wave of icons, artist Ben Morris has redoubled his efforts to Minipop all of the Eurovision World. He sat down with ESC Insight to tell us more.

I hadn’t been certain what the reaction would be like to the icons when I set up a Facebook page for them for the 2011 Contest, but I was blown away by the response. In the April there were 350,000 hits recorded from 23,000 individuals. And GT Magazine in the UK and TV Digital  in Germany used them in their Eurovision coverage. And I can’t forget Alex Sparrow’s modelling of his T-shirt, which made the German tabloids!

So it was a no-brainer as to whether I’d repeat the exercise this year.

Alex Sparrow and his Minipop short

Alex Sparrow and his Minipop short

For all my good intentions of getting a head start this time around, the reality was that it was no easier. There may have been one less act to draw this year, but I was still pushed for time. My days have been spent illustrating a new Doctor Who book and fulfilling illustration commissions for my other clients, leaving the evenings and weekends to work on the icons.
I’ve been holding down the equivalent of two full-time jobs for the last five months. So I am bleary-eyed as I write this. But I’m certain that investing so much time in the project was the right thing to do, because the response has been brilliant.

Many of the acts have commented on their own Facebook pages and Twitter accounts about their respective icons, and four countries approached me about using them. I’m delighted that the discussions with Joan Franka’s  management have culminated with them using her icon in the Dutch press kit.

Due to the fact that I’m not an official licensee to produce Eurovision merchandise, and a one-man band, I can only exploit the icons in a small way. Friends with press accreditation will wear T-shirts of the icons, and I’ve sold a few badges.

Joan Franka's Cubicon

Joan Franka's Cubicon

But I was keen for the wider group of followers to be able to use the icons in some way, beyond downloading them as avatars. So I have created 3-D papercraft models (or ‘cubicons’ as I call them) of those icons that are most popular with the fans. People can download the flat plans for free from the Facebook page in order to build them.

I can’t wait to see what the reaction is like to the icons during the Eurovision fortnight in Baku. I’m really excited to be going out there. It will be a fascinating experience.
What is the future for the icons? Well, in the short term there will be the auction of a huge Union flag with icons of all the UK winners on it (plus Graham Norton and Terry Wogan) and signed by all of them. That is in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research UK.

I am also keen to expand the project beyond the confines of Eurovision. I will do that this summer, along with setting up a Tumblr site for them.

I’ll certainly be back for 2013. And I have a couple of long term goals, but they would involve the UK winning first…

 

About The Author: Ewan Spence

British Academy (BAFTA) nominated broadcaster and writer Ewan Spence is the voice behind The Unofficial Eurovision Song Contest Podcast and one of the driving forces behind ESC Insight. Having had an online presence since 1994, he is a noted commentator around the intersection of the media, internet, technology, mobility and how it affects us all. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, his work has appeared on the BBC, The Stage, STV, and The Times. You can follow Ewan on Twitter (@ewan) and Facebook (facebook.com/ewanspence).

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