Blackberry, nee Research in Motion, announced on Wednesday that Alicia Keys (yes, the singer) was being named the company's new Global Creative Director. The company made the announcement on the same day that it unveiled its new BlackBerry 10 platform and the BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 devices.
Apparently, Keys was once a BlackBerry power user, but she left the company for greener pastures after newer technology in the form of iOS and Android caught her eye. The company picked her out as a spokesperson for renewing her "long-term relationship" with BlackBerry.
Global Creative Director is just a fancy word for a celebrity endorsement. Among the latest high-profile "appointments" made with a fancy title came as last March when Intel named singer Will.i.am its Director of Creative Innovation. Typically, endorsing artists appear in ads, at various company events, and generally speak positively about the products.
In Keys' case, the singer will be taking her BlackBerry on tour and will use it to create a music video for every city she visits. The video project will include Keys collaborating with BlackBerry 10 early adopters.
It is quite a turnaround for keys. In 2012, she called herself an "iPhone junky" in a Google+ post.
On Wednesday, along with introducing BlackBerry 10, Research in Motion announced it was re-branding itself as BlackBerry. The company also launched its first two BB10 devices, the hardly-secret Z10 and Q10 (for QWERTY).
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