- Fender Guitar is celebrating its 80th anniversary and the 75th anniversary of the brand’s iconic Telecaster – the world’s first mass produced electric guitar – with a new contest to find its first-ever Guitar Correspondent.
- The new Correspondent will join the brand this year to create social content that goes behind the scenes of guitar performances at major music festivals. The brand will use the content for its social media channels.
- The correspondent will receive a $10,000 cash prize, an All-Access Pass to select music festivals and travel and accommodations to these events.
Fender Guitars have held a significant place in the history of pop music since Buddy Holly played a Sunburst Strat on The Ed Sullivan Show. Jimi Hendrix played a white Stratocaster at Woodstock. Kurt Cobain played a Mustang in the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video. H.E.R. played an iconic Stratocaster solo during the 2024 Olympics.
As the brand turns 80, and the Telecaster and Precision Bass turn 75, Fender aims to shine the spotlight on stories about their gear. The guitar correspondent will help talk pedal board deep-dives, pre-show rituals, backstage jam sessions and the moments where a guitar, rig, or unexpected gear choice makes a set legendary.
“We really wanted to showcase how our products are being used out in the real world on a weekend to weekend basis in these massive music festivals,” said Martin Powell, director of marketing at Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. “They know us by name, the headstock, the iconic logo, but really giving our fans and community the opportunity to see on a daily basis how our products are being used is something we were really excited about.”
From February 24th to March 10th, music fans can apply here, showcasing their guitar skills and storytelling talent. Applicants should explain why they’re the perfect fit to uncover the untold guitar stories behind major music festivals. The selected Guitar Correspondent will be announced on March 24.
The brand took a lot of inspiration from sports brands and how they are showcasing what their athletes are doing on their feet in the games. “We really liked that idea and were inspired by it. So we said, ‘hey, let’s find the perfect person through this contest that is just completely into the world of guitar, into the world of gear, get them on the ground, talking to artists about what they’re using.”
The anniversary offers the brand a time to acknowledge and celebrate the past, but they are also using it as a way to look at what’s coming down the pipeline. “We work with over 4,000 artists that are kind of driving music forward today. This is a great opportunity to tie what we’ve done with what we’re doing now, and that’s really where this sits,” said Powell. “It’s kind of a celebration of all these amazing artists that we work with today.”
