#BSB25Project : A Fan Project To Celebrate The Backstreet Boys’ 25th Anniversary

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— The Boys have seen the ad. We will be updating everything at the very bottom —

Since 1993, Kevin, Howie, Brian, AJ and Nick have been showing EVERYBODY how to rock their body and have truly become a LARGER THAN LIFE piece of who we are. How do we celebrate a band that has given us some of the best memories, some of the best friends, and the soundtrack to the past two and a half decades of our lives?

There is NOTHING we can do that can touch what the Backstreet Boys have done for and have meant to us. There aren’t enough words and there isn’t enough time in the world. What we can do though, is band together to publish a FULL PAGE AD from us to them to thank them for everything and to celebrate the accomplishment of 25 years together as a group, defying the odds and the music industry everyday.

So, here’s what we’re going to do…

  • What Do You Mean By “We”?

All of us. Every single fan is invited to take part in this project because, young or old, if you’re reading this, every single one of us has been affected by the Backstreet Boys at one point in time. No one is taking credit for this project because it will literally be a group effort.

  • What Is It?

A full page ad in Billboard magazine for April 2018 – the month that BSB will celebrate their 25th anniversary. This magazine is not only read by music fans, but some of the most powerful people in the music industry, reaching nearly 150k readers. You can also access the full magazine on the Billboard app every month.

  • How Do We Get Involved?

We have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for this project. Placing the ad will cost $5500, but because GoFundMe takes 7.9% (the lowest of crowdfunding sites), we have set the goal for $5900.

If you wish to donate, feel free. Any money over the goal will be donated to a charity in the Backstreet Boys’ name. We will update on this once we get there.

  • What’s This Ad Going To Look Like?

That is also something that has yet to be decided and that we would also like to be a group effort.

In past years, NKOTB fans and 1D fans have run their own ads for their bands, celebrating album releases. The photos of their ads are below.

We’d like to keep it simple and powerful, as these two have done, without copying obviously. Obviously, we are in the very early stages of planning and want to do something that the majority of fans can agree on.

If you have an idea or something you’d like to contribute for consideration, please send it our way to whothebackstreet@gmail.com. Please know that if you send something in and we end up not using it, it’s not personal! Also, because of space restraint, time, and wanting everyone to feel included, we will not be using every contributors name or photo.

Below is something we came up with to jump start people who would like to suggest a look for the ad. Feel free with add design, play with the font, etc. You do not HAVE to use these words, but we’re thinking something along these lines. [If you want this in Word form to copy + paste, email us]

BSB25

We will do everything we can to make sure that all fans are somehow involved in every step of the way! While we will post updates here, we will also be posting on the BSB FC as well as working with other fan sites. Follow updates by searching the #BSB25Project hashtag on social media.

  • Oh No! I Can’t Afford To Contribute!

That’s okay! A large part of this is spreading the word to get the campaign funded. Any post is a big help. Plus, if you have any idea or can artistic talent to donate to the ad itself for consideration, that’s also appreciated.

Putting 25 years of love and gratitude onto one page might be hard, but there’s nothing the Backstreet Army won’t try for our Boys! Let’s do this.

Questions / Concerns / Suggestions? Send an email to whothebackstreet@gmail.com

— UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE —

(January 5, 2018)

WE HAVE SURPASSED THE HALFWAY MARK. We can’t thank everyone enough for sharing, donating, passing it around, etc. The Backstreet Army has never done something this amazing of this magnitude for the Boys but he we are — you’ve shown up and together, we are DOING THIS!

Here are a few updates and answers to frequently asked questions:

  • As we said above, the GoFundMe will be open until March. Should we exceed the goal, we will donate the money to a charity in the Boys’ name. If we get to that point, we’ll discuss it then.
  • We now have an INSTAGRAM PAGE and you definitely want to follow it. In an effort to sweeten the donation deal a little more, WHOTB, Fangirling Life, The Dark Side, and Kaos Online will be giving you a chance to win / bid on different Backstreet Boys merch / items. You can find all of the details here. Make sure you’re following so you have a chance to bid / enter.
  • In regards to the new Instagram giveaway, we have had many fans message us asking if any fan can donate BSB items to be given away. For now, we aren’t asking for item donations. HOWEVER — if you would like to give away an item and donate the money to the Ad Campaign, tweet the item using #BSB25Project and we will RT it for you. You can conduct the giveaway however you like. We LOVE and APPRECIATE how much you guys want to be involved and appreciate anything you guys can do to get us closer to the goal.
  • We have had a few submissions / suggestions for the ad itself and we are excited to have one that we really love that meets all of the magazine requirements. If no more are submitted, we will reveal it piece by piece leading up to April.
  • If we reach the goal (which I believe we will), the ad will be in the 4/14/18 issue of Billboard magazine (AHHH!).

— UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE —

(March 12, 2018)
  • We are entering the final stages into making #BSB25Project a reality!! We reached the $5000 goal in late January, papers have been signed and the invoice is being paid this week. Again, to everyone who donated, shared, or had any kind of involvement in this project… THANK YOU! We did it together and we should all be just as proud ourselves as we are of our Boys.
  • Currently, we are nearly $700 over the goal (I will add money to round up when it’s time to donate). This money will be donated to a charity in honor of the Boys’ 25th anniversary. We will most likely be donating to St. Jude, as it is a cause that we can all agree on and a charity that the Boys have donated to in the past. We are cutting donations off on MARCH 16th. 
  • We have been posting sneak peeks of the final ad on our timeline and a few on the #BSB25Project IG page and we can’t WAIT for everyone to see it. Fellow fan and graphic designer Michelle designed it, tweaked it a few times for us, and now, it looks AMAZING!
  • A lot of you had asked about names of those that donated being added to the ad. Since so many donated items and took so much time to share and reshare posts in addition to donating money, there wasn’t a way to keep up, keep track, or space to list everyone. So, here’s the plan >>> The ad will have the #BSB25Project hashtag on it. In looking up that hashtag, the BSB or whoever else will be able to see all of the hard work, all of the love, and all of the kind things that have gone into every step of this project. On the day the magazine is released, we’d love everyone to push that hashtag to share your photos of the magazine, share your anniversary wishes and more.
  • So, when is the Billboard magazine with the ad in it being released? It will be in the 4/21/18 issue!
  • We’re not sure about the ability to obtain the magazine internationally. If those of you in other countries know of anywhere you can get a copy, let us know so we can post! You CAN order copies online here.
  • I think that’s all for now. We will post more updates as they happen. Thank you, thank you, thank you again for pitching in and making this happen. This year is a big deal and I’m so thrilled that we’re all working together to celebrate. Let’s give these five the celebration they deserve!!

— FINAL UPDATE —

(April 17, 2018)
    • Again, a lot of you have asked WHERE to pick up the 4/21 Billboard issue with the ad in it. We have asked Billboard if they have a list of retailers and they do not, SO…the best thing to do is to CALL YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE / MAGAZINE STAND and ask. If you do, feel free to let us know what you hear so we can share that info. You also have the option to PURCHASE ONLINE.
    • A lot of stores will not stock the issue until the beginning of the business week (Monday), but we will be tweeting about the #BSB25Project on Saturday and will continue to do so as you send us photos of yourselves with the issue. We want to see you guys!!
    • We will post the ad here on Saturday, 4/21 so that you (and the Boys) will be able to see it. Join us in continuing to tweet your love, your well wishes, and more using the hashtag #BSB25Project (which is included in print on the ad).
    • We have $745 left over from the campaign that we will be donating to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Not only is this a cause that the Backstreet Boys have supported before, but many of us have been affected by cancer as well. We’d like to think that any dollar we donate will help a child be able to fight, survive, and have the opportunity to love a band like we have. ❤

The Release

#BSB25Project: To The Backstreet Boys On Their 25th Anniversary