Trent Reznor could have just given a few interviews to explain Nine Inch Nails’ new album, “Year Zero.” But instead, he’s using a multifaceted Internet scavenger hunt, and in some cases, his own rabid fans, to help gradually build the story of the project.

Neither Reznor, his management nor representatives at his Interscope label would speak to Billboard about the campaign, which has encompassed everything from cryptic phrases on T-shirts to Orwellian Web sites to MP3s found on USB drives in bathrooms at NIN concerts.

But a source with knowledge of the project says Reznor may very well perceive it all not as a marketing campaign, but as “a new entertainment form.” (CNN)

Tags: NIN, Trent Reznor, WOM, Year Zero