While ABoY may still do well as a single when it's released in Europe, Asia and Australia, it didn't do well at all in the U.S. And I think that's because U2's marketing team basically released the song and then abandoned it completely. There was NO push whatsoever for this song - even by U2.
"Sometimes..." got a push in the U.K. with three CD singles for just 6 pounds. The video coincided with the release. U2 performed "Sometimes..." on several TV shows, including SNL and, of course, the Grammy Awards. That's some pretty heavy promotion.
"Vertigo", as we all know, was heavily pushed. The iPod/iTunes commercial was about the best advertisement ever - and it was "free" from U2's perspective. But the song and video were also heavily promoted by the marketing team and U2 (again, more TV exposure, push on radio stations, etc.).
In contrast, ABoY was basically left to sink or swim. I saw no evidence of it being promoted at radio stations. I saw no push in terms of CD singles (in Canada). U2 never performed this song on TV. There were a token few snippets of the song played here and there but not enough for the average consumer to know that this is the new U2 song.
It's really a shame - I thought ABoY could be a great hit for U2. It's short, catchy and perfect for radio. But instead, it's suffering the same fate as many other great U2 songs in the U.S. from 1993 and on. It appears on a few charts, but never cracks the Hot 100 and disappears...
