Fountain of Yus - #005
Afternoon everyone, dropping this weekend’s read, issue #5 of FOY. This time discussing the latest brand campaigns, drop culture and transport
Travis Scott incites 90s Nostalgia with ‘Don’t Get Caught’ Film
Last week Travis Scott launched his new Air Jordan 1 Low x Cactus Jack sneaker and recreated the opening scene from the popular 90s film, ‘Richie Rich’ as a part of its rollout.
The recreation of this iconic film definitely triggered nostalgia in people who grew up during the period the film was released and reminded them of the positive memories associated with those simpler times.
Strategically speaking this was a smart execution by Travis and his team. Considering Travis Scott was 3 years old when the film was released, it is unlikely that he watched this film - let alone has a nostalgic attachment to it. However, the choice of execution instantly widens his audience and increases the potential consumer pool. On the one end, you have an audience of people interested in purchasing the shoe purely for nostalgic reasons, while on the other end you have people who want to buy the shoe because they are fans of Travis Scott.
At the very least, Travis and his team have created a buzzworthy campaign that generated a lot of conversation and that in itself is a sign of a successful campaign.
Watch the ad here
YEEZY GAP takes over NYC
Kanye West shut down a whole city block as he took over the GAP store in Times Square for his YEEZY collaboration.
Fans could get access to a portion of the pieces from the ‘YEEZY Gap engineered by Balenciaga’ collection, with the rest only being accessible via a dumpster dive at a car park.
This was a really fun and interactive way to drop a collection, it reminds me of when you go thrifting and spend hours just digging through piles of clothes hoping to find that one gem and the feeling of ecstasy that comes with it when you finally do - So I can only imagine how attendees felt when they struck gold.
The launch was marked with a video game designed by Demna Gvasalia, where players could style their avatars in the YEEZY x Gap collection.
The launch symbolises the new landscape for drop culture, where brands are bridging their IRL & URL worlds to create memorable experiences with gamification being the medium.
Catch a snippet here
adidas dive into the Rick and Morty-verse
adidas teamed up with Rick and Morty for the release of their X SPEEDPORTAL football boots.
A 90-minute short animation was released which featured Rick and Morty experimenting with the multidimensional speed of the new boots, with the boots “Designed to unlock speed in all dimensions.”
The animation also featured adidas football athletes Mo Salah and Vivianne Miedema showcasing the power and skills inherited from wearing the boots which helps them win a cup final.
adidas also used this release to continue their commitment to end plastic waste with half the boot made completely with recycled materials.
This campaign showcases the value of crossovers in grounding brands within culture and tapping into new audiences.
Catch a glimpse of it here
Limewire rise from the ashes
Limewire, the file-sharing device that gave your computer a virus, has decided to reinvent the wheel, coming back as an NFT marketplace.
Limewire in its new design will function as a marketplace for digital collectables and already has artists like Aitch, Brandy and Blink-182 planning on releasing NFTs via the platform.
As we expand in this new iteration of the creator economy, brands are finding tactics to position themselves for the future and be big game players in it.
The manner in which Limewire have gone about their resurgence is well thought out and also authentic to the cultural space they functioned in - Music.
From being a platform that took money out of artists' pockets to being one that now does the exact opposite, this feels like repentance.
Watch the ad here
Aitch-S2 to the Rescue
Manny Rapper Aitch has launched a travel scheme in partnership with Relentless energy drink to help young people attend festivals and other live events throughout the summer.
The scheme will give £100 train vouchers to 18 - 25 year-olds, providing them with a chance to still enjoy their summer despite rising living costs.
Considering this is the first summer in 2 years where things are fully open again, this is a thoughtful initiative and allows for young people to make up for lost time and enjoy their summer without the stress of travel costs. Most importantly, Aitch is showing his love for his audience and youth in general by being a source of support in trialling times.
Yuseful Notes
Barcelona and Spotify kickoff their partnership in style with a party in Miami
Popular Content creators Logan Paul and KSI’s energy drink Prime lands a deal to become Arsenal’s official hydration partner
Snapchat throw an AR Brunch to showcase the future of shopping with Snapchat
That’s all, enjoy the sun.
Until next time,
Yus