Fountain of Yus - #010
Hi again, back with issue #010 of FOY. Crazy isn’t it? What a journey it's been and hope you’ll all be there for the next milestone. Thank you for being part of the journey thus far.
Fred Again prioritises his true fans
Producer and DJ Fred Again had an ingenious rollout for the release of his latest album, Actual Life 3. Starting off with a global listening party, he organised attendees via his discord channel. With the help of his label, Fred was able to identify his most engaged members amongst his 11800-member discord and asked them to host the launch parties, exactly 18 across the globe, locations including Tokyo, Helsinki, London and Toronto. The groups would meet at a local pub, where they’d get a chance to have an early listen of the album as well as connect with fellow community members.
I’ve previously mentioned in a recent article about how Gen Z use URL as a means of creating IRL experiences through the use of community platforms like discord, this is testament to that. Fans around the world gathered together in different regions to have a listen to Fred’s new album, without the need of Fred’s presence, speaking to the fact that while he is the catalyst for the formation of this group, its members are united by their shared interest, thus proving the group serves a purpose beyond him.
Atop of this, Fred also organised a bike tour in London, uniting his fans for a cycle around central London while listening to the new album. Fan-made clips from the bike ride were then compiled to create a video for album track ‘Clara’. Once again, Fred Again has placed his true fans at the heart of his rollout and it's honestly so refreshing to see, it is everything the youth of today yearn for when it comes to desired relationships with the artists they love.
In today’s world of heavily-funded media rollouts and merchants sales, Fred is reminding us that sometimes the most powerful strategy is to Just. Be. Human.
99P-roblems but Corteiz isn’t one
After taking over the streets of Paris, Australia and New Zealand over the summer, London streetwear brand returned home for a physical drop that had Shepherd’s Bush residents thinking it was Carnival all over again. Corteiz took to instagram to announce that they’ll be selling cargos in a secret location in West London for exactly 99p, not more, not less. What ensued after was absolute mayhem, loads of people flocked to Shepherd’s Bush on a Saturday morning in October, with videos seen of crowds repeatedly running out the tube station.
Approximately 3000 people were in attendance and the majority were young teenagers, there were young adults and even aunties in attendance. With the crowd gathered at Shepherd’s Bush Green, the Corteiz crew handed out tickets to attendees by random selection and this allowed them to purchase a pair of cargos at a local market stall. Sadly, there wasn’t enough cargos for all in attendance, but the chance to grab an item of clothing from London’s most coveted streetwear brand could certainly not be missed, especially at the price of 99p in a cost of living crisis.
The drop was a great way for the brand to reconnect with its audience IRL as well as creating a memorable experience that once again etched the brand’s place in the UK culture. These stunts also provide an opportunity for those who do not know the brand to be exposed to it, and what better way to grab people’s attention than seeing swarms of people running around the city - with these videos spreading like wildfire on social media too. The nature of these IRL engagements show that the consumer is at the heart of the brand, it fosters community due to its humanistic element. Think about the Da Great Bolo Exchange, Fete De La Musique giveaway and now this recent activation, all these moments build bonds between brand and audience.
While opinions on Corteiz stunts are usually polarising, I think it's more worthwhile to view the brand through the lens of a case study, showcasing what’s possible when you build a cult, over a consumer base.
MerkyFC plans to shake up the Football Ecosystem
In collaboration with adidas, Stormzy has launched Merky FC, a program directed at addressing the lack of representation beyond the pitch in football. The initiative was born out of the insight that only 6.7% of senior roles in the game are taken by people who are of black or mixed race heritage, a stat that shows that while we’ve made progress on the pitch there’s still a lot more required for equal representation off it. If we look at the Premier League, there’s currently only one black manager. Additionally, many black former players have commented on how they feel the barrier of entry into managerial roles is higher in comparison to their white counterparts. Beyond managerial roles, the problem festers within the world of football, whether that’s coaching or commentary. Personally, I’ve never seen a black physio run out onto the pitch, and I think it acts as a metaphor for what we see behind the scenes.
The lack of diversity in senior roles in football has a negative impact on younger generations, a lot of young people look at the screen and don’t see people that look like them, this then tells them there isn’t space for people that look like them in the footballing ecosystem and gets them disenchanted before even trying. Not to mention the fact that only 180 of the 1.5 million players in the academy system in England at any one time will make it as a Premier League pro, that’s a 0.012% success rate. With the likelihood of success being that low, it only makes sense for there to be existing infrastructure for players who don’t make it to still have a pathway for a career in football, yet such infrastructure does not exist. The lack of existing infrastructure then means children are more susceptible to the dangers of life, especially those living in underserved areas.
With Stormzy’s Merky FC featuring a starting XI of partners - Manchester United, LadBible, Sky Sports, Goal and Fulham being some of the franchises involved - that are powerful enough to ensure change is made, have all committed to providing career opportunities within their respective businesses.
When looking at the corporate world, measures to push for diversity and inclusion are often focused from the bottom up, with less representation as you get closer to the top. Merky FC was built to be the antithesis of that by design, so let’s truly hope it will be successful in delivering those plans.
ASICS challenges image perceptions
ASICS have launched a brilliant campaign aimed at challenging the perceptions of fitness progression. Titled “not all exercise transformations are visible” the billboard features two pictures of a man, who on the surface seems to have not made any transformation. However when you look closer, you can see the change in posture, a smile on his face, all which indicate a boost in confidence, but also in mental wellbeing too. The billboard is simplistic but effective in living up to the ASICS foundation of helping people achieve ‘a sound body and sound mind’.
The out of home campaign was accompanied with an experiential activation in Amsterdam that aimed to spotlight the value of movement. The concept was born out of the insight that you only need 15 minutes of any movement to help you feel uplifted, a stat we could all benefit from. Given our ‘busy’ lives and our struggle to make time to address our wellbeing, all it takes is just 15 minutes and it doesn’t need to be intense too.
This campaign is not about promoting a product, let alone selling the idea of the pursuit of a rigorous fitness journey that is presented by most other athleisure brands. That’s what makes this campaign unique, it's built on sending a message about how ASICS products can be a tool in transforming your approach to wellbeing and an active lifestyle.
This is a much more positive message compared to many other fitness brands that only present fitness as a physical transformation that can seem impossible for the average person. Not to mention the pressures we put on ourselves when going on a fitness journey, transformation may not be visible to yourself but noticeable to others, people can see the change in your demeanour, your mental state while you may be solely fixated on the physical transformations.
ASICS are simply placing their products with promoting a sound mind and that’s makes this campaign truly meaningful.
Yuseful Notes
BasementApproved prove they’re more than just a facebook group with launch of the first magazine issue.
Palace have released a book of their iconic product descriptions.
PSG are set to have a stall at the next ComplexCon.
Burger King taps into the world of Call of Duty and players are going crazy.
E.81ST. DELI: How a small deli in Chicago rose to fame thanks to a loyal customer’s TikToks.
Skepta is set to launch his own record label, Big Smoke Records.
Argentinian football club Racing club release special kit for breastfeeding mothers.
adidas launch collab with Japanese outerwear brand, Andwander.
Leading footwear brand Vibram release ‘Vibram Furoshiki’, a shoe that wraps around your foot.
In collaboration with UEFA, EA sports are set to bring the Women’s Champions League to FIFA23.
Burberry partner with Minecraft as part of its bid to grow its presence in the Metaverse.
South African eponymous brand ‘Thebe Magugu’ announces collaboration with Dior.
Popular London brand Aries launch a collection for AS Roma in collaboration with New Balance.
Rick Owens release ‘BabyGeo’ a collection for children.
Y-3 announce their collaboration with Palace.
RIMOWA partner with RTFKT to release NFT luggage.
What Would Yus Do?
Sharing upcoming experiences that I find interesting and you may potentially too.
FIFA ‘Uncovered’ an exposé docuseries on FIFA’s dirty past, available on Netflix.
‘Como Você’ a documentary exploring how Grime inspired the birth of new underground sounds in Brazil.
‘Homer Radio’ Frank Ocean’s radio segment on Apple Music, airing every Thursday.
‘Keep the meter running’ a TikTok series where creator Kareem Rahma asks taxi drivers to choose a place to go, while keeping the meter running.
‘Sneaker Therapy’ a counselling twitter series for sneakers told by sneakers.
That’s all for now
Until next time,
Yus