The Super Bowl is always a time of brand mania. While this year was a little different, we still saw some cheesy celebrity cameos in a few million dollar commercial spots. We saw Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher acting out a rendition of Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me" for Cheetos. A 2-D Matthew McConaughey got stuck in a Doritos vending machine, and Will Ferrell made fun of Norway on behalf of GM and their roll out of electric vehicles. While the humor was appreciated in the moment, I do not picture these celebs becoming long term partners with these brands. It makes me think, was their 30 seconds really worth it?
Flat Matthew courtesy of People.
As I watched several famous faces flash across my screen on Sunday, I began to appreciate a certain 28-year-old rapper from Houston, Texas. Travis Scott. I have been a long-time fan of his music, and my friends will tell you that I have an unhealthy obsession with his 3-year-old daughter, Stormi. I knew that his imagination as an artist is out of this world. I saw his vision for the Astroworld tour come to life in the PNC Arena and the Spectrum Center with his life-size roller coasters.
Astroworld 2018.
Now, Travis Scott has been a partner to some of the most successful brands. His influence has exponentially increased within the last four years. He has a hand in shoes, gaming, sports, music and the food industry. How does he do it? Let's take a look.
Nike. Travis Scott has a deal with Nike that allows him to introduce the Cactus Jack designs and color scheme to new and old Nike sneakers. Not just any shoes...Jordan's. He brings the mocha brown color that has become a vital aspect of his personal brand to the most sought after shoes on the market. He can flip the Nike Swoosh around, create metallic Swooshes or create a Nike shoe with a desert vibe and sell them for thousands of dollars. Of course each pair is extremely hard to find, almost impossible to come by. Because of the impact on his audience and his relationship with professional athletes, he can afford to make so few pairs of sneakers and he will always leave his fans wanting more.
LeBron picture. Travis Scott Jordan 1. Kevin Durant picture.
Fortnite. Travis Scott and Epic Games created a never-before-seen virtual concert experience for Fortnite players. The concert was everything that the Cactus Jack brand embodies. Psychedelic. Rager. Out of this world. Players could see the concert stage being built in the game for days before the performance, just like a real show. The set lasted about 15 minutes and reached over 27 million people. The perfect opportunity for Travis Scott to share his newest song, "The Scotts," with the world. The hype leading up to this concert took over my social media for weeks. Travis Scott was live-streaming on Instagram before and after as well. Another astonishing and record-breaking brand partnership.
McDonald's. Travis Scott merged his aesthetic and brand with that of the famously branded Golden Arches. For McDonald's, they were able to advertise to a younger crowd without all the legal trouble behind advertising to said younger crowd. Scott was able to sell merchandise and create the "Travis Scott meal," both of which were available for purchase. The Cactus Jack colors and logos were integrated with the gold from the McDonald's logo and the signature food items. He sold everything from hoodies and t-shirts to a golden chicken nugget pillow with his logo on it. And people bought it all! McDonald's franchises immediately sold out of the ingredients for the Quarter Pounder with Cheese and Bacon, Sprite and medium fries with barbecue sauce.
Cacti. Most recently, Travis Scott announced a partnership with ABInBev in creation of a new agave, tequila-like, seltzer called Cacti. The PR boxes have already made their rounds to the entire Kardashian-Jenner clan, his closest NBA friends and other rappers. Merch items have already been released. Once this new 7% ABV is released in March, we will find out if Travis Scott has once again maintained his brand and broken into a new industry in an utterly unheard of way.
The moral of the story is that my Mejo 577, Branding of Me, classmates and I can take a lesson out the Travis Scott book on personal branding. He upholds his image and credibility by leading the creative process in all of his partnerships. His brand originated with his music and is responsible for his millions of fans around the world. He doesn't lose himself in brand partnerships or let his face be used for a quick cameo in a random commercial just because it pays the big bucks. His next move? I think that Travis should pursue a long term creative partnership with the Houston Rockets, his hometown NBA team. The city edition jerseys have become popular around the league and I think he could contribute to the move away from traditional jerseys. Just something for him to consider if he ever comes across my blog.
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