BEATS BY DRE: STUDIO BUDS LAUNCH
Beats was launching a new True Wireless earbud, but the brand had very little equity in the “true wireless” category. In our research, we realized that all competitors shared similar product features and a majority of their marketing revolved solely around those features (leaving zero differentiation across the category). To launch successfully, we couldn’t rely on features alone. Our strategy was to pivot away from features, by focusing on what matters most to our audience and to our brand: The Music. This strategy helped us develop a creative framework where our talent roster could speak to Studio Bud’s features, but quickly pivot to share how their favorite song makes them feel. The result was a product focused campaign that championed music lovers and 2.4 million units sold in its first year. You can watch all the films here.
BEATS BY DRE: YOU LOVE ME
This film was created at the height of the pandemic and protests of 2020. As a brand historically rooted in Black culture, Beats had a responsibility to take a stance. Our film landed on a single question to prompt a deeper conversation: “You love Black culture, but do you love me?” We depicted an all-star cast standing shoulder-to-shoulder with everyday people, to demonstrate that fame and fortune have nothing to do with the value of someone’s life. Since the launch of our film, our efforts to amplify voices of Black Youth have expanded across social programs, partnerships, and more.
AT&T: CODES OF CULTURE
AT&T was losing marketshare with multicultural millennials, so we created a campaign that leveraged the brand’s most valuable asset: Area Codes. During our research, we realized that area codes were more than just three digits to this audience. An area code symbolized their home, their values, and their sense of belonging. Over a period of 12 months, I helped lead the brand narrative, comms plan, experiential activations, and talent casting – in addition to managing several partner relationships that ranged from iHeart Radio to NTWRK.
CHAMPS SPORTS: WE KNOW GAME
Champs Sports had lost touch with their target audience: high school athletes. Our strategic solution revolved around redefining one word: Game. During our research, we realized that students loved being an athlete but they also wanted to pursue other passions. For them, having Game was just as important off of the court as it was on the court. Hitting a buzzer beater and having the best style were one in the same to them. This strategic foundation opened a world of new opportunities for the brand in terms of their tone of voice, media/talent partnerships, and retail innovation.
JBL: SOUNDS OF THE CITY
In 2018, Beats replaced JBL as the official NBA sponsor — leaving the brand stuck with a handful of athletes and no access to the court. Our challenge was to create a platform that leveraged JBL’s athletes outside of the arena. Our pivot was to engage NBA fans on a deeper level, by telling a player’s hometown story through the power of JBL sound. My role was to lead both the strategy and creative teams, as we developed the platform. Since then, our platform has even expanded to Berlin with Jérôme Boateng (click to watch).