The premise of the new campaign for Beats headphones is that everyone contains multitudes. The execution of this premise is more literal than Walt Whitman probably had in mind.
Beats, the audio brand that has been part of Apple since 2014, introduced on Tuesday a campaign for its new Beats 360 over-ear headphones starring Kendall Jenner — or, more precisely, starring several Kendall Jenners simultaneously. In the spot, set to Gary Numan's 1979 single "Are 'Friends' Electric?," Ms. Jenner sits in a cafe populated entirely by other versions of herself: one making a call, one working behind the counter, one reading a book titled "The Parallel Lives of Us." The cafe is called Kendalls. (What, you were expecting Starbucks?)
"The key to the whole headphone is that everybody has so many different versions of themselves," said Chris Thorne, the chief marketing officer of Beats. "We don't need to put all these other people in this ad. Why don't we get a bunch of Kendalls?"
The campaign, created by Uncommon Creative Studio, a London-based agency that has become a frequent collaborator with the brand, will run across a predictably comprehensive list of digital platforms. Mr. Thorne spoke admiringly of Uncommon's willingness to deliver polarizing ideas. "They're high beta," he said. "I love that in a partner because they're going to push you."
Ms. Jenner, whose advertising portfolio has included 818 Tequila, Fanatics Sportsbook, L'Oréal Paris and a 2017 Pepsi commercial that became famous for reasons Pepsi did not intend, joins a roster of Beats partners that includes LeBron James, who has been with the brand since its founding. Mr. Thorne described the relationship as familial rather than transactional. "We don't really do endorsement deals," he said.
In advance of the formal announcement, Beats seeded the product through what Mr. Thorne called "Easter eggs" — the soccer player Lamine Yamal wore the headphones to a World Cup training camp in May; the tennis player Aryna Sabalenka has been spotted with them as well. Mr. Thorne said the brand places no requirements on when or how partners display the product. This is either a sophisticated understanding of how cultural credibility accrues, or a convenient way to describe giving free headphones to famous athletes.
The Beats 360 is designed for fitness use, reflecting a shift in over-ear headphone wearing from the living room to the gymnasium. Whether this represents a genuine change in consumer behavior or simply a new justification for a new product is, as always, a matter of perspective.
Original story published in Marketing Dive: "Beats taps multiple Kendall Jenners to promote customizable headphones"