S. Samuel
Music mogul Dr. Dre reportedly compromised a stellar plan with his Beats Electronics company by recruiting some of professional soccer's biggest stars to appear in a World Cup campaign. #BeatsBan
Instead of going with a brief advertisement, Beats Electronics decided to release a five-minute film to promote its headphones for the annual global soccer tournament.
When Beats by Dr. Dre wanted to promote its headphones in time for the World Cup, it didn’t rely on a 30-second TV spot or online banner ad. Instead, it created a mini-movie showing the pre-game rituals of soccer stars Neymar, Cesc Fabregas and Luis Suarez. The five-minute film, called “The Game Before The Game,” racked up more than 9 million views on YouTube in just one week. (Bloomberg)
Despite the promotion, FIFA has reportedly banned players from donning the popular headphones.
Neymar likes them Brazil-green. England’s Wayne Rooney, white. Luis Suarez, blue. Banned from the pitch by FIFA for licensing reasons, the bulky Beats headphones are a favorite for many of the world’s top players, making the World Cup a huge unofficial ad for the company acquired by Apple Inc last month. The colourful high-end headphones created by rapper Dr Dre have become a ubiquitous soccer accessory. (Reuters)
Appearing at the annual Cannes Lions festival yesterday (June 17), rap star Kanye West spoke on Apple recruiting Dr. Dre to purchase Beats Electronics.
“There would have been no Beats deal without the Samsung deal. It showed the No. 1 company the importance of connecting with culture,” said West. “The reason I said I didn’t like Samsung particularly is because throughout my entire life, because of how my parents raised me, I have to work with the No. 1. I can’t work with anyone but Jay Z, because he’s No. 1. I can’t be with any girl but Kim, because that’s the girl whose pictures I look at the most and get turned on by. I’m not going to represent any company but Louis Vuitton, because that’s No. 1. … Samsung is not quite Apple, but it showed that Jimmy [Iovine] and Dre would be able to connect with the No. 1 influencers.” (Adweek)
Reports last month suggested the Doc and Jimmy Iovine would play big roles at Apple.
Their titles: “Jimmy” and “Dre.” It’s a full-time gig for Mr. Iovine, who is leaving his post as chairman of Vivendi’s Interscope Records. Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, will continue to produce music but do “as much as it takes” for Apple. (No word on whether that includes creating and posting any Instagram videos.) (Wall Street Journal)
Check out the Beats By Dre promotional clip:
