From basic All Stars in childhood to pink low cuts in high school and, currently, red satin Chinese print high tops and black sequined low cuts, I’ve walked, jumped, kicked, and danced in Converse shoes through every stage of life – including moments on stage. My experience is certainly not unique.
Because the shoes are well made, inexpensive, and come with a super-sized I-don’t-give-a-**** vibe free in every box, they’ve been favorites of the young and the restless for decades. Do a little shoe gazing at Bumbershoot, SXSW, ACL or NoisePop and you’ll see them everywhere, including the stage.
Geoff Cottrill, CMO of Converse, says the brand “has a rich history of supporting music and being embraced by the artistic community,” and he’s not kidding. Within the last couple of years alone, the brand has staged the “Gone to Governor’s” live music series, the “Get Out of the Garage” music competition, and the “Three Artists. One Song” series.
Deep in the heart of the creative wilds of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, they’re building their best venture yet – Converse Rubber Tracks.
The 5,500 square foot recording studio will be a place for emerging artists to record music in a high-quality studio operated by experienced engineers — for free. This will help new musicians overcome one of the biggest hurdles in their career: affording studio time. Artists will retain ownership rights to their music, and the brand will have no influence on the content or style.
The studio is expected to open at the end of 2010, but the Converse is already busy promoting it within music circles – strategically enough, during the CMJ Music Marathon this week. Emerging artists were invited to the West 23rd St creative offices/showroom to learn about the venture and get a sneak peek at the registration process.
Several CMJ artists, including singer/songwriter Charlene Kaye, performed on the brand’s permanent stage. Emerging NYC artist William Lord was invited to debut his new song, “Good Riddance,” and was joined by additional musicians for an impromptu jam session which brought down the house. Before leaving the event, attendees were given extra special swag: a pair of Converse by Jon Varvatos shoes, signed by the designer.
William Lord, singer/songwriter
As if all the sweet swag and studio time weren’t enough, Converse is giving bands a ton of opportunities to expose their music to a larger audience through content captured at the studio, including exclusive in-studio video testimonials, track-of-the-week features, behind-the-scenes footage, and unique rehearsal session clips. The word-of-mouth value alone is mind shattering – for the bands and the brand.
New York Times writer Ben Sisario put it best: “As the traditional record industry crumbles, plenty of musicians are welcoming these new rock ’n’ roll Medici.”
Long live Converse, bad-ass patron of the arts!
This post was written by...
Tammy Derrigan – who has written 27 posts on Javelin Experiential.
Dir. of Marketing: rocker | culture vulture | social media habitué
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Tammy – just wanted to say thanks for writing this piece about us. I really appreciate it!
Geoff
Geoff, it was an absolute pleasure. I’m a huge fan – of the brand AND the marketing!