Hasta La Creative!

The goal of the studio, Mr. Cottrill said, is not to groom the next idol. Rather, it’s about providing the Converse core demographic — musicians — with an unforgettable experience that aims to get them advocating the brand. “It’s less about putting a number on it and more about realizing that people have always been media. We’ve provided musicians with experiences they’ll never forget. The measurement is that. We’re building ambassadors for the brand. By doing something good for them, we see over and over again that they speak on our behalf.”

Converse has also been creating unforgettable moments for more-established talents. In 2008, along with its agencies Anomaly and Cornerstone, it launched “3 Artists, One Track,” which brings together artists both well-known and up-and-coming from different genres to create a new song. It kicked off with a track from Pharrell, Julian Casablancas and Santigold, followed by three more songs by combos Matt & Kim, Soulja Boy and Andrew W.K.; Gorillaz, Andre 3000 and LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy; and Kimbra, Foster and A-Trak.

Just last week, after a two-year hiatus, the brand announced its ninth collaboration, an unexpected mashup of Frank Ocean, Diplo and Clash guitarist Mick Jones. For the artists and fans, it’s a win-win. “It’s really about providing artists the opportunity to work with people they’ve never worked with,” said Mr. Cottrill. “Everybody gets paid, we give the song away and we don’t make any revenue off the creation of the content.”

Continue reading at AdAge.com