Converse in partnership with Thrasher Magazine, opened a new, specially created skate ramp to host the Texas Style Death Match on March 16–March 20 at The Scoot Inn. The four-day event is a free, interactive experience and engages the global Team Converse skate ambassadors, emerging alternative bands and the local skate community in Texas. Incorporating two music stages, best trick competitions and open skating, the Texas Style Death Match will once again be the only integrated music and skate event open and accessible to all during one of the largest music festivals in Austin, such as SXSW.
clothing & footwear
Wrangler is crowdsourcing ideas—the well-known denim brand is inviting its fans to ‘shape the future’ of the iconic American jeans by presenting their own vision on the new design of the first style in Wrangler’s new line called Next Blue. This is a call for all Americans aged 18+, even for those who are not experienced in design, since the brand wants its fans to present their ideas in video submissions. Those, who want to make their contribution to the world of fashion through Wrangler have to convince the brand that their ‘denim’ ideas are really worth realization and definitely can benefit the brand’s portfolio of Western style jeans.
On March 14, Avery Dennison’s Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS) group opened its first Europe-based Customer Design and Innovation Center and introduced enhanced capabilities for the apparel industry in design, high definition graphic embellishments, sustainable packaging, and RFID-enabled inventory and loss prevention solutions.
Wrangler is doing everything to take the title of the ‘Most stupid brand’ from Diesel. The two jeans makers work hard to remain on the list of catalysts for freedom of expression, and so impress the consumers’ imagination with mind-blowing advertising pieces, which encourage people to listen to their emotions only and forget about conventional rules of behaviour. To prove it really has a wild nature, Wrangler kicked off an ad campaign dubbed ‘We Are Animals’ (it won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2009 as well as a number of industry awards), launched a project, which was inviting British young adults to participate in a range of extreme activities, as part of it and now is presenting a follow-up to the advertising push to demonstrate how durable the jeans are.
Nike in collaboration with Waves for Water, the philanthropic organization supported by Hurley International (subsidiary of Nike), presented the Gamechanger Bucket—a container, which provides access to both clean water and sport. Because of the dramatic earthquake in Haiti in the beginning of last year and due to the poor clean water supply in the country (Haiti doesn’t have public water system and is classified as having the worst water ranking out of 147 countries in the world), in October the country experienced an outbreak of cholera. This kit, containing water filter and tarp & rope for catching rain, was designed to help tackle the problem and prevent new epidemic outbursts.
As reported previously, in 2010, Reebok launched global campaign in support of its two products—EasyTone and ZigTech shoes. According to adage.com, last year, the sportswear brand tripled its investment in advertising and spent $75.7 million in the U.S. solely, with $38 million being spent on ZigTech and $31 million on EasyTone campaign.