The barista, the customer making a phone call and the woman absorbed in a book all have the same face. In a café called Kendalls, even the photographs on the walls feature Kendall Jenner. What differs is their clothing, what each of them is doing and the headphones they wear, specifically the combinations of colors and cushions. Jenner, who is getting ready to leave for a workout, thus encounters an entire café of other versions of herself.
The ad is part of a campaign that Beats launched on September 22 for Beats 360, its first over-ear headphone model with interchangeable ear and headband cushions. The creative is by Uncommon Creative Studio, the direction by Ariel Fisher, and the production by Magna Studios. Set to Are Friends Electric? by Gary Numan and Tubeway Army, the spot ends with the message “One headphone. Every version of you.”
The interchangeable components gave the agency a reason to multiply the lead character. Each Jenner shows a different combination of the same product, allowing viewers to discover the headphones’ customization options through the characters. The opening scene, in which she attaches green Volt cushions, explains the process before the rest of the café shows its variations.
Chris Thorne, CMO of Beats, connects the idea to the fact that people take on different roles throughout the day. The headphones should keep up with those changes, while their appearance could change like shoes, a watch or any other accessory. The creative response was therefore to bring in multiple versions of Kendall rather than multiple different people.
Part of the rollout took place months before the ad was released. Lamine Yamal wore the headphones when he arrived at training camp for the World Cup in May, while other athletes who used them included LeBron James and Aryna Sabalenka. Jenner also participated in those early appearances of the product. Thorne explained to Marketing Dive that partners were not told when to wear them, which color to choose or how to wear them. They sent them the headphones and left them to use them, wanting the product to appear in their everyday lives without tightly scripted posts.
That approach also reflects how Beats describes its relationship with Jenner. Thorne sees the collaboration as a long-term partnership, pointing to James, who has been with the brand since its beginnings.
The media plan includes social media, video and streaming platforms, as well as out-of-home advertising in Los Angeles, New York, London and Shanghai. Additional content and international activities with Yamal and other partners have been announced for the period ahead of the holidays, while musician, actress and fashion personality Nana Ouyang has been selected as the face of the product and campaign in China.
