Technics

After a very successful campaign with Cold War Kids, it was time to get back to work for a v2.0 Technics True Wireless Earbud launch. The strategy remained the same–find an artist who is a true Technics enthusiast that aligned with the demographic. After about a month of pitches from various labels, we went on our own search. At the top of our list was Grammy Award-winning musician, Leon Bridges. Leon had all of the things we valued for this launch. A brilliant artist. Likable. Humble. Cool and confident. A new album that would time nicely with the Technics launch. And a sizable social following. Now (fingers crossed), is he a Technics fan, can we afford him, and would he and his team at Mick Management be excited about the collaboration? Check. Let’s roll.

We knew we wanted a comprehensive content package to include a longer form brand piece, more product-focused cutdowns, artist-driven social videos, along with still photography. And a “travel story” where Leon would use the earbuds on the road for both pleasure and business. The first hurdle would be to send Leon the new earbuds to make sure he liked them. Loved. Now we could get to work with his team at Mick Management to align on the content strategy, story, and logistics.

With a plan in place, we brought on music video (and music story) director, Brantley Guitierrez. Brantley would run with the main creative piece that was to be filmed on Leon’s tour in Denver, CO. One of the challenges was finding an ideal location to interview Leon. Brantley happened to be friends with Nathaniel Rateliff–who was also friends with Leon. The interviews and some b-roll were filmed at his house/studio. We captured additional b-roll at The Mission Ballroom and used some b-roll of Leon provided by Mick Management. Additional content from the road and for social media was filmed by Leon’s trusted partner and photographer, Cedrick Jones.

The paid media was put behind a series of :15s on Meta (IG, Facebook) and on YouTube. With over 15K monthly impressions, we had an average monthly CTR of 2.03% to 4.59% and 1.53% to 2.62%. YouTube’s 75% Video Completion Rates were 66.04% and 89.26%. According to Panasonic, they were some of the best-performing assets they’ve ever had and consistently outperformed over benchmark on social platforms. These ad buys drove customers to an Amazon store to learn more about the earbuds and the legacy/heritage of the Technics brand. Great product. And a great campaign.