When Vans collaborated with Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami for a line of sneakers and apparel in 2015, the world’s cool kids took notice. The patterns — Murakami’s signature psychedelic designs in a bold rainbow of colors — debuted at a celebration in Downtown Manhattan, at Soho’s Opening Ceremony store. The items, sold globally through boutique partners like Opening Ceremony and Bodega, quickly sold out.
The collaboration was part of the Vans Vault line, a limited sneaker and apparel category at Vans that remakes the classic sneaker lines (Vans’ slip-ons, high tops, lace-ups and more) with premium materials and designer collaborations, and sells them at higher-end price points. In its 10th year, when the Murakami collaboration dropped, Vault had officially established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the exclusive lifestyle footwear lexicon, on par with Adidas’s Originals and Nike’s Lab lines.
More in Marketing
Inside the messy middle of January Digital agency’s AI adoption
The promise of AI efficiency versus the messy, financial-based reality is creating ongoing tension as the industry continues to debate whether AI expedites work, scales creative and curbs costs. “Whether or not it does or doesn’t is still completely all over the place,” said Vic Drabicky, founder and CEO at January Digital, an independent media […]
Brands are catching World Cup fever even without official sponsorships
Some smaller U.S. startups, like Crumbl Cookies and Olipop, are getting into the spirit of the World Cup with watch parties and soccer-themed products.
‘Storytelling hierarchy is starting to flatten’: Tribeca Enterprise CEO on why brands are making the festival a must-stop
The south of France isn’t the only place in June CMOs flock to for creative currency.