How did Vans, which has been a partner of the Warped tour since 1996, become not only the most trusted shoe brand for rockers around the world but likely the most trusted brand in the rock world period?

“Every band I was listening to at the time growing up, Descendents, Black Flag, everyone was wearing Vans; all the skateboarders I looked up to in the ‘80s like Lance Mountain and Steve Caballero, these people were wearing Vans,” Rise Against bassist Joe Principe says.

Converge bassist Nate Newton concurs. “We all grew up with Vans and skateboarding or riding BMX. It’s something we stand behind. All of us wear Vans, so of course, we’d love to play a show for them.”

It’s a simple formula: the company, founded in 1966 by brothers Paul Van Doren and James Van Doren, as well as Gordon C. Lee, focused their efforts on becoming the sneaker for the skateboarding and surfing communities. Once they accomplished that feat, becoming an iconic part of Southern California culture by the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, young musicians who loved skating and surfing saw the shoes on all their heroes.

That was step one. Step two is once they established that credibility they’ve maintained those relationships with an integrity that has impressed even the most uncompromising artists.

“Before we did the shoe with Vans we wanted proof it wasn’t sweatshop made and we got the certification from Vans,” Principe says of their custom-designed Rise Against shoes. “They were super cool to work with and it went hand in hand with our ethics, which is awesome. They’re in it for the right reasons. And as large as a corporation as they are they are still in it for the right reasons.”

The list of bands who have designed their own Vans shoes reads like the best of the Warped tour meets the more recent wing of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Metallica, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Circle Jerks, Bad Brains, Bad Religion, Slayer — those are just a few of the metal and rock icons who have lent their name or imaging to Vans.

While Thinking about striking and unusual visual styles I thought back to A$AP Rocky’s new music video, the constant seemless camera movement was so smooth and mesmersing.

I thought back to when I’d seen this kind of effects before and realized It’s not an uncommon effect at all, but it’s not normally used in such a creative way and doesn’t require the budget or skill for a shot like following a bullet in an action scene, in Deadpool for example.

The 360 shots may have required more expensive equipment but the zooming in and out is relatively simply done with after effects using a mask and zoom effects.

From there I started thinking about other visual effects that A$AP Mob has used in there videos. And then I figured out where I’d seen the effect before. In A$AP’s L$D from 2015.

L$D was just a sneak peak of the amazing visual style that A$AP Rocky and his gang have managed to achieve.

I also came Across the Yamborghini High Video That included some really interesting intentional glitch effects which seemed to transition the video while messing your eyes up at the same time. 

I’m unsure If I want to use theese effects to this extent but It hink they will be useful in my arsonal of skills needed to exicute this project with a creative outcome.

As I’ve been meaning to start my blog for a while now, I thought that documenting my process and ideas throughout this project might motivate me as the prize means an awful lot to me.

The Brief –

Your brief is to choose one of these five brands that hasn’t moved into 2018 and give them a radical rebrand. This is more than just changing a logo or updating a website but making them culturally relevant in a 2018 marketplace. Create a rebrand campaign, website and social media concepts and how a retail activation would look like.

You will have to include trend research in order to inform the design decisions design and brand direction.

my choices:

( x’s mark my main choices)

>Slazanger x

>Donnay x

>Firetrap x

>Teddy Smith

>French Connection

I’m thinking that it will. be best to give an overhaul to a brand that really needs it. Although Initially I felt that FCUK would be interesting to re brand I started to wonder more if it’s had it’s day, not that french connection could do with a re brand but i’m unsure as to weather it would be an interesting project.

what I need to include

Trend Research

• -Relative to brand.
• Top sportswear brands?
• Adidas, Nike, Vans, Converse, Reebok

• Relevant music
• EDM, Grime, RnB, Hip Hop

Brand World; Brand Meaning, brand promise, brand values, target audience.

 

// look up current values etc

 

>Logo & New brand colour-scheme.

 

>Social media launch campaign: 1 animated video and 2

Campaign images.

 

>Website Mock-up

>Concept images of retail activation.

>Chosen Influencers to help launch brand. [Must be UK relavent]

— Music — Culture — Street atrt —

 

 

After doing a little research on addidas, I thought about their brave collaborations with hip hop artsits that skyrocketed their stock price.

 

That got me thinking about the UK hip hop Scene, I remeber seeing this levi’s ad’s with skepta.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55XQWXwqT7I

 

This feels like just a taste of the many ways UK hip hop artists can colaborate with up and coming brands to benefit both parties.

 

Great, I feel like I’m onto somthing.