“And the Nikes on my feet keep my cipher complete”, If you are a rap stan, you probably jam to this banger by Mac Miller. Rap music is one of the most liked genres by millennials and its essence is prominent in the day to day life! Marketers are leveraging this opportunity to tap into markets with immense potential by integrating rappers into campaigns!
I remember when Travis Scott collaborated with McDonald’s for the Cactus Jack meal, I was thrilled, to say the least, It was my favorite fast food restaurant chain and my favorite rapper, Afterall! I remember sifting through eBay to find me a good deal to get my hands on! This really got me thinking about how rap music plays a pivotal role in the mainstream. Not just McDonalds, A lot of brands are incorporating rappers into campaigns to target wider audiences and create “hype” — JBalvin for Air Jordan 1, CardiB for Reebok and Pepsi, and the most recent one being Post Malone for Doritos and BudLight! I am sure you can count 10 more on your fingertips.
Although you might question the novelty of this idea, it pretty much dates back to the early days of rap when Adidas collaborated with Run-DMC. Back in the day, we did not have a lot of campaigns with rappers. Usually, cult brands indulge in adopting such an approach. If you look around now, it’s another ball game altogether! Would you believe it if we told you that Travis Scott allegedly made a whopping $20 Million from his Collab with McDonald’s? The reliance on rappers poses a possibility to revolutionize Advertising and Marketing as a whole as rap culture has a massive fan base.
Nowadays, artists of all parallels have the chance to showcase their talent through streaming services like SoundCloud and Spotify. Fun Fact: Lil Xan was actually a SoundCloud rapper before his big break. There are lots like him with some amazing tracks! This is in turn a huge competition to the well-established artists. This does get me thinking — Will there be a paradigm shift from mainstream rappers to SoundCloud rappers in the future? I guess that is one thing that only time can tell! Rap is a genre that is built on background, stories, and homage and that is why people are so intrigued by it as it touches a soft spot within.
Marketers know how this can be used to their advantage when they integrate famous rappers into their campaigns. It establishes better brand building, forges a strong online presence, and creates a buzz that leads to a heavy fan base.
Although the pandemic has caused such integrations to slow down and take a backseat, we at Apric strongly feel that this is one area that has a lot of potential and may experience a lot of growth going forward. What do you think? Do you think the rap industry has revolutionized the field of Marketing and Advertising? Do you think it has a bright future? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to know your thoughts!
