Why embedding yourself in musical culture is integral to your brands progression
Recently, Louis Vuitton collaborated with Drake on a playlist, broadcast on OVO Sound Radio (via Beats 1 Radio on Apple Music). The playlist was also what models walked down the runway to (at the LV mens show) and it featured a brand new song “Signs”, created by Drake with Louis Vuitton.

Beats 1 radio (which execs say is ‘‘the biggest radio station in the world’) serves as a testament to the new ways in which people consume music and content. The digital platform hosts Drake’s OVO sound radio and since it’s launch in December 2015, it has developed a reputation for high profile guest features and premieres, the platform has earned itself a position at the centre of Drake-cult-culture.
It made sense for Louis Vuitton to reach out to Drizzy and it looks like this forms a part of their ongoing strategies to engrain the Louis Vuitton identity into culture - look no further than the AW17 Louis Vuitton collab with the streetwear brand Supreme to see the brand is moving in new directions.

Through his playlist collaboration, Drake has solidified a position in the world of high fashion, earlier this year he was also named number one on GQs best dressed list. But the real winners in this situation are Louis Vuitton.
Employing native advertising tactics to overcome banner blindness, therefore targeting specific social groups is a sure-fire way to cultural relevance.
When you loop a song and get to a stage where you can recite the brand-name-dropping lyrics, consumers are subconsciously engaging with brands and this is no new feat.
“Tucked in my Louis computer, bag, wherever you are I could be”, Jamie Foxx raps on ‘Digital Girl’ — the R&B song that features Drake. It was released in 2008 but that lyric still stands out (and I still want a Louis Vuitton computer bag!)
One brand whose success has been built off of it’s position within music and culture is Beats. Omar Johnson, the brands head of marketing since 2010 spoke about the importance of “big stages”. Saying “Whether it’s the Olympics, the Grammy Awards or the Brit Awards, that’s where we want to be because culture tends to focus on those big stages.” On working with influencers he added, “These people live in culture, music, sports, art and fashion, and as much as we’re good communicators, our strongest muscle as a brand is our listening muscle. We listen to influencers, we talk to them and build relationships,” Source (marketingweek.com)
Today’s ‘big stages’ are occupied by the musical influencers that define and are the gate-keepers of culture.
When your brand gets involved in music, it means it can hit a ‘cultural relevancy peak’. Buying your way into those conversations seems to do no harm, as long as your product is generally relevant to the audience you’re targeting — seeing as Hip-Hop is synonymous with luxury and braggadocio, brands like Louis Vuitton getting involved in that conversation makes so much sense.
