Borkowski Weekly Media Trends 03-12-21
Playboy appoint Cardi B as new Creative Director | Virtual Yacht sells for $650k | Air Bnb's Home Alone-Home run
'Playboy and Cardi B announce major WAP (Wise and Assiduous Partnership)
Cardi B was announced today as the new Creative Director for Playboy. On paper, the rapper will influence Playboy's artistic direction, editorial stance, and new sexual wellness products. From a PR point of view, the appointment is a smart move for a brand like Playboy - a well-chosen celebrity CD appointment can help shift the perception of brands. This one seems particularly well placed for Playboy, which, left to turn over the stereotypes of its heyday, would seem to have little in common with the tastes and opinions of the present day and age. Giving a creative provocateur like Cardi B keeps the spirit alive without falling into some of the old cliches.
However, not everyone - especially in adland - sees value in high-profile creative director appointments. But some brands may benefit more from a new iconic figurehead than others. In 2015 ID questioned the qualifications of Chloe Sevigny and Solange Knowles after they joined Opening Ceremony and Puma, asking in what way they would bring new ideas to the creative process. Even those who accept that these appointments are stunts are not always happy when there is a disconnect between brand and celebrity. Case in point:
In any event, it seems it is no longer enough for a celebrity to be a 'face' of a brand. Instead, people are more interested in the curious notion that these celebrities will be actually working, making decisions behind the scenes just like you or me or Emily in Paris. Could this shift from the celebrity 'face' of a brand to the hard-working, board-meeting attending decision-making influencer signal a change in our cultural attitudes? It is way more fun to imagine Cardi B in meetings with the COO and trustees and not just sporting stockings and bunny ears. Perhaps, then, celebrity CD appointments are acceptable when they signal something meaningful about the brand or a shift in its values. As Playboy work to navigate away from the perception that their brand objectifies women, bringing on a top female artistic powerhouse into a creative role feels like more than just a stunt. It feels… appropriate!
The Emperor’s New Yacht
This week, a viral headline caused outrage when metaverse & NFT trade media reported on a virtual 'Super Mega Yacht' selling for 149 Ethereum. The 'Metaflower' (try not to puke) sold for a whopping 149 ETH, currently valued at $650,000, stunning readers and leaving most questioning the concept of money entirely.
To those unfamiliar with NFTs and the metaverse, this isn't easy to wrap your head around, especially when you see the quality of the digital superyacht.
One of the issues with these clickbait headlines is that they convert Ethereum's value at the time of purchase. For example, if The Metaflower were purchased six months ago, its USD value would've been $425,000. Admittedly, it is still an eye-watering sum for a glorified Minecraft-styled vessel. But still, ETH has a distinct value to crypto enthusiasts who wouldn't dream of selling for fiat currency.
However, this doesn't explain why you'd opt to use your Ethereum to buy a virtual boat rather than a house where you can actually live. One of the issues with this type of purchase is that no one knows how the metaverse will manifest itself. Will it be one interoperable virtual world where virtual boats like The Metaflower will sail, or will there be thousands of metaverses that each has their own rules and experiences? Purchases like The Metaflower, or even high-profile digital art sold as NFTs in the millions, are in many cases hedges from high-rollers or Whales that hold vast sums of crypto that aren't really sure how to spend it.
Ultimately, until the metaverse is fully realised, we will continue to see puzzling headlines for jaw-dropping sums of money as those with large digital wallets experiment in this space. Interestingly, these landmark NFTs could become tech relics - similar to an unboxed first edition iPod or an original, unopened iPhone. No one knows, but those who got into cryptocurrency early are having a whale of a time.
Air Bnb's Home Alone-Home run
Air Bnb’s consumer PR strategy is outstanding in its simplicity.
Basically, they strike deals to list iconic properties on the site for customers to hire out for one night only, for auction, or as a competition prize.
We first commented on the effectiveness of this strategy when the company offered the chance for a lucky guest to spend a night in The Louvre, and have since watched the coverage roll in for the original Spice Girls bus, Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment and now, drumroll please, Kevin’s family’s improbably lavish house from Home Alone.
The effectiveness of this strategy lies in its innate understanding of its appeal to its audiences. Air Bnb gives consumers the chance to escape the quotidian and feel fancy for a night or two, and the chance to feel famous preys on the same instinct. The Home Alone house is a cultural icon, it’s luxurious, it’s festive, it even has a role in meme culture, and interest in staying there will be rampant.
For such a massive company, a consumer comms strategy embedded in popular culture, and aimed at media that will gobble up a light-hearted story without so much as blinking at the ingredients or recipe also allows them to swerve any corporate comms issues that might stem from a PR activation that would land on the desks of more investigative business or travel reporters.
It’s light and frothy, but as long as this tactic keeps winning them positive headlines, we’re just scratching the surface of ‘The PLACE from THING is on Air Bnb’ stories.