- Sprite & Puma Span Generations: One of the first major brands to showcase and support hip-hop, Sprite cast rapper Kurtis Blow in a 1986 ad. Its long-running Obey Your Thirst campaign, starring rising hip-hop artists, segued into 2015’s Obey Your Verse (honouring top lyricists) and 2019’s Thirst for Yours, which foregrounded hip-hop’s broad cultural role. A minute-long ad for 2023 highlights the brand as a bastion of ambassadorship, with stars featured in Sprite campaigns over the decades – spanning old-timers Rakim and Nas to young female stars Latto and GloRilla.
In its commemorative video, sportswear brand Puma reminds audiences of its historic role in hip-hop style, and continued relevance. It pairs icon Slick Rick (the influential rapper and producer, active since the 80s) with female college basketball star Flau’jae Johnson, an aspiring rapper.
![Stylus](https://stylus-prod-cdn.azureedge.net/media/jbpb1egg/stylus_logo.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&rnd=132912987322500000)
- Sprite & Puma Span Generations: One of the first major brands to showcase and support hip-hop, Sprite cast rapper Kurtis Blow in a 1986 ad. Its long-running Obey Your Thirst campaign, starring rising hip-hop artists, segued into 2015’s Obey Your Verse (honouring top lyricists) and 2019’s Thirst for Yours, which foregrounded hip-hop’s broad cultural role. A minute-long ad for 2023 highlights the brand as a bastion of ambassadorship, with stars featured in Sprite campaigns over the decades – spanning old-timers Rakim and Nas to young female stars Latto and GloRilla.
In its commemorative video, sportswear brand Puma reminds audiences of its historic role in hip-hop style, and continued relevance. It pairs icon Slick Rick (the influential rapper and producer, active since the 80s) with female college basketball star Flau’jae Johnson, an aspiring rapper.
![](https://stylus-prod-cdn.azureedge.net/media/4psdrr2j/sprite-3.jpeg?anchor=center&mode=crop&rnd=133382946032130000&width=440&height=440)
Sprite
![](https://stylus-prod-cdn.azureedge.net/media/ra5nlooi/sprite-2.jpeg?anchor=center&mode=crop&rnd=133382945025330000&width=440&height=440)
Sprite
![]() Sprite | ![]() Sprite |
- Sprite’s AI-Personalised Mixtape Art Moments: In a more technologically future-facing initiative, fans can generate mixtape covers using Sprite’s Digital Art Experience. Housed on a microsite created by partner, online magazine Complex Media, the AI-powered artwork is based on designs by digital artist OseanWorld. Users answer a series of questions – such as favourite hip-hop era – to generate a downloadable cover image.
- Sprite’s AI-Personalised Mixtape Art Moments: In a more technologically future-facing initiative, fans can generate mixtape covers using Sprite’s Digital Art Experience. Housed on a microsite created by partner, online magazine Complex Media, the AI-powered artwork is based on designs by digital artist OseanWorld. Users answer a series of questions – such as favourite hip-hop era – to generate a downloadable cover image.
![](https://stylus-prod-cdn.azureedge.net/media/3g1nvoww/sprite-digital-art-experience.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&rnd=133382944773630000&width=1246&height=701)
Sprite
- Porsche Backs Film Doc: Co-created by Porsche – one of the most-mentioned car brands in hip-hop lyrics – and online German hip-hop media platform Backspin TV, documentary series Back to Tape was launched in 2018. For August 2023, the third Back to Tape project is a feature-length film on the history of American hip-hop, posted to Backspin’s YouTube channel (382k views to date) and a page within Porsche’s Newsroom. Previous projects between the two groups explored European hip-hop.
- Porsche Backs Film Doc: Co-created by Porsche – one of the most-mentioned car brands in hip-hop lyrics – and online German hip-hop media platform Backspin TV, documentary series Back to Tape was launched in 2018. For August 2023, the third Back to Tape project is a feature-length film on the history of American hip-hop, posted to Backspin’s YouTube channel (382k views to date) and a page within Porsche’s Newsroom. Previous projects between the two groups explored European hip-hop.
- YouTube Positions Itself as an ‘Archival Treasury’: Digital music platforms are highlighting their roles in fuelling hip-hop’s global influence in the digital-media era. Positioning itself as hip-hop’s “archival treasury”, YouTube’s Fifty Deep campaign includes a video highlighting how the platform makes hip-hop culture easily discoverable (over 1.4 million views to date). Additionally, YouTube Music playlists compile 2,000 classic videos into themes such as Fashion Killas (style-centric tracks) and Sunny Daze (feel-good jams).
- YouTube Positions Itself as an ‘Archival Treasury’: Digital music platforms are highlighting their roles in fuelling hip-hop’s global influence in the digital-media era. Positioning itself as hip-hop’s “archival treasury”, YouTube’s Fifty Deep campaign includes a video highlighting how the platform makes hip-hop culture easily discoverable (over 1.4 million views to date). Additionally, YouTube Music playlists compile 2,000 classic videos into themes such as Fashion Killas (style-centric tracks) and Sunny Daze (feel-good jams).
- Spotify’s Animated Shorts & Commemorative OOH Ads: Spotify, which revealed last month (August) that nearly a quarter of its global streams are hip-hop, emphasises the genre’s worldwide resonance in its Hip-Hop Turns 50 hub and via animated shorts (launching shortly). A commemorative music hub houses a range of playlists, while out-of-home ads in NYC, Atlanta, LA, Miami and Mexico City feature local themes illustrated by British artist Raj Dhunna.
- Spotify’s Animated Shorts & Commemorative OOH Ads: Spotify, which revealed last month (August) that nearly a quarter of its global streams are hip-hop, emphasises the genre’s worldwide resonance in its Hip-Hop Turns 50 hub and via animated shorts (launching shortly). A commemorative music hub houses a range of playlists, while out-of-home ads in NYC, Atlanta, LA, Miami and Mexico City feature local themes illustrated by British artist Raj Dhunna.
![](https://stylus-prod-cdn.azureedge.net/media/zwjb5i4r/spotify-2.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&rnd=133382943473770000&width=368&height=490.66666666666663)
Spotify
![](https://stylus-prod-cdn.azureedge.net/media/utahlfme/spotify-5.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&rnd=133382944654670000&width=368&height=490.66666666666663)
Spotify
![](https://stylus-prod-cdn.azureedge.net/media/jscf0ko5/spotify-4.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&rnd=133382943372630000&width=368&height=490.66666666666663)
Spotify
![]() Spotify | ![]() Spotify | ![]() Spotify |
- Puma & Roc Nation’s Phygital Collab: As part of its commemoration, Puma partnered with US rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z’s entertainment agency Roc Nation for a commemorative Mixtape Collection of sneakers, promoted in a video on Roc Nation’s YouTube channel (100k views in two months). Two shoes in the collection integrate a scannable tag – created by US phygital experiences company Legitimate – through which purchasers can access an audio mix, plus unreleased tracks and behind-the-scenes studio content from Roc Nation artists.
For more on phygital footwear, see Casadei x Decentraland: A Phygital Homage to a Hero Heel in S/S 23 Catwalk Shows: Best Brand Engagement Ideas.
- Puma & Roc Nation’s Phygital Collab: As part of its commemoration, Puma partnered with US rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z’s entertainment agency Roc Nation for a commemorative Mixtape Collection of sneakers, promoted in a video on Roc Nation’s YouTube channel (100k views in two months). Two shoes in the collection integrate a scannable tag – created by US phygital experiences company Legitimate – through which purchasers can access an audio mix, plus unreleased tracks and behind-the-scenes studio content from Roc Nation artists.
For more on phygital footwear, see Casadei x Decentraland: A Phygital Homage to a Hero Heel in S/S 23 Catwalk Shows: Best Brand Engagement Ideas.
- Walmart’s Metaverse Homage: Walmart is backing Cultureverse – an immersive experience on the arts-and-culture-focused Spatial metaverse, created with US-based People of Crypto Lab (POCLab) (a creative studio dedicated to integrating diversity into digital worlds – its initiatives include creating the first metaverse Pride campaign). Launching later this month, the project will be an “educational gamified experience” honouring Black culture’s impact on society through a hip-hop lens.
- Walmart’s Metaverse Homage: Walmart is backing Cultureverse – an immersive experience on the arts-and-culture-focused Spatial metaverse, created with US-based People of Crypto Lab (POCLab) (a creative studio dedicated to integrating diversity into digital worlds – its initiatives include creating the first metaverse Pride campaign). Launching later this month, the project will be an “educational gamified experience” honouring Black culture’s impact on society through a hip-hop lens.
![](https://stylus-prod-cdn.azureedge.net/media/rhgjxq30/screenshot-2023-09-05-at-09-53-22.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&rnd=133383776401870000&width=1246&height=701)
Walmart
- Farfetch’s Cultural Collaboration: Luxury fashion e-tailer Farfetch has launched the first in a three-part Hip Hop 50 vinyl set with US vinyl brand 12on12, which specialises in art/music partnerships. The $278 records feature tracks chosen by (again) Nas, with cover artwork by American graffiti artist Futura 2000, with a limited-edition set of $14k+ art prints signed by the two. A photo essay about hip-hop history, features up-and-coming Gen Z American rappers Midwxst and Bktherula, shot in shoppable Farfetch product.
For hip-hop-themed campaigns that launched earlier this year, see Cultural Diversity Campaigns: Spring 2023 Highlights & Strategies.
For more on the future of music engagement, see The Future Music Marketplace, Part 1 and Part 2, and the section Fan-Tastic Trading in our Retail Regenerated: Powerhouse Predictions for 23/24 webinar.
- Farfetch’s Cultural Collaboration: Luxury fashion e-tailer Farfetch has launched the first in a three-part Hip Hop 50 vinyl set with US vinyl brand 12on12, which specialises in art/music partnerships. The $278 records feature tracks chosen by (again) Nas, with cover artwork by American graffiti artist Futura 2000, with a limited-edition set of $14k+ art prints signed by the two. A photo essay about hip-hop history, features up-and-coming Gen Z American rappers Midwxst and Bktherula, shot in shoppable Farfetch product.
For hip-hop-themed campaigns that launched earlier this year, see Cultural Diversity Campaigns: Spring 2023 Highlights & Strategies.
For more on the future of music engagement, see The Future Music Marketplace, Part 1 and Part 2, and the section Fan-Tastic Trading in our Retail Regenerated: Powerhouse Predictions for 23/24 webinar.
![](https://stylus-prod-cdn.azureedge.net/media/swwhataf/farfetch-3.jpeg?anchor=center&mode=crop&rnd=133382944326070000&width=440&height=440)
Farfetch
![](https://stylus-prod-cdn.azureedge.net/media/p2wforf3/farfetch-2.jpeg?anchor=center&mode=crop&rnd=133382944147700000&width=440&height=440)
Farfetch
![]() Farfetch | ![]() Farfetch |
![](https://stylus-prod-cdn.azureedge.net/media/4ciktgcv/farfetch.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&rnd=133382943888230000&width=1246&height=701)
Farfetch