Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter is out to win.
The hip-hop mogul may have sold his Rocawear brand to Iconix Brand Group Inc. in April, but he remains more involved than ever as he and Iconix set out to build the clothing label into a $1 billion business. And, with the launch of the company's multimedia ad campaign, "I Will Not Lose," on Aug. 15, Carter hopes to inspire consumers while at the same time capturing the new mood in hip-hop fashion.
Carter explained his new marketing idea as one that is unique in the apparel industry. The campaign, he said, is not just about the clothes, but sets out to promote hip-hop culture and the lifestyle surrounding it via a series of short documentary-style testimonials that can be seen on iwillnotlose.org.
Via partnerships with Web sites YouTube.com, MySpace.com, BlackPlanet.com, AllHipHop.com and Sohh.com, a Rocawear ad will appear on those sites and lead Web browsers to iwillnotlose.org. Once on that site, consumers will be able to view the documentaries that show individuals (dressed in Rocawear, of course) who have overcome major obstacles in their lives.
One story, told by Amie Steele, the editor in chief of the Virginia Tech campus newspaper The Collegiate Times, tells her emotional story of having to balance her responsibilities as a journalist and her concerns for the safety of her friends during the devastating massacre at the school in April. Then there's the singer Ciara, who talks about her climb to stardom, and Chris Brown, another singer, who speaks about overcoming his insecurities through high school. Each story, by both men and women, young and old, is meant to inspire.
Carter doesn't have his own documentary in the campaign because, he joked, "I have other videos." But the idea came from his own life experience trying to break into the music business 15 years ago.
"People already know my story," he said. "I wanted this to be a chance where other people can tell their stories and help to inspire others. A lot of times people think they are going through tough times on their own. This is a way to show them that they are not alone in their challenges and struggles through life. At the end of the day, I hope this campaign inspires people."
"I Will Not Lose embodies the spirit of Rocawear," Carter explained of the slogan, which is also a lyric taken from "Change the Game," a single from his first album. "It is about a culture and an attitude that showcases survival. I like to see this campaign as a sort of reintroduction of the brand, but it's also about more than just models in the clothing."
Shot by photographer Mark Seliger, stills from the campaign also will run in a series of fashion and lifestyle magazines such as Vibe, Complex, Teen Vogue, Giant, XXL, Essence, Seventeen and Cookie. In addition, the ads will appear on billboards in urban areas nationwide. Consumers are encouraged to submit videos telling their stories of survival with the I Will Not Lose theme on the iwillnotlose.org site. Once submitted, viewers will vote for their favorite stories and two of the top-voted individuals will be featured in the spring-summer Rocawear campaign. Carter declined to reveal the budget for the campaign.
"I thought hard and dug deep before I got into telling my story of my challenges and struggles that I faced on my way to success," Ciara said of her participation in the campaign. "I really hope my story will be an inspiration to others."
Ciara said she also was pleased with the selection of Rocawear pieces on the set of the shoot.
"The clothes are much more mature," she said. "They did such a great job of revamping the women's line. There are a lot of cool pieces."
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