Devotees of video games and tech toys have long used fan art to give expression to their love. Cultivating customer equity with brand experiences, or “lovemarks”, consumers strongly identify with and are attached to their favorite brands. Tributes such as these are not exclusive to geekdom.
As reported by AdFreak, the team at sports comedy site Tauntr took fan art to a new height with a mash up of their favorite TV shows with their favorite sneakers, Chuck Taylor All Stars. A personal favorite is Tauntr’s ode to the AMC smash hit, The Walking Dead.
They also transposed the likeness of Breaking Bad’s Heisenberg and a bloody Dexter onto the canvas of Converse.
Having been amused and awed by great fan art, this is the first time I have wanted to possess one this badly. Why was this combination particular potent? A recent blog by Heidi provided fantastic insight on this topic. She pointed out that for celebrity endorsements to be successful, it must be the right person for the right product. Isn’t this the secret to success for all co-branding efforts?
Whether it be the personal brand of a celebrity or a pair of Chucks, its personality must be compatible with and highlights an attractive aspect of the product’s brand. The iconoclastic reputation of Converse sneakers is a too perfect match for the antiheros of The Walking Dead and of the other shows featured in Tauntr’s collection.
What a wonderful opportunity for brand extension! Really hope someone at AMC’s product licensing division will pick this up, because all I want for Christmas is a pair of Walking Dead Chucks.