Sure, we know the idea for this video has been executed before. We’ll even admit, it’s probably been done better. But, that shouldn’t detract from what is truly a great song backing a truly funny and visually exciting music video from Converse and Anomaly. We also shouldn’t forget to note the epic superteam of house music DJs Hot City, electro-pop stars Hot Chip, and legendary Joy Division founder and New Order frontman Bernard Sumner (the old guy in the video who sings the majority of the song).
This video is, in a word, fun. And, it perfectly captures the sort of style and swagger a brand like Converse continues to try to exude. Converse has spanned multiple generations of cool, just like new wave-influenced pop is still considered a musical frontier with an ever-growing opportunity for experimentation three decades into its history. Bonus points for Converse allowing this to be more of an art project than an advertisement, and it’s this approach that determines the video’s success.
Converse’s Chuck Taylor high-top model hasn’t changed much since it was first introduced in the 1920s, and yet the first pair of “Chucks” is still considered a right of passage for many high school-ers looking to state their own individuality. With advertising and marketing like this, Converse ensures it still has a foothold (ha!) on young American consumers rejecting the current mainstream and finding solace in classic, retro schools of thought, all the while impacting pop culture with their own ideas.