Ray-Ban and Elsewhere partnered with the Everyday People day party platform to draw attendees.
Since their debut in 1952, Ray-Ban’s Wayfarers have been a mainstay in sunglasses trends, from the ’60s rock revolution to the ’90s hip-hop scene. To engage Gen Z and electronic music fans in its new gem-toned Wayfarer Colorblock Collection, Ray-Ban partnered with Elsewhere—a music venue in Brooklyn, NY—on a summer concert series that reflected the vibrancy of the timeless sunglasses’ fresh, bold hues.
“When you look at the history of Ray-Ban, we’re often connected to music, and we thought Elsewhere could really help provide a kind of resurgence in this kind of connection,” says Jenn Buglione, senior manager-global p.r. at Ray-Ban, who oversaw the partnership. “The biggest objective was really to bring visibility to the collection in a very interpersonal way while relying on our DNA within the music space.”
One of several activations promoting the Colorblock Collection, the Ray-Ban x Elsewhere Rooftop Concert Series took place over three weekends in July and August, featuring sets by electronic music producers TSHA and ESTA., and closing with day party Everyday People. The artists sported the special edition Wayfarers during their sets.
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Almost all of the shows sold out, with about 650 concertgoers at each, while Everyday People, which took over the Elsewhere venue, brought in 1,600 attendees. Ray-Ban’s signature red permeated the rooftop with branded banners, speaker covers and a dj booth, surrounded by poster tiles showcasing the new blue, green, purple and red Colorblock sunglasses. Beyond the concert series, Ray-Ban sponsored Elsewhere’s rooftop for the season from mid-May to Oct. 15, during which more than 38,500 attendees experienced the branded outdoor space, according to Lydia Mazzolini, director of private events at Elsewhere.
Ray-Ban’s community of Gen Z influencers helped generate buzz for the concert series, in combination with Elsewhere’s in-house social media team that implemented a social strategy to drive ticket sales among its established audience and tapped into the brand’s #YouAreOn campaign. At each of the three concert events, Ray-Ban invited 50 VIPs, press and influencers, who captured content with the Colorblock Wayfarers in a VIP section and tagged the brand and venue in their posts. ESTA.’s show took place indoors due to rain, but Ray-Ban and Elsewhere had a weather contingency plan ready to go to create a dynamic club atmosphere.
“The biggest thing that works well is allowing the venue to do what they do best, so while we may have comments on talent, the venue’s going to know which talent is going to bring in the most people,” Buglione says. “Allow them to really be in their lane and flourish in that because they’re the experts and then trust in that partnership.” Agency: In-house.
The music-powered program was designed to bring visibility to Ray-Ban’s new collection in an “interpersonal way.”
Photo credit: Luis Nieto Dickens
