Four Reasons Travis Scott is the Future of Branding
By: David Cordell, Creative Director
Even if you don’t know the name Travis Scott, you might see the rapper’s name in a very unusual place… on a McDonald’s value meal. That’s right, in September of 2020, the marketing genius of Travis Scott finds himself in a new campaign selling his very own McDonald’s meal. Beyond Scott’s music, he has shot to the top of the game through his mastery of his promotion and branding of himself. Here are four reasons why Travis Scott is the future of branding:
1. Influencer
When Travis Scott started dating Kylie Jenner in 2017 his influencer status started to boom. While Scott’s millions of followers is nothing compared to Jenner’s hundreds of millions of followers, some would argue he is surpassing her in the influencer game. As the Travis Scott/McDonald’s collaboration was released, TikTok has played a major role in getting the message out. Not only through traditional ad placement, but fans of Scott are now posting TikToks of themselves in the drive thru at McDonald’s restaurants saying, “You know why I’m here…” followed by the name “Cactus Jack” (Scott’s alter ego) and then playing one of Scott’s songs. While the content is not always G-rated, it’s a brilliant use of TikTok’s copycat format and combination of brand, music and video.
2. Video games
In April 2020 Travis Scott and the insanely popular game Fortnite teamed up to create an event like no other. Fortnite was transformed into Scott’s world with a virtual concert featuring his new song. To take it a step further, gamers can use Scott as a character in the game and collect other branded in-game goodies. The collaboration got Scott’s music and brand in front of 12.3 million gamers.
3. Merchandise
Not only is Scott’s Nike deal crushing it at the register, but the new McDonald’s collaboration has a merchandise line included. It has everything from t-shirts, branded socks and even a chicken nugget pillow. To date, all have sold out, and resellers on eBay have fetched up to $3,250 for a “Cactus Jack McD” t-shirt. The merchandise is also doing its job to create buzz and further the Scott brand.
4. Long-lasting impact
Even though the Scott/McDonald’s deal is only a month-long venture for charity, its impact on his long-term brand exposure is epic.
Fast food and celebrity aren’t anything new, but having your own meal, way of ordering and merchandise is blazing a trail. Not since McDonald’s and Michael Jordan teamed up in 1992 has a celebrity’s name made it to the menu board. The PR value of the collaboration alone is worth millions, but the fact that the venture helps charity will have a lasting impact that may help others for generations..