Lil Nas X is as real as it gets. Imma, not so much.

The music star and virtual influencer dive through the looking-glass with other human celebs for Coach’s spring collection campaign set in a colorful CGI universe.

This approach embraces an increasingly blurred line between physical and digital worlds. Notably, it gives Imma—a pixelated marketing powerhouse—equal billing with living, breathing endorsers. In the cyber realm, among young adults, she’s a bankable draw.

Agency Marcel, director Vallée Duhamel and photographer/art director Charlie Engman led creative development. The work also features Camila Mendes, Youngji Lee, Kōki and Wu Jinyan.

Imma meets each, beginning with Lil Nas, in separate spots, and tries to learn their “superpowers.” The X man teaches her to rewrite rules and play by her own game.

“Envisioning Spring, I was inspired to explore the archetypes of American style and the codes that define Coach’s legacy through the point-of-view of today’s generation,” says Coach creative director Stuart Vevers. “‘Find Your Courage’ expresses the feeling I wanted for the collection, where our heritage is the foundation for exciting new possibilities for self-expression.”

Does exploring notions of courage feel a tad haughty for a maker of snazzy bags and purses? For some, perhaps. Then again, we are what we wear—and how we choose to accessorize says a lot.

It’s a lively fusion of realities, a brand-boosting meeting of worlds that feels natural here in 2024 and should only accelerate in the short term.

Thankfully, living talent still fuels and adds dimension to such initiatives. For now.

“Lil Nas was amazing while interacting with a virtual character,” Marcel global creative director Remy Aboukrat tells Muse. “Maybe because he is embracing his different personalities—the one he is in real life and the one he is online. This is also the meaning of this piece: showing our audience that it’s ok to be both until you’re true to yourself.”

As for Imma, she represents “the perfect ambassador to tell this story because she is challenging the notion of what we consider ‘real’ today,” says Coach Global CMO and N.A. president Sandeep Seth. “Her journey in our campaign takes us into a new world that pushes the boundaries of self-expression and inspires us along the way.”

More spots will roll out through May.

Raised in South Central Los Angeles, the director scored his first big hit in 2020 with Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” The epic clip cast the rapper as a hip-hop cowboy and won the Grammy Award for Best Music Video.

Calmatic also helmed efforts for Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak and Pharrell Williams.

Earlier this year, the release of the House Party remake marked his debut as a feature auteur. A reboot of White Men Can’t Jump followed shortly thereafter.

Represented by Prettybird, Calmatic’s numerous ad credits include Super Bowl entries for TurboTax and Oikos yogurt, as well as campaigns for Apple, Target, Sprite, Geico and the NBA.

He recently completed an Ad Council PSA that’s near and dear to his heart. Dubbed “Love, Your Mind,” the powerhouse spot backs the Huntsman Mental Health Institute and gently encourages Black and brown men to seek therapy and support.

“This one came across my desk, and I was like, ‘Yo, I have to do this,'” Calmatic recalls. “It was just in the right wheelhouse for things that I believe in—and obviously for a good cause.”

Switching gears, he explored the B2B space for Intuit Mailchimp. “Turn Clustomers Into Customers” explains why marketers shouldn’t treat all clients as if they have the same business issues. The initiative boasts vibrant style, with an orb of tangled humans as its central metaphor.

Working with stunt coordinator Pat Romano, the crew built a rig that resembled a jungle gym and populated the structure with actors, leaving space for VFX artists to fill in the blanks.

In an entirely different vein, Calmatic teamed up with Megan Thee Stallion and Cheetos, recruiting students to F.U. (Flamin’ Hot University).

Looking ahead, “I want to build who I am as a director in the ad space and be instantly recognizable—the same way you look at a Craig Gillespie spot or a Paul Hunter spot, and it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, I know who did that,'” he says. 

As the Rocket Man’s missile runs down, he turns to the Old Town Road rapper for assistance.

And by “worst” accent, we mean it’s absolutely the BEST! When it comes to commercials, Nas can do no wrong, as he’s shown in recent outings for Taco Bell and others. Here, timeless Sir Elton proves the perfect foil. It’s jolly good!

Next, the guys make fashion statements and debate whether mayonnaise goes with French fries:

Here, they swap legendary looks:

Finally, Nas solos to spotlight Uber Eats’ alcohol, convenience and grocery offerings:

More feathers, please!

Previous “Tonight I’ll Be Eating” campaign entries featured a Wayne’s World spot on the Super Bowl, space-shots with Patrick Stewart and Mark Hamill, and comic gymnastics from Simone Biles and Jonathan Van Ness, among others.

Those pairings were great. But Nas and Elton—who’ve been recording together—take the concept to new heights, with sequined star power that sparkles on-screen.

“When ideating spots for the campaign, we look for two people who have a connection that we get to uncover. Not necessarily people you would normally put together, but two people that once put together make absolute sense,” Special Group executive creative director Dave Horton tells Muse. “Just seeing Elton and Nas together jumped off the page, and we knew we needed to make this happen.”

“When we approached them, we found out they were working together on a song for Lil Nas X’s album,” he adds. “Anytime there is a real-world connection, the energy is already there, and you can bring it to life. This energy is the same thing we saw with Patrick Stewart and Mark Hamill. They weren’t necessarily friends, but they had this relationship in culture that existed for years.”

Horton continues: “We love tapping into fan culture, harnessing the energy of subcultures, and paying homage to them with Easter eggs that we know they’ll appreciate.”

To wit, Nas tries on Elton’s vintage Crocodile Rock regalia, with EJ modeling one of the rapper’s pink cowboy suits.

“It was amazing to see them together on the set,” recalls Matthew Woodhams-Roberts, also an ECD at Special Group. “They had a respect and fondness for each other. They were playing off each other, which made the whole shoot so much easier.”

“Sadly, no medley was performed,” says Horton. “At one point, however, Elton did start to play the piano, and for 10 minutes the whole crew stopped working and just watched. That was a pretty special moment for everyone working on this project.”

This is super stuff, a celebration of music and pop sensibilities spanning generations, and laser-focused through marketing’s glitzy prism. These spots made this cynical scribe feel slightly better about the human condition (no mean feat!) while boosting Uber Eats with positive vibes.

I think it’s gonna be a long, long time until ads packing this much fun touch down again. Not until the next Elton-Nas team-up, at any rate. Surely one’s in the works?

“You’ll have to wait to find out,” Woodhams-Roberts teases. “That’s the beauty of this campaign. So many people now look forward to the match-ups and even provide their recommendations on which celebrities would make a great duo.”

CREDITS

Client: UBER EATS
Chief Marketing Officer: Thomas Ranese
Global Head of Brand: Shivram Vaideswaran
Head of Marketing U.S. & CAN: Georgie Jeffreys
Global Creative Director: Natalie Purbrick
Global Executive Creative Director: Danielle Hawley
Director of Global Production Carey Head
Head of Business Affairs: Rashad Suarez
Global Social Media Lead, Delivery: N’Yaisha Aziz
Creative Producer: Alexis Bley
Senior Marketing Manager: Liza Keller
Senior Consumer Communications Manager: Lexi Levin Mitchel
Brand Media Lead: Gracie Childress
 
Agency: SPECIAL GROUP U.S./Australia
Founding Partner US/CCO: William Gelner
Executive Creative Director: Dave Horton
Executive Creative Director: Matthew Woodhams-Roberts
Creative Director: Brandon Davis
Creative Director: Jon Marshall
Associate Creative Director: Alyssa Cavanaugh
Associate Creative Director: Ryan Siepert
Associate Creative Director, Design: Alex Lumain
Social Lead: Lachlan Stewart
Founding Partner US / Managing Director: Caroline Jackson
Senior Account Director: Rafik Massoud
Account Supervisor: Sarah Newton
Founding Partner US / Head of Strategy: Kelsey Hodgkin
Strategy Director: Janet Shih
Head of Production: Esther Perls
Senior Producer: Chelsea Larner      
Producer: Chloe Seitz        
Head of Business Affairs: Latanya Ware  
Head of Operations: Veronica DeLaRosa
Head of Finance: Karen Lo
Founding Partner Aus / CEO: Cade Heyde
Founding Partner Aus / CCO: Tom Martin
Founding Partner Aus / CCO: Julian Schreiber

Media: MEDIACOM
Managing Partner, Strategy: Rob Frost
Managing Partner, Video Investment: Martin Blich
Group Account Leader: Laura Lefever
US Planning Lead, Uber: Emma Rogers
Associate Director of Strategy: Bobby Edwards
Associate Director, Planning: Meg Blauvelt
Associate Director, Video Investment: Diana Bartumioli
Media Supervisor: Caroline Nee

Production: SMUGGLER
Director: Guy Shelmerdine
Co-Founder: Patrick Milling-Smith
Co- Founder: Brian Carmody
Executive Producer: Allison Kunzman
Chief Operating Officer: Andrew Colon
Head of Production:  Alex Hughes
Producer: Donald Taylor
 
Social Production: FANCIFUL FOX
Director: Richard Downie
EP: James Toth
Producer: Christopher Broyles
 
Edit: WORK EDITORIAL
EDITOR: Rich Orrick
EDITOR: Nick Rondeau
EDITOR: Oliver Hecks(social)
HOP: Marlo Baird
EP: Brandee Probasco
Producer: Evan Cohen

VFX: MILL

Color: MPC Color
Colorist: Dimitri Zola
Color Assist: Taylor Pool
Executive Producer, Color: Meghan Lang
Producer: Phoebe Torsilieri

Sound + Mix: ELEVEN
Audio Post Studio: Eleven
Mix/Sound Design: Jordan Meltzer
Asst Mixer: Marco Tornillo
Executive Producer: Melissa Elston
Michelle McSorley
E=M² Communications 

Former Atlanta-area Taco Bell crew member Lil Nas X returns to the fast-feeder in style with a series of amusing spots from Deutsch LA that hype the chain’s Toasted Breakfast Burritos.

Nas narrates the ads, which focus on sweet dreams and waking up early for a bite at Taco Bell. In the best of the bunch, the “Old Town Road” rapper rocks a pink suit and matching pompadour, sending up his own persona in a sparkly talk-show spoof:

Dude’s marketing work is solid gold—or should we say, multi-platinum. (Those are music references, people!) Check out his smash hits for Adobe, Wrangler and especially this recent self-promotion that skewered Nike and dissed homophobes.

Even when he doesn’t appear, Nas’s rhyming voiceovers (and his cute chime-along at the end) deliver big smiles in the campaign’s other kicky commercials:

“Lil Nas X knows the job, the experience and the culture Taco Bell creates for its fans, including its people,” says CEO Mark King in a statement. “This unique partnership will deliver on more than just marketing, allowing us to tap into the genius of Lil Nas X to inspire our team members and align with our commitment to unlocking opportunities for young people.”

A few weeks ago, in a video for the “Sun Goes Down” single, Nas starred as his 2017 self, working a shift at Taco Bell. Both the artist and chain plugged the track on Twitter:

in 2017 on this day i got my first job at taco bell. here’s me leaving the cash register unguarded to take pictures in the restroom. pic.twitter.com/BO9lalrz8R

— nope ?? (@LilNasX) May 15, 2021

Just a taste of @LilNasX’s music video for “Sun Goes Down”. If you haven’t seen it, click the link now. https://t.co/ZkI1clmnDU pic.twitter.com/e3l2sN1qIx

— Taco Bell (@tacobell) May 22, 2021

Now, in addition to the ad campaign, Nas takes the honorary title of chief impact offer, and the Grammy winner promises an exclusive experience promoting Taco Bell’s revamped breakfast menu in conjunction with his upcoming Montero album. He will also announce awards to recipients of the Taco Bell Live Más scholarship, which helps young people pursue their creative passions.

Taco Bell’s Nas ads will run across TV, social and digital, with a Twitch partnership and store activations in the works.

CREDITS

Client Company Name
Taco Bell

Advertising Agency
Deutsch LA
 
CLIENT CREDITS
Sasha Wolf: VP, Marketing Activation
Ashley Prollamante: Sr Director, Advertising
Kristen Powell: Associate Advertising Manager
Amanda Barbosa: Sr. Manager, Advertising
Erika Prime: Social Media, Marketing
Melly Ramirez: Associate Manager, Social Media
Madia Aymerich: Associate Manager, Social Media
Carolyn Avelino: Food Consultant
Milo Simpson, Social Media Coordinator

DEUTSCH/AGENCY CREDITS
Executive Creative Director: Bea Danger
Creative Director: Jeremiah Wassom
Senior Art Director + Copywriter: Karter Krasselt
Senior Copywriter: Eric Scott
Copywriter: Amy Char
Copywriter: Bo Belanger
Art Director: Heather Patterson
Executive Producer: Paul Roy
Senior Producer: Chris Schaldenbrand
Producer: Daniel Stenzel
Associate Producer: Lexie Curatolo
Executive Producer, Digital: Alexandra Psalti
Senior Digital Producer: Lee Khleang
Senior Creative Technologist: Sean Harrington
Music Director: Chip Herter
Music Supervisor: Will Eichler
Group Account Director: Matt Matzen
Account Director: Kelly Childers
Account Supervisor: Griffin Templeton
Sr. Account Executive: Kristen Engasser
Assistant Account Executive: Daniela Chang
Group Strategy Director: Kelsey Karson
Associate Strategy Director: Lauren Murphy
Senior Strategist: Sara Singh
Executive Business Affairs Manager: Ken Rongey
Business Affairs Manager: Kevin Nickels  
Senior Broadcast Traffic Manager: Courtney Tylka
Broadcast Traffic Manager: Ana Barraza
Design Director: Jean-Lou Renoux  
Designer: Rachel Howard

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Production – Live-Action

Golden
Matthew Marquis: Executive Producer
Geoff McLean: Executive Producer
Thomas Martin: Line Producer
Saman Kesh: Director

Production – Lil Nas X LA Shoot

London Alley
Hannah Lux Davis: Director
Brandon Bonfiglio: Executive Producer
Lisa Arianna: Producer
Lex Lewter: Production Manager

Editorial

Cut and Run
Jay Nelson: Editor
Erica Henson: Assistant Editor
Brady Fiero: Senior Producer
Michelle Eskin: Managing Director
Amburr Farls: Executive Producer

Finishing / VFX / CG
Executive Producer: Chris Fieldhouse
Compositor: Trent Adamcyzk
VFX Production Manager: Jayce Attewell
Illustrator: Harry Gold
Rigger: Connor Goodchild
Head of VFX: Andrew Hellen
Compositor: Mitchell Kehn
MGFX Artist: Josh Kell
Modelling/Texturing: Sam Lee
CG Supervisor: Jordan McInness
Animator: Kerrie Moss
Senior Compositor: Phil Outen
Flame Compositor: Mark Renton
Production Assistant: Carly Rosenberg
Lighting: Adam Wong

Color Grade

Co3 Los Angeles
Stefan Sonnenfeld: Colorist
Blake Rice: Producer
Anada Reavis: Executive Producer
Ashley McKim: VP of Short Form

Music Composition

“Dreams od Victory”
BUTTER Music and Sound
EP: Annick Mayer
ECD: Tim K
Composer: Nat Jeffries
Producer: Stone Irr

“Breakfast, In Bedtime Stories”
BUTTER Music and Sound
EP: Annick Mayer
ECD, Composer: Tim K
Producer: Stone Irr

Mix House

Formosa
John Bolen: Sound Designer and Mixer
Brendan Gates: Assistant Mixer
Executive Producer: Lauren Cascio

The verdict’s in: This short film totally slaps, as Lil Nas X trolls haters and righteously riffs on his legal battle with Nike.

Directed in zippy style by Smuggler’s Tony Yacenda, the spot teases Nas’ forthcoming single, “Industry Baby,” with courtroom comedy. The rapper plays serveral roles: bored judge, sleazy prosecutor, clueless defense attorney, homophobic juror—and himself (the defendant).

To some extent, the scenario skewers the controversy that swirled around Nas’ custom Satan Air Max shoe, developed with MSCHF. Nike sued for trademark infringement, and the parties settled out of court, depriving the universe of a trial that probably wouldn’t have played out like the one below:

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is about much more than shoes,” declares prosecutor-Nas before asking defendant-Nas: “Do your momma know you’re gay?”

“Yes,” defendant-Nas replies from the stand.

Oohs and aahs flood the chamber, as juror-Nas advises society to “lock him up—throw away the key!”

Nas gets a five-year sentence as “Industry Baby”—which drops today, featuring Jack Harlow and co-produced by Kanye West—bubbles on the soundtrack. In the end, the rapper mugs for mugshots, with viewers directed to freelilnasx.com for more information.

It’s like the best SNL skit never made: a pitch-perfect indictment of intolerance (and Nike’s bully-boy tactics), with justice brilliantly served in the end.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Lil Nas X (@lilnasx)

“Adobe had been exploring partnering with Lil Nas X, and as part of that process we were able to get some really unique ideas in front of him and his team,” POD executive creative director Jason Apaliski tells Muse. “The Cover Art Song Contest was the one everyone gravitated toward, as it felt very authentic to Lil Nas X.”

The initiative recalls Adobe’s Billie Eilish art contest last year, in which fans crafted visual interpretations of the artist’s debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? It drew 8,000 entries.

“For Lil Nas X we wanted to do something different that was tailored more to his own unique style and creative process,” Apaliski says. “Lil Nas X music is inspired by everything around him, from cartoons to candy, so we thought, Why not give his fans a chance to inspire him directly with their own creativity?”

The rapper began gaining recognition through his own internet initiatives, such as Nicki Minaj fan accounts on Twitter, and he used memes to promote “Old Town Road” before the tune began climbing the charts, ultimately spending a record 19 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. The contest reflects that DIY spirit, Apaliski says.

Adobe has proven adept at promos designed to provide young consumers and influencers with product demos through fun campaigns and contests.

Along with the Nas X and Eilish competitions, other examples include an online film festival with all footage sourced from the Adobe’s stock library, and a recent BuzzFeed homepage takeover spotlighting 10 young creative “ambassadors.”

“These types of activations are a great way for people to explore the Suite and find different ways for them to tap into their own creativity,” Apaliski says. “We want to make sure people have all the tools, skills and know-how to make whatever they can imagine a reality. This will keep them coming back again and again whenever they are ready to make the leap and put their creativity out there.”

CREDITS

Client: Adobe
Global Vice President, Head of Marketing, Digital Media: Monte Lutz
Director, Marketing: Michi Alexander
Global Campaign Marketing Lead, Next Gen: Ellen Vanderwilt
Campaign Marketing Manager: Lexie Hartnett
Education Campaign Project Manager: Courtney Heatherington
Associate Creative Director: Sari Hamman
Social Media Strategist, Students: Rebecca Decker
Sr. Social Media Manager: Annie Radsliff

Agency: Pereira O’dell
Creative Chairman: PJ Pereira
Chief Creative Officer: Robert Lambrechts
Executive Creative Director: Jason Apaliski
Creative Director: Jean Morrow
Creative Director: Jason Rosenberg
Copywriter: Thomas Hodge
Art Director: Katie Coward
Designer: Carolina Penner

Senior Producer: Erin Sullivan
Director of Project Management: Lindsey Anderson
Director of Business Affairs: Camara Price

Chief Executive Officer: Andrew O’Dell
Managing Director: Natalie Nymark
Group Brand Director: Jessica Smith
Brand Manager: Kendall Richardson, Phoebe Kranefuss

Director of Brand Strategy: Sean Staley
Group Brand Strategy Director: Lenny Karpel
Brand Strategist: Kato Bisase
Communications Strategy Director: Breanne Brock
Social Strategist: Cristina Azanza

Production Credits

Director: Calmatic
Production Company: Prettybird
Executive Producer: Kerstin Emhoff
Line Producer: James Graves
Print Art: Bruno Menon

Barrelhouse
Director of Content Production: Josh Diaz
Content Producer: Lauren Gould
Editor & Mix Engineer: Joel Hopper
Production Coordinator: Monica Hyde
Colorist: Marshall Plante, Olio Creative
Graphics Artist: Brady Lowery

Media
Wavemaker

The patch, not the pants, triggers the 30-second experience. But if you cow-pokes wanna share denim butt-selfies via #WranglerOnMyBooty, the brand approves. Oh, and there’s a Wrangler Lil Nas X collection for men and women, priced from $39 to $149, available at Wrangler.com/Booty. 

Here’s a demo of how the WrangerOnMyBooty experience works:

Devised by Mother New York and Columbia Records, the promo stems from the controversy over Billboard magazine’s removal of “Old Town Road” from its weekly country-music rankings for not being country enough, or something.
 
“When it was taken off the country charts, we knew we had to reach out to Lil Nas X’s team and create something to celebrate this song and this unique moment in culture,” says Mother creative chief Corinna Falusi. 

The publicity resulting from Billboard’s plumb-loco move spurred the track even further along the winding trail of popular consciousness, with versions of “Old Town Road” (notably a take featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) topping charts worldwide. In fact, the song has spent six straight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 chart, which ranks hits across all genres.

“Wrangler has long-standing partnerships in country music, and we see this project as a chance to continue that tradition while also helping to broaden the definition” of the category for modern audiences, Falusi says. “We wanted to give fans of Lil Nas X and the community he’s created something special and unique.” 

As for the other merch mentioned in the song, Gucci’s cowboy hat just brims with tie-in possibilities. If the Italian luxury brand rides with Lil Nas, we’ll give you a heads up. 

Yippie yi yo kayah!