Older brother core: why younger siblings love brand
I think.
When my older brother started skateboarding, naturally I followed. I was abysmal but quickly fell in love with the world it created for us. The sense of adventure brands are dying for today.
It was a doorway (no really, see the picture below of his bedroom door) into a world of people and spaces I can still smell today.
Local shops were like bars for unsupervised teenagers. Hangout, learn from the OGs and burnouts.
The skate teams were like prestigious membership clubs, each with its own style and ritual. Middle America’s World Cup.
"Official" digital camcorder videos showed off both skill and personality. They introduced me to jokes that were cool because I didn’t understand them. Like an early YouTube powered by tradable DVDs and those 3 RCA cables.
The brands in this world were proud of who they were. Some, clean and athletic, others, grungy and provocative — all crystal clear. Selecting which board you’d get felt like being sorted into your Hogwarts house or choosing a starter Pokémon. Existential. Make sure your wheels and grip match the board you chose.
Skateboarding was like starting high school, going to the mall, and exploring MySpace for the first time, all at once. A multiverse of people, imagery, characters, stories, stickers, lore, language, fashion, design, and attitude.
This is what my older brother did for me. He opened the door to a world we could explore. And I didn’t know it at the time, but it was my first love of brand, sparked by someone else's interest, which I trusted.
I don’t think I’d believe in or create the experiences with brands I do today if it weren’t for that door.
@world have any other younger siblings in brand or marketing today had similar experiences?
CMO/CRO for Ambitious Scale-Ups | Marketing Strategist equipped with Behavioural Science
5moInteresting
Social Media Manager | Multi-Media Storytelling, Design, Activation | Sharing Creative Career Opportunities ⭐️
6moI'm the older sister (older siblings ftw ☝🏻😌) so I didn't have a sibling to look up to, but my older cousins introduced me to anime and Studio Ghibli (with a Mandarin dub!!! lol) and that was life-changing. Totally new world of gorgeous colors and unconventional story-telling and a completely different pop culture! (And we're seeing major brands and fashion houses collab with classic anime series, which would have childhood me in disbelief.)
Partner, Brand Strategy at Lippincott
6moI am indeed a younger sibling — my sister is 10 years older and exposed me to the wonders of MTV from an early age. The Real World, Singled Out, House of Style, you name it. That definitely inspired a fascination with brands, and especially with pop culture more broadly. Fun observation —curious to see if it’s actually a pattern!
Social Media & Brand Marketing I Head of Social | ex-Peloton, Hearst | 2021 AdWeek Executive Mentee
6moI’m the oldest in my family, but must credit a personalized mixtape from my childhood best friend’s painfully cool and pretty older sister with a prolonged jam band phase. Another super-immersive universe of very unique brands!
Global Consulting Director @ Ogilvy | Brand & Marketing Strategy
6moMatt Klein thought you’d like this one 🤷🏽♂️