The *ecko unltd. Nissan Pathfinder
At today’s MAGIC apparel trade show Marc Ecko and Nissan announced a promotional partnership featuring two Nissan vehicles custom designed by Ecko and a related website in a collaboration "tagged SHIFT_unltd."
The Cut & Sew Nissan Armada
From the release:
Mr. Ecko will also create limited edition, co-branded hooded jackets, woven button-downs, t-shirts, leather key chains and other items that will be given away at events and sold online through http://www.nissan.eckounltd.com/. Proceeds from these sales will benefit Sweat Equity Enterprises, a nonprofit organization that empowers young people to learn professional design and technology skills while working behind the scenes in leading design companies. . .
Following the announcement at MAGIC, there will also be three in-market events in New York, Chicago and Atlanta. In addition to unveiling the customized Nissan vehicles at the New York event, each invite-only affair will feature a Nissan and Marc Ecko fashion show and provide consumers with an urban, red carpet experience.
Seems like a smart move for Nissan that should result in decent press coverage.
And Ecko has certainly shown via the wide range of promotional activities for his videogame, Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, that he and his people know how to do interesting, fun events.
It’s also a smart idea on Ecko’s part to name each of the unique vehicles in relationship to his own *ecko_unltd. and Cut & Sew brands.
As the SHIFT_unltd. splash page currently attributes to Marc Ecko:
It’s not a mash-up. It’s a double-label, Nissan and Marc Ecko. That’s the direction we took, like what you’d see in sneaker culture but elevated to the automobile. It’s cooler than what other automakers might do.
Ecko on Branding:
Here’s a brief 2005 interview with Marc Ecko in which he responds to the question, "What’s the next big thing?"
Convergence. Blurring lines. Brands existing dynamically in real time in multiple places. And being more purposeful and meaningful than just being a commodity. . . In order for a brand to exist and survive and be relevant you must exist in multiple space. It doesn’t mean that you still don’t have to have a core competency. You have to really truly be a lifestyle brand. You have to exist in our culture on all levels. Music, movies, video games, cellphones, clothing.
