Beats Fit Pro launched in November 2021, and the Beats x Kim collaboration was its first line extension. Kim Kardashian genuinely loved the product; and because she used it so often, she naturally began wonder how she could make it blend in more with her lifestyle. She hired an artist to paint them for her own personal use, then later came to Beats with the idea of an official collaboration inspired by her signature neutral palette. There was synergy between the two brands, as Beats is historically known for its innovative approach to color, and the timing couldn’t have been better to elevate a best-selling product. The goal was to create a stylish piece of technology that complements consumers’ everyday experiences; and thus, Beats x Kim was born.

Beats x Kim is a line extension of Beats Fit Pro, Beats’ best-selling true wireless earbuds. With its secure wingtip design, the product is built to seamlessly transition through the day’s activities, from the gym to the office and everywhere in between. The essence of the product aligns perfectly with Kim’s lifestyle and career, which served as one of the inspirations behind this creative execution.

Beats x Kim sits at the intersection of fashion and functionality, with high-quality tech outfitted in Kim Kardashian's signature minimalistic aesthetic. The collection features three neutral colors: Moon (light), Dune (medium) and Earth (deep). Equally designed as a statement accessory, consumers can express their identity through color by creating monochromatic or contrasted looks. It’s “the athleisure of headphones.”

Given Kim’s global influence, the brief was to create a social-first campaign strategy that maximized earned media and created overwhelming demand for the collaboration. The approach combined what each brand does best, bringing an elevated fashion-forward POV from Kim and a dynamically music-driven POV from Beats.

The goal was to reach new audiences and increase brand awareness across nine markets: U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, China, Japan, Switzerland, and Australia. The target audience was millennial and Gen-Z consumers with an affinity for fitness and skewed mostly female. The fitness positioning came from Beats Fit Pro user data surveys.

Beats x Kim was a partnership in every sense of the word, as Kim amplified the launch by activating her massive social following and tapping her personal network of influential talent. To complement Beats’ international marketing efforts, Kim filmed a special shout out for China fans via the RED social media platform.

Pre-launch, Beats activated its social channels with a six-second tease on Instagram the night before the announcement. The brand also color swapped its logo, highlights and headers to match the collaboration’s palette. On announce (8/9/22), Vogue broke the news via exclusive interview with Kim. Simultaneously, Beats posted key visuals across social, along with a YouTube film of Kim discussing the inspiration behind the collaboration. A premium ceramic seeding kit went to Kim’s VIPs and Beats friendlies. Two high-impact billboards were placed in Los Angeles on Sunset Boulevard. Beats maximized global visibility with OOH executions in London, Germany and China.

At launch (8/16/22), product went on sale (U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, China, Japan, Switzerland, and Australia) via Apple.com, Amazon, and premium resellers.

To sustain (8/21/22), Beats launched a full-page ad in The New York Times’ Sunday Styles section. Due to high demand, Beats restocked the collaboration internationally (9/15/22).

Beats x Kim outperformed all brand expectations. On 8/16/22, all three Beats x Kim colors sold out in the U.S. and Canada on Apple.com in 90 minutes (followed by Japan and UK).

It was Beats’ most successful earned media moment with 42% of all FY22 impressions:

- 1.9B social impressions (3x Beats Fit Pro initial launch) with 394 posts by 141 unique entities

- Kim drove 1.6B impressions; 102 posts and reposts across Instagram, TikTok and Twitter

- Beats’ best seeding moment at 90M impressions, with social posts from Kim’s friends and high-profile talent

- Kardashian family contributed 74M impressions

- Gained 105K+ followers across Beats socials during the week post-announce

On announce (8/9/22), Beatsbydre.com was +89% in site visits vs. previous day and +61% vs. prior week.

Press coverage was exceptionally positive with over 300 original articles, making it Beats’ loudest launch for a collaboration to date.