Can’t wait to see what Rob Walker makes of this. That’s one of what appears to be many Converse movie shorts. Converse, which was bought by Nike, has developed a massive short film portal that plays to a very edgy audience. A too cool for school, young audience. Other films have titles like “Kissing with Ross”, “Out of Your League Girl” and “The Best Pick of the Draft.”

This seems like a really bold departure for Converse which has relied on its tradition and heritage for it’s marketing. They’ve also tied in rather aggressively with Target.

So, where does Converse fall in the Deeply Immersive Narrative Universe matrix? This will be an interesting period for Converse as they try multiple approaches. Target gives them mass, they will probably still hang on to a segment of the anti-corporate/punk rock/DIY/no leather crowd, and this new online short film initiative could appeal to a different group. I think creating a compelling story with those disparate elements will be a challenge.

Interestingly, none of those groups includes athletes, the brand’s original core demographic. I think it’s difficult to have multiple stories out there. Does the uber-cool kid that these movie shorts will appeal to want to wear the same brand that can be picked up at Target?  Do these movies take the brand too far away from its plain, simple roots? 

Converse is a great brand with tons of equity, this new online execution will be worth following to see if it connects with consumers or is dismissed as being too far away from the brand’s DNA.

Tags: Converse, Kissing with Ross, Murketing, Nike, Rob Walker, Target