For its new Made for Sweat campaign, Urbanears’ marketing team ventured outside the box — and the bounds of civilized society — in the hopes of getting some attention for its “sweat-friendly” Bluetooth headphones, the Hellas.
We’ve seen more than our fair share of odd marketing campaigns. But Urbanears’ new plan to sell seven sopping-wet bags of sweaty headphones is truly … unique. That’s the right word for it, yes?
The crux of the idea is fairly simple, if not a bit gross. Urbanears gave out seven pairs of its Hellas, dishing one pair each to a collection of “influencers.” Three of the pairs were specially designed by their designated sweat makers themselves, including running coach Knox Robinson, dancer ‘WilldaBeast’ Adams, and musician Amanda Bergman, all of whom took their specially styled headphones into the freaking Mojave Desert to work up that sweet celebrity sweat.
Related: See here for sweat-free UrbanEars products and accessories
The headphones were then sealed in plastic bags, as were similarly funkified cans from British singer V V Brown, American model Barbie Ferreira, German fashionista Bonnie Strange, and French DJ and entrepreneur Nadege Winter. Dubbed the Limited Sweat Edition, the bags were then signed and labeled by each influencer, detailing the workout, and (apparently) explaining how the headphones got to their current state. We’re hoping some sort of apology for the state of the cans may be included (and maybe a wet nap?), but that was not specified in the press release.
”The Limited Sweat Edition is about really going for it in whatever activity you choose,” says Sofia Hjelm, brand manager at Urbanears. “Teaming up with these creative individuals who also happen to enjoy breaking a sweat makes perfect sense for us.” Sure it does, Sofia.
Just why Urbanears thinks people want to pay good money for headphones drenched in human runoff is beyond us, but we have to admit, the campaign does beg your attention.
After purchasing the cans, each buyer is welcome to preserve said stank for posterity, or, as Urbanears explains, you can give the cans a good washing. Part of the point of this little stunt is to show how easily you can clean Hellas after a workout, as the headband and ear cushions are machine washable.
Whether you’re going for the swea-tified version or the more conventional new, unsoiled pair, Urbanears’ Hellas come with Bluetooth connection, a swipe interface for on-board control, and of course removable parts you can throw in the wash. Urbanears’ Reimer earbuds, which include a reflective cable and the company’s EarClick technology, also have parts that are easy to cleanup after you’ve put in a good workout.
Of course, if you’re going to shell out cash for “influencer sweat,” we’re guessing you’ll want to preserve the cans as-is as some sort of collector’s item. And hey, if that’s your bag, we’re not judging. We can just imagine that Antique Roadshow scenario playing out sometime around the year 2066: “Has this ‘Wildabeast’ Adams funk been verified independently?”
The first pairs of the Limited Sweat Edition Hellas will be made available May 27 at Urbanears’ website, with additional pairs available shortly thereafter.
