FROM STREET TO GLOBAL STAGE: VUSE LAUNCHES NEW PLATFORM 'STREET COVERS' WITH INTERNATIONAL DJ ANFISA LETYAGO & ICONIC ALBUM ARTIST BRIAN CANNON TO UNCOVER LOCAL STARS IN MUSIC & ART
Commemorating 10 years’ of Vuse, the new campaign will celebrate the creative community, shining a spotlight on unsung music & art talent from around the world and showcasing the cities and streets that have inspired them.
LONDON, March 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Introducing Street Covers, a unique global platform from Vuse – the world’s number one global vape brand – that will spotlight musicians operating outside of the mainstream and partner them with artists to revive the lost art of the album cover.
Vuse believes every neighbourhood, street and corner in every city has a story and, within them, talent that drive their creative scenes. So, we’re going directly to the source; peeling back the curtain of modern, urban culture in five countries worldwide. We’ll uncover unsung talent who sit at the heart of their local communities, and create a platform for them to be heard through their unique city landscapes.
Building upon a decade-long legacy of supporting creative talent and charging beyond in creativity, Vuse is partnering with DJ Anfisa Letyago as Global Brand Ambassador and legendary album sleeve artist Brian Cannon. In her new role, Anfisa will partner with Vuse to champion local music talent through the Street Covers programme, as well as support the Vuse Driven by Change initiative which offers underrepresented artists across the globe unparalleled opportunities in the elite world of motorsport.
Over the course of the year, Anfisa and Brian will visit the UK, Spain, Dubai, Colombia and South Africa, to immerse themselves in the local music and art scenes and meet with the chosen talent who sit at the centre of them. Together they will explore the instrumental role the streets play in the culture of these communities and the influence they have on the creative process, uncovering the rich history between music and art – where true creative alchemy happens.
The music and art talent will collaborate closely throughout the year, weaving their styles and stories together to develop music that represents their journey of creative discovery, and create a piece of cover art that brings the tracks to life, and which will be used across physical and digital channels. The result – cities influencing music, music inspiring art, and talent already resonating with their local communities propelled to the forefront of global culture.
John Beasley, Global Director of Consumer Experience, BAT comments: “At Vuse we’re dedicated to discovering and championing unsung talent and we’re delighted to be reinforcing our commitment through the launch of Street Covers. Tapping into the cultural pulse of different cities around the world, we’ll unearth the most exciting local talent who sit outside of the algorithmically controlled mainstream, celebrating the fusion of music and art and reviving the artistry of cover art lost to the digital world, while putting these creative talents on a global stage for all to discover.”
Global brand ambassador for Vuse, Anfisa Letyago, is one of clubland’s rising stars who has recently completed a BBC Radio 1 Residency and is set to play at this year’s Ibiza’s opening party in April, as well as at some of 2023’s biggest dance festivals around the world. Visiting five global cities, Anfisa will spend time with one music talent from each market, guiding them through the physical and emotional process of making and performing ground-breaking music that will captivate a global audience.
In tandem, Brian Cannon, famed for creating some of the most influential and iconic album art of all time – counting Oasis and The Verve’s famous sleeves among his accolades – will provide support and guidance to the local art talent. Sharing his innate understanding of how to connect music with art and create a visual identity for tracks, Brian will work with each artist as they develop a unique design representative of their craft, to become the backdrop for the music track.
At the end of the year-long Street Covers programme, Vuse will offer the five pairs a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break outside of the underground music scene and step into the mainstream. Their work will be revealed to the public through a local performance in their city and shared on Vuse’s social channels, providing consumers with the opportunity to discover music and art talent from around the world.
Anfisa Letyago comments: “The concept behind Street Covers resonates so much with me personally. Where we live and spend our time plays a central role in our lives. For me, Naples has formed such a significant part of my journey as an artist – the sounds, the smells, the people – it has all been intrinsic to my story.”
“I jumped at the opportunity to be part of a programme that encourages musicians and artists to draw creative inspiration from their city streets, and from one another. I’m looking forward to exploring and learning about different music scenes around the world, and to working with a line-up of incredible talent to develop music that represents their unique journeys of creative discovery.”
Brian Cannon adds: “Music is so emotive, everyone has a different relationship with it, so managing to capture the essence of a track within a piece of art is extremely special and something I’ve dedicated my life’s work to. I can’t wait to meet the five global artists and embark on this creative journey together, creating visual identities for a variety of genres of music. It’s going to an incredible challenge, and what a fantastic initiative to be a part of.”
*Based on Vype/Vuse estimated value share from RRP in measured retail for vapour (i.e. total vapour category value in retail sales) in key vapour markets: USA, Canada, France, UK, Germany as of May 2022
Notes to Editors
Vuse takes the responsible marketing of its products very seriously and as with all campaigns, will only work with talent aged 25 or over, and who can provide independent evidence that the vast majority of their followers on social media are adults.
BAT is a leading, multi-category consumer goods business with a purpose to build A Better Tomorrow™ by reducing the health impact of its business through offering a greater choice of enjoyable and less risky products for adult consumers.
The company continues to be clear that combustible cigarettes pose serious health risks, and the only way to avoid these risks is not to start or to quit. BAT encourages those who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch completely to scientifically-substantiated, reduced-risk alternatives*†. In order to deliver this, BAT is transforming into a truly consumer-centric multi-category consumer products business.
BAT’s ambition is to have 50 million consumers of its non-combustible products by 2030 and to generate £5billion of New Categories revenue by 2025. BAT has set stretching ESG targets including achieving carbon neutrality for Scopes 1 & 2 by 2030 and eliminating unnecessary single-use plastic and making all plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
BAT employs over 50,000 people. The BAT Group generated revenue of £27.65 billion in 2022 and profit from operations of £10.5 billion.
The company’s Strategic Portfolio is made up of its global cigarette brands and a growing range of reduced-risk*† New Category tobacco and nicotine products and traditional non-combustible tobacco products. These include vapour, tobacco heating products, modern oral products including tobacco-free nicotine pouches, as well as traditional oral products such as snus and moist snuff. In 2022, we had 22.5 million consumers of our non-combustible products, a rise of 4.2 million on full year 2021.
* Based on the weight of evidence and assuming a complete switch from cigarette smoking. These products are not risk free and are addictive.
† Our products as sold in the US, including Vuse, Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, and Camel Snus, are subject to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation and no reduced-risk claims will be made as to these products without FDA clearance.
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