How Beats navigates being at the forefront of culture, not culture wars

Since Apple bought it in 2014 for $3bn (the largest acquisition in its history), the brand’s standalone growth has been harder to track. In its most recent earnings update, however, Apple said its wearables segment – the Apple Watch, AirPods and Beats headphones – generated $8.10bn in sales. 2024, it says, was “an amazing year,” with growth in the US and several international markets.

Its decades-long success has, arguably, been down to a laser focus on keeping the brand at the forefront of culture. In a 2021 interview with Forbes, its founders admitted that, from day one, they obsessed over their place in culture. They didn’t want the brand compared to other headphone makers in the space. They wanted kids in stores to choose whether they spent money on a new pair of Nikes or Beats. Dre was the so-called “cultural barometer” that kept it away from anything “corny or cheesy.”

But the brand faces a different challenge today. In an era when being at the cutting edge of culture often means taking a point of view on issues important to consumers, from LGBTQ+ rights to the environment to race and gender equality, brands consequently run the risk of becoming embroiled in a so-called culture war.

Navigating those choppy waters for Beats is Chris Thorne, chief marketing officer and head of product. He tells The Drum that the brand he’s been custodian of since 2019 has always been defined as “youthful and defiant” with a “spirit of kind of doing things your own way and breaking some rules.” As he tries to win over the next generation of headphone wearers with this identity, he’s walking a tightrope of engaging a generation that seemingly wants brands to take a stand in the polarizing issues affecting them without actually getting embroiled in politics.

“The way I approach culture and the brand – and I can’t take credit for this, Beats was doing this long before I ever showed up – is when you work with talent partners that are at the forefront of culture. LeBron James has definitely shaped culture over his amazing career. And there are so many other people Beats has worked with that that is true of. And we tend to lean on them. We storytell around what matters to them and we’ll integrate our products and our brand perspective. But it’s one of the most fun things to do, where you tap into those insights of your talent.”

But even that strategy comes with its risks. Take its new campaign. Running globally from today (February 11) to promote the launch of its latest product, the Powerbeats Pro 2, it stars long-term ambassador LeBron James and newer signings Lionel Messi and Shohei Ohtani, whose stories are told through a narrator called ‘The Heart.’

In a powerful monologue delivered by Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, ‘The Heart’ regales the athletes’ impressive journeys to get where they are as we watch them in their relentless pursuit of excellence.

Much like past Beats campaigns, the “organic” media plan relies on the power of the creative and social clout of the superstars on the screens to help spread the word. One of those stars, LeBron James, had recently been on a widely-publicized hiatus from all major social media platforms over the abuse he was receiving for endorsing Kamala Harris as his presidential candidate and, in the process, provoking the ire of Trump supporters. It was the latest example of a sports star at the center of political discourse, and for Beats, it happened in the run-up to a major ad launch. LeBron James has since returned to the social platforms. But, does it raise concerns about the potential for being implicated in the crossfire of culture wars its ambassadors find themselves in the middle of?

“We didn’t have that discussion,” he says. “That’s LeBron’s decision. And we’ll support him in whatever he does and we will want him in our storytelling no matter what he’s doing. You know, whatever it is he’s deciding on social media. We support our talent and we have their backs, so I haven’t had that conversation with him.”

Meanwhile, in the midst of America’s diversity rollback under Trump, gender equality continues to dominate the conversation. Beats’ lack of female representation in what’s been dubbed its “biggest marketing campaign to date” might, then, draw criticism. But Throne responds that this is simply the “first step toward a huge year for Powerbeats Pro 2 with more campaigns and exciting talent to come.”

Thorne is not alone in braving the challenge of pushing the boundaries and partnering with the most culturally relevant ambassadors, all while trying to avoid the pitfalls of being “political.”

“It’s not creating the story and then figuring out who slots into this,” he adds. “We kind of tell the stories of our partners and our talent, and we try and work with musicians and athletes and artists and influencers who are at the cutting edge of culture and who are helping to define it and who align with our brand values. And that’s really been amazing for the entire existence of the brand.”

A flat and fluid marketing team

The Beats marketing machine is set up in a new way to help it capture these moments and people in culture. Thorne says the team, which he declines to give a headcount for, has evolved since he joined in 2019 to be more “flat and fluid” to ensure it’s open to ideas that come from anyone, regardless of their position.

“When you’re trying to do storytelling and marketing that is consistent with the culture and how tastes are changing, those good ideas can come from anywhere – it’s not going to be from a strict hierarchy. It’s a very fluid structure. These great ideas come from everywhere and then get built upon by others, versus a very pre-defined ‘who works on what’ way. It’s very entrepreneurial.”

Thorne also says consistency with its agency partners is a key pillar in how it has managed the brand over the years. Tapping into youth culture would, for many CMOs, mean hopping agencies every couple of years to ensure you’re the biggest client of the hottest new shop on Madison Avenue. On the contrary, he applauds the five-year-long relationship with Black-owned creative agency Translation and the history it has with the owner for having allowed it to explore challenging issues through advertising.

Founded and still run by Steve Stoute, one of Translation’s first and most celebrated pieces of work was a campaign to re-establish Beats within youth culture by advocating for the Black culture that first made the brand a global powerhouse.

The film, titled ‘You love Black culture, but do you love me?’ sent a powerful message about social justice and inequality in the year following the murder of George Floyd. Today, a politically charged topic many CMOs will actively avoid.

“Steve has such a long-time relationship and understanding with Beats, long before Translation ever existed,” says Thorne. “Steve goes back and has a relationship from Interscope Records with Jimmy Iovine. He understands the Beats brand better than virtually anybody you’re going to find. It's an amazing advantage that he now has an agency that shares that knowledge. It’s a great relationship where your agency totally understands your brand.

“You can look at the ads we’ve produced with them and they’re some of the most iconic pieces ever done.”

Stout told The Drum that since the start of its partnership with Beats, the agency has set out to create work that does and says something no other company or agency could.

"We believe a major part of staying at the forefront of culture is authenticity. You can’t fake it, force it, or chase trends—you have to build real connections with the people who shape culture," he says of its approach.

"That’s exactly how we’ve approached our work with Beats. Beats has always been more than just a product—it’s a symbol of self-expression, individuality, and the hustle it takes to be great. Our job is to tap into that truth in a way that feels undeniable, not divisive."