How Bose is marketing its new clip-on earbuds

Bose’s marketing for its new Ultra Open earbuds includes plenty of fashionable elements, including an ad starring up-and-coming music talent and a partnership with a jewelry designer. But the headphones, which hit the market in February, are as much about function as fashion. Design insights stemmed from changing audio habits during the pandemic, a time when folks were listening to music and podcasts with more attention, rather than to drown out a commute. Bose recognized that having earbuds in or around a user's ears all day would not be comfortable. The new Ultra Open earbuds clip on over the ear, rather than sitting directly in them, to allow listeners to, for instance, hear if someone calls their name and be safer on a run through a city. Prices start at $249, according to Bose’s website. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, check us out on Spotify and hear us on Amazon Music/Audible. This is our RSS feed. Tell a friend! The functionality comes through in a campaign that debuted last month called “Hear it all. All the time.” The campaign stars artists Tyla, Central Cee, Don Toliver and BlackPink’s Lisa sporting the clip-on earbuds as each preps ahead of a big moment. The music was produced by Mustard (formerly known as DJ Mustard), who has worked with rappers 2 Chainz and Tyga. Creative agency Partners in Crime and production studio London Alley were involved in the effort. “We looked at different genres of music and these artists that are all starting to emerge,” Jim Mollica, chief marketing officer at Bose, said on the newest edition of Ad Age’s Marketer’s Brief Podcast. “And we looked at where would they have a need for this product? And it circled around a moment in their lives: just before a performance.” Bose has also positioned the earbuds as a fashion accessory, partnering with Kith, designer Lorraine Schwartz and jewelry designer Maggi Simpkins to make bejeweled versions of the earbuds. “If you are wearing them all day, they are literally a part of your outfit,” Mollica said. “You want to be able to express who you are.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by billboard (@billboard) The brand has also inked partnerships with athletes, getting onto the ears of tennis star Coco Gauff, soccer player Jack Grealish, NFL quarterback Joe Burrow and the NBA’s Tyrese Haliburton, among others. Shifting content Mollica is Bose’s first-ever CMO. He joined in 2021 from Under Armour. Brand storytelling and marketing had previously taken a back seat and Bose was losing awareness, especially among younger consumers, Mollica said. Mollica’s marketing strategy has been to show how Bose is part of fans’ emotional connection to music, while also highlighting the brand’s technology. To do this, he has put Bose around cultural moments, including hosting parties during New York Fashion Week and activating around last season’s NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, helped by its relationship with Haliburton, an Indiana Pacer. Mollica was also quick to implement a creator strategy, which has served Bose well, including for the Ultra Open campaign. “We probably produce 5,000 pieces of content a month,” Mollica said. “We act a little bit more like a publisher than a brand. And some of that’s going to be created by us, and a whole lot of that’s going to be created by our community. If we’re going to be for the passionate music fan, we have to put it in their hands.” Mollica has also focused Bose’s media mix to include ads on streaming audio, including SiriusXM and iHeartRadio, activations around gaming, and some traditional TV. On the podcast, Mollica also hinted at another partnership with Kith, just in time for the holidays.

How Bose is marketing its new clip-on earbuds

Featured Stories