The Beaches “Rock the Star” in New Converse Campaign

Toronto and Montréal-based creative shop LES SQUEAK has launched the “Rock the Star” campaign to generate awareness for Converse’s new Run Star Trainer with retailer Little Burgundy Shoes.

Being dubbed “the shoe of the summer,” the Converse Run Star Trainer exudes main character and rock star vibes with its selection of five bold colours. To truly showcase the shoe’s multifaceted appeal, the brands have partnered with the beloved Toronto band, The Beaches, who were named Group of the Year by Billboard Canada and the Junos.

The campaign features a four-song live performance by The Beaches at the queer-owned Toronto hotspot, Brockton Haunt. The live-recorded set includes 15-second hits off the band’s latest album Blame My Ex, with looks styled with the Run Star Trainer. In addition to the short clips, a full-length music video was also captured for the track “Everything is Boring” which includes behind-the-scenes footage. This marks the first ever live recording for the popular band. The campaign also includes limited edition merch for fan giveaways, featured in the set design, including a “Blame Chuck” t-shirt and skate deck, which is a riff of the band’s popular “Blame Brett” song.

“As a proudly Canadian brand with a fierce gen Z and millennial female following, it made perfect sense, for us and Converse, to align ourselves with The Beaches who truly exude the bold confidence we try to inspire,” said Audrey Gauthier, vice-president of marketing and Ecommerce at Little Burgundy Shoes. “In addition to their music, their unique style also captures the versatility in styling for this shoe this summer.”

The campaign will run across digital and social with a paid social campaign, across Instagram and YouTube, that will run throughout the month of July in Canada.

“We started LES SQUEAK to give brands creative opportunities to actually impact culture with their work,” said Laura Serra, co-founder of LES SQUEAK. “The Beaches inherently celebrate individuality and wear Converse on stage so it was a true and seamless fit. Unearthing these cultural connections and wrapping them in a creative campaign that feels ripe and relevant is what we do best.”

LES SQUEAK partnered up with Rodeo Production, in Toronto, including director Kevin Calero, editor Soji “Shakes” Oyinsan, and Studio Feather.