Kanye West shared a moment on Instagram today on what sparked his marketing and creativity tactics.
Kanye would take to Instagram to post a classic photo of WWE Hall Of Famer and legendary rap artist, Snoop Dogg wearing a classic red, white and blue Tommy Hilfiger rugby shirt. In terms of marketing, West said this moment was particularly important to him.
Kanye would state: “Snoop wearing this Tommy Hilfiger rugby was the most impactful marketing moment of my young life.”
This would be the original development into Kanye West being great at marketing. He knew that having brand in the public eye was essential.
The image, which Kanye later removed, was of Snoop in the Tommy Hilfiger rugby was taken during a March 1994 performance on “Saturday Night Live.” The rapper’s appearance on the show was not long after the release of his timeless debut album “Doggystyle,” which arrived late in November 1993 to much fanfare.
The rap world has had strong ties with the Tommy Hilfiger brand dating back to the early-’90s, when legends of the moment who are still revered today were wearing the clothes or talking about it. For instance, Grand Puba of Brand Nubian is widely known for being the first rapper to mention the brand in a song, doing so in 1992 on the Mary J. Blige record “What’s the 411?”. Years later, R&B icon Aaliyah would further boost its profile and broadened its audience with her unique style. In 1996, the brand brought the beloved singer on as a spokesperson, appearing in Tommy Jeans campaigns and becoming a staple in its marketing efforts.
West’s timing of the post couldn’t be more fitting, as just hours later, Tommy Hilfiger would reveal Tommy Factory. This would be a fashion show inspired by Andy Warhol for New York Fashion Week.
Since then, Kanye has always been great at keeping in the public eye.
