Boot Boys
Category: Thinking pieces
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Having just read that 'Dr Martens uses music to build online presence' I feel for Dr Martens. Perhaps the closer a brand is to music historically the harder it is to pick up again after a hiatus.
Unfortunately, despite their exquisite vintage, Dr. Martens is probably no more associated with music by young consumers right now than any other fashion brand. Which I suppose is where this "get a newish band to record an old song" concept is meant to come in; currency and heritage combine to make beautiful music.
The trouble is "new band, old song" is a very well-trodden path indeed; Radio 1's Live Lounge is the benchmark at four top ten double albums since 2006 and a weekly Radio 1 show (DM participants The Noisettes contributed last year with an old Killers song). Recently Audi TT Remastered featured "a mix of emerging musical talents and pioneering musicians reworking 14 infamous pop tracks". I also have literally a box full of music magazine tip-ons from the past 15 years recorded under exactly the same premise. The NME/Childline "Sgt Pepper Knew My Father" in 1987 was perhaps the daddy of them all and even that was revised in 2007 with Kaiser Chiefs, Stereophonics et al re-recording the album.
Dr. Martens possibly pioneered the branded compilation; before the PRS slapped a premium on such things, their 1995 "Unlaced" compilation entered the album charts at number 9 and for many old enough to have a copy it still bookmarks Britpop. DM's sales samplers from around this time were also great sources for discovering new music pre-internet. In the late '90's the link between Dr Martens past (mods, skins, punks, bikes) and the emerging artists they were supporting through live associations was seamless and often executed beautifully.
DMs music heritage is very deep indeed, such a shame to see it squandered here with another Kareoke concept that the agency doubtless could have bolted on to countless other brands. I'm afraid that kids browsing this content on The Pirate Bay are unlikely to be struck by either the originality or heritage of the idea and all it's likely to say about this great brand is that they've been away a bit too long. I'd prescribe some better advice and a bit more of that rebellion that set the brand apart in the first place.