Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Brand Suicide, Comment, Confidence, Corporate Evil, Crap Marketing Ideas From History!, Crap Products In History, Cunning, Fake Attitude, Innovation, Marketing, Marketing Fail
I’ve written about Gary Vee before.
And while I admire his ability to promote himself – and don’t deny his considerable entrepreneurial spirit – I feel he is entering that dangerous area where he’s starting to blindly believe his own voice, without any sense of objectivity.
Now there’s many successful people who are like that, but given he preaches on a platform of self awareness, I find this new chapter of his ego particularly unpleasant to witness.
What has raised my ire?
This …
Yep, he has launched his own range of sneakers.
Sneakers!
What the fuck?
Apart from maybe watching sport or having once ridden a skateboard, what credibility has he got to do that?
I could maybe accept it he had got some fantastic – and credible – people to help create them, but that is never mentioned at all.
Of course not, because even if that is the case, I doubt his ego would allow it.
And maybe that’s why he wants people in marketing and entrepreneurship to support him rather than athletes … despite the fact they’re made to look like the bastard love-child of Adidas and K-Swiss.
That’s right, it’s not enough for Mr Vaynerchuk to create a pair of ‘sneakers’ that’s been influenced/plagarised by one credible sports brand, he wants to double influence/plagarise … which kind of sums him up through and through.
Seriously, anyone who buys a pair of these is basically anti-sport and pro-asshole.
38 Comments
Could be because it’s so late here and I’m exhausted. But this post is FTW. Enjoy it Rob because I doubt this will ever happen again and it’s more because of my situation than your writing.
Comment by DH October 4, 2018 @ 6:22 amI am under no illusion this comment was written with the help of tiredness. But I’ll be keeping it forever.
Comment by Rob October 4, 2018 @ 8:32 amI dislike Gary Vee intensely. I think it is because rather than coming across as an entrepreneur, he acts like a younger version of Trump. Bravado mixed with entitlement mixed with an attempt to be a man of the people but wanting to align with the rich and the famous.
I read the press release when he launched this range and he wanted to try and position them as a badge of entrepreneurship. He thinks he is being smart but it was so transparent he was trying to find a reason for people to buy them because there aren’t any.
Good takedown Rob and not just because of your Nike associations.
Comment by Pete October 4, 2018 @ 6:40 amA new generation of Trump is pretty accurate.
Comment by Bazza October 4, 2018 @ 8:15 amThat’s quite a good character assassination there Pete … and coming from one of the nicest people in the World, it’s doubly powerful.
The Trump association is a good one. I hadn’t thought about that … though I should have because his Youtube/Linkedin films are pure Trump, both in delivery and the contrived attempt to look off the cuff even though it’s obvious it has been practiced and edited to within an inch of its life.
Comment by Rob October 4, 2018 @ 8:35 amThat’s a three fire emoji takedown…
Comment by Rob (Other one) October 5, 2018 @ 7:18 amThis is what happens when you surround yourself with ego enablers.
Comment by George October 4, 2018 @ 7:13 amHe needs to hire me to keep him real.
Comment by Billy Whizz October 4, 2018 @ 7:42 amStill better than birkenstocks.
Comment by Billy Whizz October 4, 2018 @ 7:42 amFair.
Comment by Bazza October 4, 2018 @ 8:06 amBirkenstocks are on the Paris catwalks.
Comment by Rob October 4, 2018 @ 8:36 amGary Vee’s monsters aren’t.
I rest my case.
So are gimp suits
Comment by Northern October 4, 2018 @ 8:42 amid rather wear gimp shit than sandal bollocks.
Comment by andy@cynic October 4, 2018 @ 1:33 pmI bet there’s media arts trainers in the pipeline
Comment by Northern October 4, 2018 @ 8:47 amBy the way, referring to your love of London it’s bloody annoying that agencies are setting up miles away from tube stations. Tight fisted northern muppets like me keep getting lost or have to fork out for taxis. Your trainer friend should invent haptic trainers that push and pull you in the right direction. Media arts would it but they’ll be having the five conversations and wondering if pumps are the medium or the message
Comment by Northern October 4, 2018 @ 8:51 amMaybe agencies set up far from stations to keep people who could pop their bubble far away from them?
Comment by Pete October 4, 2018 @ 9:02 amI’m getting R/GA on it … mainly because I fancy taking money off Media Arts Lab.
And I like the way you’re seeding your excuse to avoid me whenever you’re in London. That’s real planning.
Comment by Rob October 4, 2018 @ 9:09 amI’m in London now and youre avoiding me I don’t blame you
Comment by Northern October 4, 2018 @ 10:37 amDon’t settle for a food truck snack. Bleed his expense account dry.
Comment by John October 4, 2018 @ 11:52 amI have presume you mean his Mr Dodds. It’s a pot noodle and Youporn for me on overnight stays these days
Comment by Northern October 4, 2018 @ 1:28 pmWhen they tank, he’ll no doubt espouse the virtues of taking risks rather than admitting that it shows what he actually knows about marketing – as opposed to self-promotion.
Comment by John October 4, 2018 @ 9:11 amAnd anyone who “appreciates” the marketing world needs help not crappy sneakers.
Comment by John October 4, 2018 @ 9:21 amI know someone who bought a pair.
Comment by Marcus October 4, 2018 @ 9:27 ami hope you fucking killed them.
Comment by andy@cynic October 4, 2018 @ 1:33 pmI know this musician guy who designed a moped in Asia.
Comment by Niko October 4, 2018 @ 9:32 amhe didnt design it. he couldnt design his own fucking signature. he just came up with some random fucking thought then was his usual parasite self with the glory.
Comment by andy@cynic October 4, 2018 @ 1:32 pmid rather have cancer than anything with gary vee.
Comment by andy@cynic October 4, 2018 @ 1:31 pmBet Gary Vee likes queen
Comment by Northern October 4, 2018 @ 1:41 pmmy fucking point exactly.
Comment by andy@cynic October 4, 2018 @ 2:03 pmYou love this ‘posting after everyone has posted’ don’t you.
Comment by Rob October 4, 2018 @ 3:21 pmlike shooting fish in a fucking barrel.
Comment by andy@cynic October 4, 2018 @ 5:28 pmI know hating on GaryVee is practically sport in marketing circles, but this take is trash.
They look like K-Swiss because they are K-Swiss. This model’s been around since ’88 — it’s literally called the Classic ’88. He didn’t design his own line, he partnered with a brand to release a limited colorway.
Whether entrepreneurs should land shoe deals is another debate, but considering they’re consistently sold out? Probably not a bad gig for a struggling K-Swiss.
Sports fans love repping their teams, and apparently Vaynerbros love stunting the “Hustle Your Fucking Face Off” 001s.
I’m certainly not one of them, and your criticisms of GV as a marketer / entrepreneur are on point.
But have some professional courtesy and do a bit of research before trashing his (admittedly thirsty) merch and perpetuating the anti-Gary trope.
Comment by Parker Ross (@realparkerross) October 4, 2018 @ 5:36 pmYes, you’re right … it’s a K-Swiss partnership but my point was more about his credibility in doing this than anything else. Yes, I should have questioned the sanity of K-Swiss in this alliance, but my point is that Mr Vee seems to think that just because you want to, you should and that is the sign of a rampant egomaniac than an entrepreneur.
Comment by Rob October 4, 2018 @ 5:42 pmHas Rob ever been professional? That is more contentious than anything GV and KSwiss have done..
Comment by DH October 4, 2018 @ 5:46 pmThat is a good point … much to R/GA’s disappointment.
Comment by Rob October 4, 2018 @ 5:47 pmI think Parker bought a pair.
Comment by Billy Whizz October 4, 2018 @ 8:59 pmAbsolutely bang on there Rob, great observation/rant/insight.
Comment by Graeme October 4, 2018 @ 8:33 pmKeep posting, always look forward to a good read.
Graeme
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