For the final installment of its “This Is Off the Wall” brand campaign, Vans tapped a pair of rising rap stars — J.I.D and Bohan Phoenix — to show how they express their identities through music.
According to Vans, the effort was created to celebrate “the journey to creative expression and the pursuit of artists making their own way forward in hip-hop.” Specific to J.I.D and Bohan Phoenix, Vans said this documents how they have overcome challenges and found what inspires them in order to become the genre’s next big stars.
To tell the stories of J.I.D and Bohan Phoenix via the “This Is Off the Wall” campaign, Vans will engage in a digital storytelling series via Vans.com/offthewall on social media.
For the effort, Vans tells the story of Atlanta native J.I.D and how he shifted from professional sports pursuits to a career in music. Also, the brand showcases his focus on writing and wordplay that has led him to become a leader in today’s new generation of hip-hop artist “that values craft over hype.”
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As for Bohan Phoenix, a Massachusetts transplant by way of China, Vans shows how he was introduced to hip-hop through his mother who used popular movies and TV to help teach him English. According to Vans, one movie in particular drove the emerging rapper’s love for the music and the culture: Eminem’s “8 Mile.” Once enamored with hip-hop, Vans said he began to make music that blended two languages and cultures together “to create something uniquely personal.”
