Apple’s new headphone company received an official ban from the NFL this season, prohibiting the Beats cans from being worn at games or official press conferences, and Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine couldn’t feel more lucky.
Iovine was the keynote speaker today at the University of Southern California’s Global Conversation, and according to Business Insider, he told the audience that the NFL’s decision to ban Beats at the behest of Bose was an inept move that’s turned Beats into a superhero.
“What happened there, you have a tech company that’s culturally inept,” said Iovine. “There’s no one at the company that said, ‘If you ban these guys, you’re going to look bad to the young people, and they’re going to look like superheroes even though they’re just pure capitalists — well they’re not pure capitalists, but they’re real capitalists and sold that company to Apple — but you’re going to make them look like the underdog.”
Iovine and Dr. Dre have mastered the art of guerrilla marketing to make Beats the biggest name in headphones, thanks to a steady stream of celeb endorsements, music video cameos and a keen touch with pop culture. Beats was also banned from the World Cup this summer by official sponsor Sony, but the ban was a huge score for Beats, which was seen as the headphones soccer stars really use when they’re off the field.
“It’s like, I can’t believe I’m this lucky,” said Iovine. “I feel like sending them the tape,” referring to Colin Kaepernick’s decision to put tape over the Beats logo during press conferences, after the NFL fined him $10,000 for wearing them earlier this season.
Source: Business Insider
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
11 responses to “Jimmy Iovine: NFL Beats ban makes us look like superheroes”
“…of the field” Pretty sure you mean off the field. Check your spelling and grammar before posting.
Beats also are the most sophisticated and sleek headphones on the market. It’s not just the guerrilla marketing…it’s also the killer product!
Its just a preference thing. Some people find them bass heavy and mushy for music along the lines of classical. I have personally never worn a pair, but I do know people who swear by them.
I tried out the Beats Solo2’s which got great reviews, but the bass distorted and was just not good sounding. I don’t know why all of the great reviews, plus the headphones seemed too small and they felt like they’d be more for teenagers than adults. I never liked mass marketed audio products, as they are basically cheap awful sounding junk. Oh well.
The NFL did not ban Beats headphones. The title is not only misleading it’s flat out wrong. What happened was the NFL signed an exclusivity agreement with Bose. This agreement bans any headphones not made by Bose which includes Sony, Panasonic, and everyone else.
As Bose do not make Beats headphones, there is no doubt that Beats have most certainly been banned. The recent fine for wearing Beats headphones shows very clearly that it’s a real ban and will be enforced. I have a sneaky feeling that we won’t be hearing about many fines for players wearing Sony, Panasonic or other headphones.
Using weasel words to try and suggest that a ban on all TV images of non-Bose headphones is not a ban on Beats is absurd and the headline of this article is entirely accurate.
This whole exclusivity deal was aimed at Beats. No other headphone has any traction whatsoever in the sports industry and Bose hope to get in on that business. It’s not looking like one of their better decisions.
Anone that looks at athletes for advice on audio products has a screw loose.
you dont understand pop culture do u
I wouldn’t be so sure, Sony had the same ban on beats at the World Cup. Apple may be a major player but unless they come to the table and do deals at events then Beats are the one’s who are going to suffer. The headphone are bogus anyways, you can get much better sound for less money buying a pair of Beyer Dynamics
As I am reading this post, there is an Bose/NFL ad next to it. Thanks Google!
Personally, I use Bose at work and I have no trouble turning up the volume and rocking.
contextual targeting at its best…