Travis Scott, whose proven track record of brand partnerships is arguably unparalleled in the music industry, has been named Creator Visionary of the Year by the folks over at Adweek.
And while the article accompanying the advertising trade publication’s announcement of La Flame as the inaugural recipient of this distinction doesn’t include any Utopia updates, the extended piece does offer up some insight into the eight-time Grammy nominee’s creative process when it comes to constructing a Cactus Jack-ified brand experience.
Most important, perhaps, is that Scott isn’t fond of the words most often associated with this kind of work.
“I don’t like words like ‘branding’ and ‘marketing,’” Scott told writer Shannon Miller in the piece, first released Sunday. “I just wasn’t ever really into it, you know? I guess I’m a naturalist in that sense.”
Instead, the aim of the Cactus Jack creative collective’s partnerships is more rooted in a hopeful vision for the future in which inspiration is at the forefront.
“I’m just more about putting out very cool things that inspire me and I hope one day inspire other people,” Scott said. “I’m trying to bring a utopian effect … hoping to inspire the next person to just get creative or even just live their life in an aesthetically pleasing, vibed-out way.”
All of the partnerships thus far, Scott said later in the piece, have been “super understanding” of his process and the team’s vision. As Scott explained, these partnerships—which thus far have included McDonald’s, Fortnite, and more—were all ultimately made possible due to a willingness from all involved to “just stand on the creativity.”
Moving forward, Scott has big plans for CACTI, the agave spiked seltzer he recently launched with Anheuser-Busch. The beverage launched in March to expectedly immediate success, including inventory sell-outs in several locations in less than 24 hours. The rollout, of course, was complicated by the ongoing pandemic. Next for the seltzer project, per Scott, is a move into the world of official sponsorships.
“[I can’t wait for] Cacti’s first official lead sponsorship,” he told Adweek. “I feel like if I say anything more, I might get out the spot. But it’s definitely going to be one of those ‘official drinks.’”
Peep the full Adweek piece here.
Late last month, Scott announced the 2021 return of his Astroworld Festival, this time spanning two days of well-orchestrated mayhem in Houston. Tickets for the third edition of the hit festival—set for this November—go on sale this Wednesday.
Utopia, meanwhile, is still to come and is widely expected to be set for a 2021 release. Last Friday, La Flame linked up with Baby Keem for “Durag Activity.”
