Hey Young World,

In this new series, we dissect classic ads that inspire us to this day. You can also follow this seris via our Instagram account, @WeAre150.

For Us By Us, On The Low

During one of his multiple career peaks, LL Cool J, a Hip Hop superstar who always managed to walk the line between commerce and authenticity, appeared in a commercial for the mainstream clothing retailer The Gap. The simple yet eye catching, high-energy commercial - LL Cool J rapping an aggressive acapella verse in front of a white background - was an immediate success. Not just for The Gap and LL the rapper, but also for LL the entrepreneur and the now-legendary streetwear brand FUBU (which stands for For Us By Us). Wait, what? Let me explain. LL, himself a marketing genius, knew that the commercial was meant to and would reach young, urban consumers across North America and beyond. That's why, in the commercial, LL - who was one of FUBU's co-owners - not only wore a FUBU cap, but also slipped in the line "For Us By Us, on the low". Nobody at The Gap noticed until it was too late, but LL knew that the kids would notice immediately. They did. FUBU went on to reach its peak year in worldwide sales in 1998.

Reflecting on his stunt during an Oprah Winfrey interview in 2013, LL Cool J said “I was supporting this company [FUBU]. I was a partner in the company; still am. I wanted to support what we were doing. I felt like, honestly, that Gap was big enough to handle that and not be hurt by it, and it worked out for everybody, 'cause it didn’t hurt them. It made them cool." The latter is, of course, true, and whoever was making the decisions at The Gap at the time deserves credit for realizing it, instead of pulling the #ad, which is what many other companies would have done.

One Love,

Marius | 1520