Sponsorship Deal Saves Iconic Music Venue
Converse has stepped up to ensure than an iconic music venue won't become the victim of a rent increase. London's 100 Club located at 100 Oxford Street, W1, was launched in 1942 and has played host to everyone from Louis Armstrong to Paul McCartney to the Sex Pistols. The club had been near closure in late 2010 after rent jumped 45%.
"Converse and the 100 Club both share a love for music and this partnership is a great opportunity to reunite the 100 Club with a generation who experienced history inside its walls, as well as introduce it to a new generation with a vow to bring the best in music to its legendary stage," a statement released by the shoe manufacturer said.
"We at Converse are very excited about our new partnership with the legendary 100 Club in London," the statement read. "Converse's commitment to being a catalyst for creativity is at the heart of the brand and we are dedicated to championing and supporting artists, fans, the music scene, venues and the experience."
The sponsorship is a small commitment in the grander marketing strategy of the sneaker company, which has invested heavily in music and the arts at the grassroots level. Last October, Converse even opened its own music studio in Brooklyn, called Rubber Tracks, to help break emerging artists.
“Let’s say over the next five years we put 1,000 artists through here, and one becomes the next Radiohead,” CMO Geoff Contrill told the New York Times. “They’re going to have all the big brands chasing them to sponsor their tour. But the 999 artists who don’t make it, the ones who tend to get forgotten about, they’ll never forget us.”
