Beats wanted the 2012 launch of their new colorful line of headphones to make a big impact, drive sales, and bring people together – whether new customers or Beats loyalists. We identified that the target audience had one thing in common – their cherished individuality – so we set out to create a campaign driven by self-expression.

Starting with an inspired launch at the London Games in 2012, we kickstarted a culture around sound and self-expression. We created custom headphones in the colors of the competing teams, effectively making headphones part of the Olympian uniform.

After Beats stole Olympic headlines, we got the world involved. A star-studded spot and event tour sparked 1.7 million people to join the Beats army, exceeding all expectations. Dr. Dre picked 10 of the most original contributors and made them the face of the next TV spot, which served as a massive call to action for fans everywhere.

Beats by Dr. Dre was founded in 2006 by Jimmy Lovine and Dr. Dre. Together they sought to create a consumer headphone capable of delivering music as it's heard in the studio. In a few short years, Beats experienced a meteoric rise, from a small start-up to its current position as a global company.

The #showyourcolor campaign is all about originality. Headphones are a way to make a cultural as well as fashion statement, so why look like everyone else? We helped the Beats product variety find resonance with individuals looking for personal style as much as audio quality.

As a result of the #showyourcolor campaign, an additional 1.7 million fans joined the Beats Army, including a 76% growth in Instagram followers and a 57% increase in YouTube subscribers. Beats by Dr. Dre accounted for 80% of all premium headphone sales in the US during the holidays in 2012, plus 50% of all headphone sales during the same period. Reaching 180 countries, the #showyourcolor campaign made Beats by Dr. Dre the #1 audio brand. But most importantly, the campaign established the brand as a leader in the global culture of self-expression.