Sha’Carri Richardson captured the world’s attention with her record-breaking 100-meter dash. But as quickly as the world fell in love with her, a mistake off the track appeared to overshadow everything she had worked for.

It’s in Beats’ DNA to champion the underdog. And when other brands shied away from Richardson, Beats ran toward the track star and created space for her to finish what she started—a race of her own. The objective of this campaign was to provide Richardson a platform for redemption while simultaneously highlighting Beats Studio Buds, the brand's first true wireless headphones, which launched in June of 2021.

To celebrate the launch of Beats Studio Buds, this timely spot showcases an optimistic Sha’Carri Richardson training for the next chapter of her journey. Its slogan, “Live Your Truth,” is an ode to Richardson’s courage to stand in accountability amid controversy. Richardson is seen running and performing other high-intensity movements to highlight the the product's unique wireless design, which allows her to roam freely without being tethered by wires. To amplify the piece, Grammy-winning artist Kanye West's prophetic vocals, "He's done miracles on me," create a poetic backdrop that brings Richardson's story of perseverance, determination and faith to life.

The strategy was built to leverage multiple trending conversations in pop-culture, from sports to music. Notably, the ad was scored and edited by Kanye West. The soundtrack features one of West’s latest tracks appropriately titled “No Child Left Behind,” which was unreleased at the time of the campaign launch. The stunning cinematography of Sha'Carri Richardson, coupled with West’s chilling vocals, also served as the official announcement of the highly anticipated “Donda” album release date.

The campaign aired on broadcast television (ABC) on July 20, 2021, during Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals—a tentpole event for sports and culture enthusiasts. To further generate conversation online, and allow viewers to relive their initial shock, the spot was simultaneously published across all Beats' social media channels including YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. This provided an opportunity for the piece to gain traction on a global scale. Additionally, both Sha'Carri Richarson and Kanye West posted the campaign on their Instagram accounts to engage their personal fan bases. Rumors of a new Beats ad initially circulated after Kanye West hinted at the project during an early listening session for “Donda,” therefore the brand and talent leveraged fans’ anticipation to build more excitement.

Prior to launch, Beats teased the ad with cryptic messages directing its massive Instagram and Twitter audiences to watch Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The spot set social media ablaze and went unequivocally viral, garnering over 28 million earned views across all social platforms (plus an additional 8 million views on Instagram Stories). It became the No. 1 trending video on YouTube and Twitter. On broadcast, Game 6 averaged 9.91 million viewers on ABC, a 32 percent increase from 2020.

Notable talent shared the video in support including Kanye West, LeBron James, Chloe Bailey, Justine Skye, Dak Prescott, and Bubba Wallace. Consumer and trade press positively covered the news across an impressive 200 articles including Billboard, Complex, People, Elle, TODAY, Variety, Fast Company, New York Post and The Shade Room.

On Beats’ channels, it ranks as the most commented and shared Instagram post and most viewed tweet of 2021.