Lil Yachty and Iris Apfel Bond Over Luxe Watches in eBay Campaign

What generation gap?

Twenty-four-year-old rapper Lil Yachty and fashion icon Iris Apfel—who turns 100 this weekend!—bond over their passion for luxury timepieces in the first installment of “Old School Meets New School,” an eBay content series developed by The Many.

In a minute-long film, this decidedly odd couple subvert issues of age, race, gender, and culture. You can’t help but … watch. That’s a good thing, as the initiative touts eBay’s selection of brands, from the classic styles of Rolex and Audemars Piguet to startups and industry innovators. (Old school meets new, as it were.)

Iris: I love mixing high and low. A very expensive watch with a bunch of tacky little bracelets. I was wondering if you wear more than one wristwatch at a time.

Yachty: It’s not my personal thing … That’s a very trendy thing in rap.

Iris: Is it trendy? I didn’t know that. I always do that. But I don’t care about trends.

Their relaxed chemistry builds amid brand-boosting banter, with subtext ticking away in the background. And of course, the age difference fits the campaign’s theme. (G.O.A.T. Tom Brady would surely approve. Dude’s a freak for ritzy watches!)

“eBay is a marketplace that brings an entire spectrum of people together from different communities and perspectives—but when it came to the luxury watch world, we didn’t see anything out there that reflected that,” Pam Fujimoto, creative director at The Many, tells Muse. “We were inspired to bring two style icons together from very different spaces to explore the idea that when you have a mutual love for something, you spark a connection.”

While mainly targeting enthusiasts, “there’s an opportunity to expand reach into the fashion/style space by connecting with fans of Lil Yachty and Iris Apfel,” adds agency brand director Rediate Tekeste.

For the shoot, Iris and Yachty were at the same location, but filmed in different rooms. “Instead of Zoom, we used an Interrotron camera rig, which allowed them to maintain an intimate eye line with one another and their audience,” says Kim Vorse, senior producer at The Many.

And this particular odd couple really did bond, apparently. “At the end of the shoot, Iris asked us if we could get Yachty’s number so she could invite him to her birthday party,” Fujimoto says.

Maybe he can find the time to attend. (Temporal humor!) Perhaps she’ll serve ice cream. (Oblique reference to Apfel’s ads for Magnum.) Srsly, Iris, you’re timeless! Many happy returns of the day!

Fresh “Old School Meets New School” episodes will drop in coming months on @ebaywatches Instagram handle and other social channels.

CREDITS

Client: eBay
Watches Social Lead, Renata Salazar-Costa
Head of Social Media Marketing, North America, Jen Haley
Director of Creative and Social, Maryann Bell
Associate Creative Director, Social Media, Nina Louie
Director, Marketing and Creative Operations, Kira Moller
Sr. Manager Paid Social Strategy, Craig Weinberg

Agency: The Many
Head of Production, Dave Horowitz
Producer, Kim Vorse
Partner/Executive Creative Director, Blake Marquis
Creative Director, Pam Fujimoto
Associate Creative Director, Mars Milisic
Associate Creative Director, Kate “Rizzo” Digilio
Senior Copywriter, Miles Evans
Jr. Art Director, Conner Needham
Jr. Copywriter, Will Luck
Director of Social Innovation, Kristin “KB” Busk
Design Director, Jorge Andrade
Senior Designer, Amy Woo
Animator, Ryan Hoog
Senior Animator, Scott Woodburn
Group Brand Director, John Line
Senior Brand Director, Rediate Tekeste
Associate Brand Director, Emily Risher
Associate Director of Project Management, Keara Hanlon
Project Manager, Jin Laqui
Media Director, Anthony Rocker
Associate Media Director, Alyssa DeSangro
Group Strategy Director, Andy Craig
Social Strategy Director, Harriet Riley
Strategy Director, Nicole Fuhrman
Senior Social Strategist, Adriana Solache Olijve

Production Company: Los York
CCO/Director, Seth Epstein
EP Live Action, Leticia Gurjao
EP Studio, Melina Osornio-Andrade
Head of Production, Mariel Sands
Live-Action Producer, Russ Katzman
Field producer, Chad Tingle
DP, Eduardo Whaite
Production Designer, Belinda Scott
Post-Production Producer, Joe Abou-Sakher / David Thomas
Media Production Manager, Rod Thomas
Design/Animation, Daniel Miller
Editor & Colorist, Emma Blackman
Assistant Editor, Tony Scharko
Sound Design & Mix, Dennis Durante