Newsletter
Stars Unpack Their Favorite Songs for Debut of Beats Studio Buds
Serena Williams appears in first of a dozen spots
When tennis GOAT Serena Williams plugs in for some musical inspiration, she chooses Kelly Rowland’s “Black Magic,” because that pulsating R&B track delivers “an incredible message … it’s like finding your own self-worth and owning your womanhood and knowing that you deserve the world.”
In the clip below, Williams dishes about “Black Magic” to introduce Beats Studio Buds from Apple’s Beats by Dre brand…
…while rapper Roddy Ricch and comedian Druski discuss their fave tracks—Future’s “March Madness” and Luke Combs’ “Forever After All”—in other spots from the campaign, developed by Translation and Even/Odd director Mohammad Gorjestani:
The stars name-check features such as active noise cancellation and transparency mode, while in the same breath insisting “It’s the Music”—and their deep connection to certain songs—that draws them to the product.
It’s an intuitive way of saying that Beats enhances the listening experience—a harmonious, heartfelt union of feels and technology.
“When it came to casting our talent for ‘It’s the Music,’ we wanted to widen the lens a bit from the prototypical athlete and artist that the brand would historically tap,” Translation executive creative director Jason Campbell tells Muse.
“In addition to sports stars and musicians, we sought up-and-coming dancers, gamers and comedians,” Campbell says. “This wide breadth of talent and passion points also helped us drive home the fact that our love of music spans borders, industries, races and ages—no matter who you are or what you do for a living.”
Upcoming installments feature athletes Eileen Gu, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Rashford, singers Arlo Parks and Coi Leray, comic Elsa Majimbo and TikTok dance icon Junebug, among others.
Spots will roll out across Beats’ Instagram, talent channels and the NBA playoffs. As part of the campaign, Druski bought up all the Beats Studio Buds at a Target in Atlanta, handing them out to fans.
CREDITS
“It’s the Music”
Client: Beats by Dre
Agency: Translation
Edit: Edited by Parallax
Color: Dimitri Zola / MPC
Finishing: MPC
Mix: Ian Chase / Unbridled Sound
Footage Research: STALKR
Production Studio: Even/Odd
Director: Mohammad Gorjestani
Executive Producer: Malcolm Pullinger, Cayce Cole
Creative Director: Omid Fatemi
Cinematographer: Michael Cambio Fernandez
Photography: Mohammad Gorjestani
Head of Production: Taylor Feltner
Line Producer: Sheena Dolce
Translation
Founder/Chief Executive Officer: Steve Stoute
President: Ann Wool
Chief Marketing Officer: Chaucer Barnes
Executive Creative Director: Jason Campbell
Creative Lead: Castro Desroches
Creative Lead: Ray Smiling
Senior Art Director: Rachel Leathers
Senior Copywriter: Steve Horn
Art Director: Sara McLaws
Copywriter: Wilsynn Wheat
Head of Client Services: Susanna Swartley
Group Account Director: Alyssa Ramsey
Group Account Director: Sam Howard
Account Director: Chloe Williams
Account Executive: Jordyn Diato
Assistant Account Executive: Jordan Stanton
Executive Director of Engagement Planning: Joel Rodriguez
Director of Context Planning: Jay Legaspi
Senior Context Planner: Hugh Pringle
Junior Context Planner: Paige Rollins
Chief Strategy Officer : Sandi Preston
Strategy Director: Shon Mogharabi
Group Director, Data Strategy: Juli Profumo
Junior Data Strategist: Daniel Tan
Senior Producer: Alice Cottle
Director of Project Management: Matt DeSimone
Project Manager: Rikki Greenspan
Business Affairs Director: Sara Jagielski
Business Affairs Manager: Pavel Malchevski
Beats by Dre
CMO: Chris Thorne
Head of Brand: Grace Wong
Brand Director: Tom Kydd
Brand Manager: Ibukun Ibraheem
Global Creative Director: Diallo Marvel
Head of Corporate Communications: Sarah Joyce
Senior Project Manager: Jessica Lin
Executive Producer: Michael Refuerzo
Senior Producer: Eric Rasco
Producer: Sonia Pandya
Head of Music Marketing: Ed Alexander
Sports Marketing Manager: Aminah Charles
