Has Converse Lost Its Edge? A Look at the Latest "Get Chucked" Campaign

Maybe a few more looks will mellow us out,
but we're not stoked about the latest " Get Chucked" campaign for Converse by John Varvatos (see, right). Which is upsetting, because we used to really love these print and outdoor spots.

It seems the brand has gone Hollywood in the few years since its launch, and by "Hollywood," we mean mainstream, away from its grittier New York roots.

Take a look at one of the print spots at right. The campaign, shot by photog Ryan McGinley and created by Yard, New York (which did the previous campaigns as well), takes place at what the release calls "a Spanish-style house tucked away in the Hollywood Hills." See? We were dead on about the whole going Hollywood thing. Literally.

The photos are technically  good—we're actually fans of McGinley's work, which you can see here, particularly the way he captures youthful nudes in their un-Photoshop-ed beauty—but they just don't seem to have the punch that the campaign from spring 2007 did. Those ads featured cheeky shots suggestive of public urination, summer BBQ spots (see both, left), and "subversive" messages like "Legalize Everything" and "Sexy Mess" and "Social Discomfort."

The campaign that followed, for fall 2007, seemed definitely more toned down but still had an edge, documenting a young rocker couple's decadent weekend in a (Chelsea?) hotel suite. Nice little quirks, such as "God Save Queens" emblazoned in white paint across an oversized shirt (see, below, right) added that dose of New York grit that still very much said "Get Chucked" to us.

But the new McGinley-shot campaign doesn't seem to
have that edge. Don't misunderstand, we love midriff-
showing, skinny tie-wearing, hipster-ish boys, and we like pools too. (And yeah, yeah, the girl in that vintage-chic peasant dress is pretty cute too). But these kids just seem, well, rather bored, don't they?

Has the "Get Chucked" campaign lost its edge, or is it just us? Hash it out in the comment box below.

Comments

[Cody]

Maybe it's not as edgy, but the model in the new one is by far the hottest yet, bro.

[Sarah]

Funny you should mention this. There is one of the guy in the tie on the diving board in a bus stop right next to my gallery on Tenth Ave that I walk by every day, and I really dislike it. The model is such an Anthony Kiedis wanna-be, and it might just be the NY-er in me, but the whole swimming pool thing screams shallow and bored (not like intellectual and bored, like NY hotel scenes-ha!). I concur that the new ads are pretty toned down and blase -- I feel like I've seen them already, like maybe back in 1996??

[Jo]

What are they even selling these days?