To straddle art, commerce, and experience successfully for marketing, companies need a creative strategy. Some brands can manage to walk the line between art, commerce, and experience more successfully than others. Such brands have a clear vision of what they want to be for their customers. They do things their own way irrespective of how their competitors operate. They do not want to build hype; they want to enhance themselves. Below are some notable brands that have successfully straddled art, commerce, and experience.

Supreme

Supreme is a lifestyle skateboarding brand which was established in NYC in 1994. At its outset, its founder, James Jebbia, did not have a concrete business plan. He just wanted to build an authentic skate brand that its target customers, the hardcore skaters, would appreciate. Jebbia wasn’t a skater himself and so he hired Gio Estevez, who is an artist and skateboarder. Gio’s team was made of his fellow skaters which made the brand seem genuine and authentic. The layout of the brand’s store had an open central space which made it convenient for skaters to enter the store on their boards. Although the initial sales were slow, the skater community gradually began to embrace the vibe of the brand and became loyal customers. The brand witnessed organic growth and now there are ten Supreme locations worldwide.

Off-white

Off-white is a fashion brand that started a new narrative based on free thinking. The brand was founded in 2013 by Virgil Abloh and continues to be popular after his death in 2021. Abloh was a visionary and his brand revolutionized streetwear and luxury wear. Deconstruction is an essential characteristic of the brand, and it was community-based. The brand is known for its offbeat collabs and hoodies that are priced at $1,000. The brand curated looks that exhibited bold artistic direction. An important design element of the garments is chunky quotation marks. The clothes are known for their plain labels and high-end fabrics.

Burning Man

Burning Man began as a desert retreat and is now a full-scale community and movement. It is like a city that is organized around certain key principles such as experiences, sharing, imagination, and community. For instance, a participant at a Burning Man event may not only touch an exhibited painting but can also add to it. There is infrastructure, but community is an important element. Anyone can offer an artistic contribution or a service as a gift. The focus is on the diversity of experiences. In 2019, the brand hosted 80,000 artists and influencers at Black Rock City. The brand is about expression, innovation, and the need to question regressive values. Visual displays are an important part of their content, and their architecture resonates strongly with contemporary culture.

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Ronn Torossian is the Founder & Chairman of 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently owned PR firms in the United States. Since founding 5WPR in 2003, he has led the company's growth and vision, with the agency earning accolades including being named a Top 50 Global PR Agency by PRovoke Media, a top three NYC PR agency by O'Dwyers, one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces and being awarded multiple American Business Awards, including a Stevie Award for PR Agency of the Year. With over 25 years of experience crafting and executing powerful narratives, Torossian is one of America's most prolific and well-respected public relations executives. Throughout his career he has advised leading and high-growth businesses, organizations, leaders and boards across corporate, technology and consumer industries. Torossian is known as one of the country's foremost experts on crisis communications. He has lectured on crisis PR at Harvard Business School, appears regularly in the media and has authored two editions of his book, "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations," which is an industry best-seller. Torossian's strategic, resourceful approach has been recognized with numerous awards including being named the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, the American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year, twice over, an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist, a Top Crisis Communications Professional by Business Insider, Metropolitan Magazine's Most Influential New Yorker, and a recipient of Crain's New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Outside of 5W, Torossian serves as a business advisor to and investor in multiple early stage businesses across the media, B2B and B2C landscape. Torossian is the proud father of two daughters. He is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and a board member of multiple not for profit organizations.