http://www.bostonherald.com/business/media/view.bg?articleid=1071573Converse fetes centennial with reissues, ad campaign
By Donna Goodison
In celebration of its 100th year, Converse Inc. opened its archives to reissue some of its classic sneakers while giving modern twists to some of its iconic styles.
Now owned by Nike Inc., North Andover-based Converse was founded by Marquis Mills Converse as the Converse Rubber Shoe Co. in Malden in 1908. It’s marking its centennial by using its new Century footwear collection, advertising and Web site to tell the stories of those who have elevated the status of the brand over the years.
Converse will break a new global advertising campaign celebrating its Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers and their connection to pop-culture icons in the worlds of sports, music, fashion and art since their introduction in 1917. The “Connectivity” campaign will launch in 75 countries this month and hit the United States later this year.
Among Converse’s new Century offerings are Black Fives sneakers that pay homage to the first professional African-American basketball teams that played in the United States in the first decades of the 20th century. One pair is a replica of the 1933 Converse All Stars worn by the players. The Black Fives Pro Leather 1976 and Black Fives All Star Revolution, meanwhile, are Converse styles re-imagined with a nod to the players.
Another Converse style that’s being reissued is the original Pro Leather 1976 high-top worn by former Philadelphia 76er Julius “Dr. J” Erving in the days when short basketball shorts and tall socks ruled.
“Over the past 30 years, it kind of evolved to more of a bulked up, beefed up shoe,” said Molly Carter, director of sports communications for Converse. “It’s being reissued in its original form both technically and aesthetically.”
Converse also is bringing back the Weapon and Pro Team high-top basketball sneakers introduced in the 1980s, the Turf Pro and Tennis All Star shoes, and the lesser-known Scout (as in Boy Scouts) sneakers.
As part of its collaboration with (Red), an organization founded by U2’s Bono and philanthropist Bobby Shriver to raise awareness and money for the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa, Converse is releasing a limited edition 1Hund(Red) Artists collection. Converse commissioned 100 artists to create their own sneaker designs. Contributors range from 28-year-old Boston artist Kenji Nakayama to U2’s The Edge to Billy Armstrong, lead singer and guitarist for Green Day.
“It’s really inspirational to see how these artists have used the Chuck Taylor canvas to express something,” said Geoff Cottrill, Converse’s chief marketing officer.
