BEATS ME: Do goth kids break out a smile in family portraits? Of course not.
French composer and musician Bfrnd, aka the husband of Balenciaga creative director Demna, grimaces in a campaign to promote his multifangled collaboration with Balenciaga Music.
It includes a four-hour playlist, an original 8-bit video game and a small range of merchandise that includes T-shirts and hoodies, each garment equipped with an NFC chip that provides access to all the content.
Since 2020, Balenciaga has made exclusive playlists available on Apple Music, and Bfrnd’s spans 68 tracks from the likes of Depeche Mode, Mazzy Star, Crystal Castles, Radiohead, Bat for Lashes and Brutalismus 3000.
A Bfrnd hoodie.
It’s available to stream from Tuesday. Meanwhile, “Bfrnd: The Game” is described as a “pixelated adventure” that takes one through various Balenciaga show sets of the last few years, backed by the original soundtracks Bfrnd created for each runway display.
His signature sound blends genres, and his tastes center on dark electronica and classical pieces.
Game characters navigate around obstacles to collect iconic Balenciaga products and win points. Balenciaga said it will reward the top 30 players in a worldwide contest.
A still from the Balenciaga video game featuring Bfrnd.
Courtesy of Balenciaga
The video game’s first three levels are accessible to anyone via a dedicated mini-site, WeChat or a touchscreen at the Balenciaga flagship store on Avenue Montaigne.
Those who purchase the Bfrnd merch have access to a fourth bonus level of the game.
A take on vintage family portraits, the campaign was shot by Melchior Tersen and features Bfrnd, whose real name is Loïk Gomez, with actors standing in as his musical family.