Akademiks Clothing – Urban Clothing Genius Level Marketing

In 2004, Akademiks clothing achieved a degree of notoriety when its advertisements on New York MTA buses, which included the tagline "Read Books, Get Brain", were banned. Although MTA officials had not originally realized that there was any double meaning in this phrase, it was later pointed out that "get brain" was in fact, a slang term for "receive oral sex" along the lines of "get head".

The headline was no oversight; it was intentional as explained by Akademiks Ad Designer Anthony Harrison who said, "We knew this. It's coded language, city slang. Teens know what it means but the public doesn't"

A New York City schoolteacher said about the ad, "They are trying to get boys to pick up a book, but the implication is they'll get sex if they get literate, It denigrates education and young women."

I believe many people would disagree and say that the ads do the opposite: they state that women prefer to have sex with literate men (as opposed to illiterate men). In other words, women have standards and are not afraid to exercise them.

Whatever the case maybe, since the bus incident this urban clothing brand has never looked back. They have pushed the limits of urban fashion design and innovation to new levels. In addition, some may say that this carefully scripted add was the catalyst in pushing the Hip Hop fashion label into the mainstream.

Do you believe Akademiks “got brain” and decided to use the negative connotation of their ad to propel themselves past their competition? Let me know your thoughts.