Bose and Beats are two of the most premium and leading headphone brands in the world, and with premium influence and quality comes a very specific consumer base.
To add some some emphasis on the term “specific consumer base”, we have to look at who exactly the companies really advertise and appeal to. Looking at the “Hear What You Want” campaign from Beats, it is mostly advertised towards people of color largely due to the fact that the campaign shows successful and influential black people. These black people could also in turn be idols and role-models for many fans and consumers of Beats headphones, which also may be sought after for the sound quality of the headphones. It also pushes the idea that anybody can listen to whatever they choose, regardless of what it is.
The Bose campaign, however, has a more… anti-music approach to their advertising. Their campaign focuses more on the noise-canceling technology of their headphones, as they are focusing on consumers who just really don’t like any kind of noise to begin with. Bluntly speaking, the consumer is mostly caucasian-based and more… privileged if you are catching my drift.
While it can be uncomfortable to talk about race, it seems unavoidable when comparing these ads. It is important however not to over simplify. I would say that while The Beats ad campaign is aimed at African-Americans, it isn’t aimed at all African Americans but rather fashion conscious, urban young people. The Bose campaign is certainly aimed at middle-aged, affluent suburbanites who might tend to be white but could be of any background.