Brands Are People, Too: Kimye

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are very divisive figures in today’s culture. People love to hate them and hate to love them all at the same time, but none of this has held them back from reaching brand status. Remember the backlash from Vogue’s decision to put this power couple (dubbed “Kimye” by the media) on their cover? Hundreds came forward to defend the sanctity of the fashion bible, with many even tweeting about how they wanted to unsubscribe now that it had supposedly been compromised.

The people who chose to give up their Vogue subscription are far eclipsed in number by those who tune in to watch “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” every week, just like the people who denounce their “tawdriness” (Tim Gunn, for example) are outnumbered by those who follow them on Instagram and Twitter. Doors are opened for Kim and Kanye, once by Anna Wintour herself who is notorious for being extremely strong-willed and difficult to please.

Kanye’s ego is well-established and detested by many. And truly, it can be difficult for consumers to relate to Kanye when he proclaims himself “the most relevant voice on the planet Earth.”

Kanye’s prodigious ego has been denounced by many as over-the-top, but the very outspokenness and confidence that it embodies is the key to Kanye’s self-branding. It seems to be working well for him. People are certainly talking about him, and now it’s not just limited to his lyrics, but how he challenges the status quo and maybe even symbolizes the power of capitalism. Where there’s Kanye, there’s buzz, and whether you personally deem that high or low art, it’s working from a business perspective.

In this regard, Kim may be the perfect partner for him. She is a brand in her own right. When she posted a post-baby selfie a few months ago, sales and Google searches for white bodysuits like the one she was wearing in it sky-rocketed within days. Perhaps it’s time pop culture did away with the casual dismissal of Kimye and analyzed what’s really working for them, and why.