Josh Baker plays pop-up party in Manchester for launch of JD’s Christmas campaign
JD's Forever Forward campaign puts a lens on youth culture and asks, “Where are you going?"
Josh Baker played a pop-up party in Manchester on Thursday, November 6, to mark the launch of JD’s Christmas campaign, 'Where You Going?', the following day on November 7 which puts a lens on youth culture and asks, “Where are you going?".
286 young people have been given mobile phones to shoot real scenes of life as they live it. Among the individuals chosen are premier league stars Cole Palmer, Jeremie Frimpong and Myles Lewis-Skelly, rappers Nemzzz, Chy Cartier and LeoStayTrill, popstar Jade Thrilwall, Scouse UFC fighter Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, and house music DJ Josh Baker.
“This year, JD hands over the camera and creative control to young people themselves. No rigs. No sets. No lighting crews. Just 286 individuals from around the world capturing life exactly as they see it. Vertical. Unfiltered. Real,” states a press release.
The launch party in Manchester on Thursday saw Nell's Pizza in the Norther Quarter transformed into a shop called Phones-4-Youse with mobiles and iPads in glasses screening contributions to the campaign around the packed-out dancefloor. A mural of Josh Baker was also painted on the shutters outside.
After a warm-up set of vocal house from local favourite Aletha (pictured above), the advert was screened behind the makeshift DJ booth, before Josh Baker took the reins, laying down a rowdy two-hour set, drawing for fan favourites such as ‘Dr Feel RIght’, ‘Back It Up’ and ‘Leave A Message’ from his own discography alongside cuts from the likes of PAWSA. The OBP collective (Original Beat Providers) then closed out the party with some bumping house selections, keeping the energy peaking 'til close.
Neil Corrie, Marketing Director at JD, says: “Young people today don’t need to be told who they are, they’re already showing us. JD’s ‘Where are you going?’ isn’t about them, it’s made by them. It’s their voice and their direction. This is youth culture, not as a trend to follow, but as a movement to believe in”.
Watch the advert, which was created by Uncommon Creative Studio. below.