Interactive Spotlight: i am OTHER
A family of creatives united by otherness.
When you think of the most innovative companies in the world, you probably don’t immediately think of i am OTHER, a company Pharrell William started in 2012. But i am OTHER is at the forefront of curating and creating content that consistently shapes our culture.
i am OTHER is a lifestyle and multimedia company that supports and drives thinkers, innovators, and outcasts, headquartered in New York City. The company believes that individuality is the new wealth and being proud of your differences creates and innovates the world around you. i am OTHER is doing what many brands wish they could do: using digital and physical media, viral and creative content to break down barriers.
For brands, having a philanthropic initiative is quickly becoming an expectation. i am OTHER rises to the occasion and beyond by deeply engaging in issues they care about. One philanthropic aspect of the company is From One Hand To AnOTHER, whose mission is “to change the world one kid at a time by providing them the tools and resources to meet their unique potential.” This pillar of their company focuses on pushing the future, or Generation Z, forward and helping them build a world that they want to live in. They’ve invited kids to do everything from design one of the first-ever DNA experiments in space (Genes in Space) to attending their Summer of Innovation Camp, which gives inner-city students access to companies like NASA.
Not only does i am OTHER have a philanthropic branch, but it also houses and elevates artists, designers, YouTube stars, musicians, and tech and fashion brands, among others. They’ve just produced their first feature film, Dope, a coming-of-age story about an average ’90s high school geek carefully navigating life in The Bottoms, one of the toughest neighborhoods in Inglewood, CA. The film features four original songs by Pharrell, and if they’re anything like “Happy,” we’ll be singing them all summer long.
When the interactive music video for “Happy” came out, it was a huge success. It was the world’s first 24-hour music video, and not only did it become a viral success (the cutdown of the video is currently the 28th most viewed YouTube video of all time) but it started a global movement of happiness. It is the anthem for all things feel-good.
People work their entire lives to create something that sticks in culture. i am OTHER has been able to create positive viral content again and again. They have their fingers on the pulse of the world and can translate that into things other than themselves—bigger than themselves.