Johnny Cupcakes was born in the trunk of a beat up ‘89 Toyota Camry. Not Johnny himself, but the brand that is fast becoming THE boutique brand. Johnny took huge risks to build his cupcake empire, but he has been reaping the rewards. This year, however, he is returning to his roots and giving back to the armies of dedicated fans who tirelessly wait in lines circling the block for a chance to buy his limited run, fresh out of the oven shirts and accessories. Johnny and co. are going on a suitcase tour dubbed “Back to Basics 2010.” He has embarked on a 30 stop tour across the US. Here is my story from Atlanta…
I wanted to see the mayhem for myself. I had heard about Johnny Cupcakes several years ago and was amazed at the energy that the brand exuded. I appreciated and respected the story behind the business and the hard work and dedication that is the foundation of this business. I’ve kept up with the new releases via the website and can honestly say that a lot of the designs just weren’t up my alley. I found myself asking the question: “What draws people to this brand?” “What is it about the image of Johnny Cupcakes that has people lining up for BLOCKS on new release day?!” The answer? I still don’t know, but having met the man himself I can definitely call myself a fan.
Johnny is engaging and truly thankful to all of his fans for their support. The event in Atlanta was held at Wish in Little Five Points. It was supposed to start at 7PM, but due to some technical difficulties it didn’t go down until around 10pm. Everyone stayed put, enduring questions of what was going on, trying to explain why we were all in line, and when that white and black van came down the street the line erupted in cheers. “Johnny! Johnny!”
Once set up they let everyone inside in small batches (see what I did there?) and even in small groups the Wish store was a mad house. The crowd was an eclectic mix of cultures, sub-cultures, and ages and everyone was there to support Johnny Cupcakes. Once inside, it was great to see how Johnny interacted with his fans. He took the time to listen to their stories, he shot back stories of his own, gave advice to budding artists, and posed for pictures with just about every fan who walked through the doors. He showed that he genuinely cared about the people wearing his shirts. The icing on the cake (that’s the last one I promise)? He bought pizza for everyone still waiting in line as an apology for the late start.
It’s a dream that few can realize to this extent, but Johnny has taken full advantage of his opportunity and is still working just as hard to make sure everyone knows about Johnny Cupcakes. Scope this video done by my buddy Stebs Schinnerer (whose work we’ve featured before) who is filming every leg of the tour and producing a video like this for each stop as well.
It’s amazing that just meeting the man behind the brand could change my perception of the company so much. Something that I thought was just another boutique brand that sold things that weren’t my style became more about the hard work, dedication, and desire to grow and to take care of the people that got you to where you are. I had many preconceived notions about the Johnny Cupcakes brand that have evolved through meeting and seeing the fans and seeing the common thread that crosses boundaries to link these people together. That’s what branding is about. If you happen to be able to make a living off of it, that’s cool, but if you’re able to bring people together, then that’s even better.
Check here for the tour schedule | Johnny Cupcakes Tour
Big thanks to | Wish | Johnny Cupcakes | Stebs Schinnerer
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Sounds like a fun event. Glad you were able to go and capture the moment for our Mafia readers.