John Summit Becomes Away's Chief Destruction Officer

John Summit has joined Away as its "Chief Destruction Officer," fronting a campaign that puts the luggage brand's Aluminum collection through a series of exaggerated durability tests. The partnership accompanies the introduction of new colorways in the collection, which launched on October 20.

From Rimowa Bonfire to Corporate Partnership

Earlier this year, Summit drew attention after taking a hammer to a damaged Rimowa suitcase and setting it on fire. The subplot followed what he described as repeated luggage failures while touring. According to Away, the partnership emerged after the company noticed his posts.

Drop Tests, Drifting Cars, and Fire

The campaign picks up where that saga left off, following Summit as he subjects his replacement luggage to increasingly excessive punishment. The social media videos feature drop tests, a car drifting into a suitcase, and another encounter with fire. Away describes the scenarios as intentionally outrageous extensions of its existing testing process, which the company says includes more than 900 hours of testing for the collection's aluminum shell.

Latest in Unconventional Crossovers

The partnership marks the latest unconventional corporate crossover for Summit. In September, his Experts Only brand appeared on the facade of the New York Stock Exchange as part of a campaign surrounding the label's second festival in New York. Earlier in the year, he also performed at a LinkedIn office in the Financial District to celebrate his latest album, CTRL ESCAPE, which released on Tax Day.

Away's new Aluminum colorways launched on October 20.