MUSE: Lil Yachty and Iris Apfel Connect Over Luxury Watches in eBay Campaign

What Generation Gap?

Rapper Lil Yachty, 24, and fashion icon Iris Apfel—who turns 100 this weekend—come together over their shared love for luxury timepieces in the debut of eBay's “Old School Meets New School” content series, created by The Many.

In a one-minute film, this unlikely duo challenges traditional notions of age, race, gender, and culture. The film cleverly showcases eBay’s range of brands, from the classic elegance of Rolex and Audemars Piguet to innovative new labels. (Classic meets contemporary, indeed).

Iris: “I love mixing high and low. A very expensive watch paired with a bunch of tacky bracelets. Do you ever wear more than one watch at a time?”

Yachty: “Not really my style... but it’s a trend in rap.”

Iris: “Is it? I didn’t know that. I always do it. But I don’t follow trends.”

Their engaging conversation avoids heavy topics, focusing instead on relaxed, brand-boosting dialogue, while subtly emphasizing their generational differences. (Tom Brady would surely appreciate the nod to luxury wristwear!)

“eBay is a marketplace that unites people from various communities and perspectives, but we noticed a gap in luxury watch content that reflects this diversity,” says Pam Fujimoto, Creative Director at The Many. “We aimed to bridge this by pairing two style icons from different worlds to highlight how a mutual passion can create unexpected connections.”

The campaign not only targets watch enthusiasts but also seeks to reach fans of both Lil Yachty and Iris Apfel, explains Rediate Tekeste, Brand Director at The Many.

On location

For the shoot, Iris and Yachty filmed separately but in the same location, using an Interrotron camera rig to maintain a personal connection with each other and the audience, according to Kim Vorse, Senior Producer at The Many.

The bond between the two was genuine; at the shoot’s conclusion, Iris asked for Yachty’s number to invite him to her birthday party, Fujimoto reveals.

Stay tuned for new episodes of “Old School Meets New School,” coming soon to the @ebaywatches Instagram handle and other social channels.