Erykah Badu Masters the Art of Downtime for Ray-Ban x Meta Collaboration

Scheme Engine’s Charles Todd directs Erykah Badu in 'The Art of Downtime,' the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses campaign for creative solutions company Translation. 

The spot gives us a first-hand look from the point of view of the cultural icon as she embraces downtime and enjoys life on her own terms, all while staying in the moment with the help of the smart glasses. 

To most of the world, Erykah Badu is known as an iconoclast, a Grammy- award winning singer-songwriter and performer artist who has paved her own individual path within music. She is much more than a bold musician. She’s a mother, director, and a fashion icon. 

Todd captures Badu as a creative force, one who is constantly embarking on new adventures pushing creative boundaries and using her downtime to fuel her energy and momentum on stage. 

“This was a DREAM project and a creative revelation for what’s possible when collaboration and trust are the foundation of a partnership between agency, artist, client and director. The agency and I were excited to explore Erykah's liberating approach to downtime. Collectively, we imagined an Alice In Wonderland-esque world (titled 'Erykah in The Baduverse') where Erykah travels to replenish her soul,” says Charles. 

We see Badu’s POV playing the piano, we listen as she calls her daughter, Puma and Connect journeys of self-expression. The film captures the behind-the-scenes look at Badu’s life when she isn’t on stage or gracing the red carpet demonstrating ways she is able to naturally use the smart glasses and all its features from taking pictures to making phone calls, while also staying in the moment without interruption.