Nothing, a tech company from London known for rejecting the sameness of modern electronics, has found a collaborator that fits its style. The company just named Charli XCX as its first global brand ambassador and, importantly, as a shareholder.
This partnership is more than a typical celebrity endorsement. Charli joins other cultural investors like The Weeknd, filmmaker Casey Neistat, and Swedish House Mafia. This group represents the kind of company few want to become.
Nothing has always been clear about its values. Since launching five years ago, the company has challenged a tech industry it calls “cold and minimalist,” stuck in a cycle where every new product seems the same as the last.
Charli XCX has taken a similar approach in music. Nothing pointed out that she has spent her career putting “the messy, complicated stuff centre stage while most artists smooth it out,” letting her personality guide her creative choices rather than focusing on commercial success.
It’s a strong and fitting comparison.
Charlie Smith, Nothing’s Chief Brand Officer, described the deal simply: “This isn’t a traditional endorsement. She’s a shareholder, a collaborator and someone who shares our belief that technology should be a vehicle for creative expression.”
Charli agreed. “Nothing actually feels different to me,” she said. “I’ve always just wanted to do things on my own terms, and that’s exactly what they’re doing, making stuff with personality that doesn’t look or feel like anything else.”
The partnership kicks off with a global campaign called NOTHING (CHARLI XCX), filmed in London by Aidan Zamiri. The campaign focuses on Nothing’s newest product, the Nothing headphone (a), and highlights its main feature: a long-lasting 135-hour battery. The visuals match both the brand’s style and Charli’s creative world.
Carl Pei, Nothing’s co-founder and CEO, explained the company’s vision: “The tech industry has spent a decade making everything quieter, more minimal, more monotonous. Charli has spent her career going against the grain in pop. We want Nothing to feel more like that.”
By bringing Charli XCX on as both a public face and an investor, Nothing is showing that it is carefully thinking through the brand it wants to become and who it wants to work with as it grows.
Whether you’re a big fan of Charli, a Nothing supporter, or just tired of typical celebrity tech deals, this partnership is at least trying something truly different.