The Beatles & Vans singing in a Yellow Submarine

The skateboard shoe and lifestyle company will offer four models, all part of Vans’ “classic” series. An iconic scene or illustration from The Beatles’ 1968 movie, “The Yellow Submarine,” drapes each shoe.

The most expensive product is the Sk8-Hi Reissue which features stylized portraits of all four Beatles running up the ankles apropos to cartoon portraits of each as they were animated for the film. The other shoes each feature psychedelic tableaus from the film. The Classic Slip-Ons play off the movie's Sea of Monsters, showing trippy marine life swimming in an ocean of pink.

The Era shoes depict all four band members, some wearing rainbow pants, hanging out in a yellow garden. And the final pair, a model called Authentic, is adorned with a pattern that reads "Allyouneedislove" running over and over again and into itself in purple, yellow and green.

The Beatles have much to celebrate this year, as it marks the 50th anniversary of their arrival in America.

It’s a very cool brand partnership and very fun and funky fitting within the Vans retro brand values. I’m not sure that following Metallica with The Beatles makes much sense more than merely being opportunistic but it looks very eye catching. In a very crowded market gaining that crucial brand endorsement or cool and unique edge means everything.

I’m also not sure that The Beatles would have done this in their heyday but they are clearly just making hay at the moment and why not? They missed the gravy train in terms of brand endorsements and sponsorships as they grew up in the wrong era.

They are making up for it now through new releases, documentaries and brand partnerships like this one with Vans which I am sure will go down well with both Vans fans and younger Beatles fans. I can’t see people the age of Paul McCartney wearing them.

How many of the Vans audience even know who The Beatles are though is a good question? Strikes me as a deal done by a Beatles-loving CMO rather than a commercial deal that will really make a difference to the bottom line.

Altogether now, “we all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine…”