- The Branded Moment
- Posts
- Payless or Pay More?
Brand: Payless
Campaign: Palessi Prank
Read time: 3 minutes
💬 Overview 💬
Remember Payless?
That store your mom used to drag you to on your first day of second grade.
And you'd eagerly measure your foot on those foot measuring rulers to see if you grew even just a half a size.
It was fun back then, but as you got older, you realized it wasn't exactly the epitome of coolness.
Your interests started to evolve, and you found yourself gravitating towards different brands.
But why settle for a $200 shoe when you could get the same pair for $20?
That's the question Payless Shoesource asked.
💙 The Branded Moment 💙
The fun began…
In order to show consumers that there really wasn’t that much of a difference between Payless and high fashion, the discount shoe brand decided they’d make an upscale version of themselves.
The retailer created a fictitious luxury brand, "Palessi," and created a real, storefront. filled with unsuspecting fashion influencers.
The brand staged a launch party, with real fashion influencers in an upscale mall in LA.
…And the influencers were fooled.
No one could tell the difference between $50 and $500 shoes.
💡 Results 💡
The campaign successfully spotlighted the role branding plays in perceived value.
Good Morning America, ABC News, and more picked up the prank. The campaign garnered millions of social impressions and drove real conversation around the legitimacy of luxury goods.
Payless created their holiday campaign around the idea that their shoes are worth up to $600, but you can buy them for $19.99 or less.
What a great way to drive conversation about your brand going into the holiday season. 👏
🎬 Take Action 🎬
What is the most common misconception about your brand? How do you want your brand to be perceived?
In the case of Payless, they knew their shoes were “good enough” but no one thought of their brand that way.
This week, consider your consumer’s perception of your brand. Where are the disconnects, and how you can create a stunt to challenge the way they see you?
What’s New This Week
One new product I tried this week 👉 Halfday Iced Tea A delicious prebiotic Snapple
One new campaign I’m loving 👉 Alix & Paris are hanging out and eating breakfast.
One new brand I’m following 👉 Hubspot on LinkedIn. Want to see a brand that’s doing LinkedIn right? It’s Hubspot.
Brandkeeping
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it on to 3 marketers you know!
And if you have a brand or campaign you want to spotlight, please reply directly to this newsletter.
Let’s chat!
See ya!
Ali
Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here for The Branded Moment newsletter.
Reply