The Campaign

Question: How do you make millions of Australians reconsider a low-cost retail brand they've dismissed for years? Answer: Make them think they're shopping somewhere else. The fashion industry runs on the perception that higher prices and designer labels mean that you’ll look more stylish. Standing against this myth is low-cost Australian retail chain Best&Less, who believe that fashion should be affordable for everyone. The problem was that most Australians would be mortified at the idea of being seen in a Best&Less store. They wouldn’t go to Best&Less, so we took Best&Less to them – in disguise. We created LAB – a new high-style fashion store in the heart of Sydney’s high-end fashion district. We disguised Best&Less clothes with new labels and inflated prices. And we watched secretly while shoppers browsed, tried on clothing, and bought our collections. When they reached the checkout, we revealed that the clothes were actually from Best&Less, and that the price was far more affordable than they were originally willing to pay. We re-framed what was essentially a pop-up store into a social experiment, bringing a social commentator and research on board to drive PR cut-through. Through prime-time news media coverage, the LAB story reached 1 in every 3 Australians. The LAB pop-up store sales outperformed the best performing Best&Less store sales by 1733%. And we gave Australian women a reason to think again about the price they’re paying for fashion.

The Brief

Is Best&Less affordable? Yes, undoubtedly. Are their clothes fashionable? No. This is what your average Australian would believe. They’re also firm believers in the prevailing myth that drives the fashion industry; the higher the price, the more fashionable you’ll look. To convince them otherwise, we needed them to see for themselves that Best&Less has great looking, on-trend, affordable fashion collections. And we needed them to understand that you don’t have to pay big money for expensive labels in order to be stylish. First, we needed to get them into a store.

Results

• 1 in 3 Australians reached (over 8 million Australians) • The day after The Current Affair feature story went to air, in-store sales at LAB doubled • The LAB pop-up store sales outperformed the best performing Best&Less store sales by 1733% • Estimated media value of $3 million • Consumer reactions captured the change in perception: o “I’m not a snob, but I would never usually shop at Best&Less”… before buying even more at LAB o “It’s definitely changed how I feel about Best&Less… there’s actually fashionable stuff in there!” o “I felt a bit embarrassed that I’d had that pre-judgment before” o “I was shocked. I never would’ve guess that was Best&Less”

Execution

LAB launched in the heart of Sydney’s high-end fashion district for just 22 days. While shoppers browsed and purchased, we secretly filmed their every move and comment from a specially created surveillance room. Customers who were happy to pay the inflated prices on the tags received a very pleasant surprise at the counter. A dress marked $140, rang up at $40, because Best&Less believes that you shouldn’t have to pay high prices for great style. We captured shoppers’ shocked reactions with hidden cameras. We broke the story as the lead piece on one of Australia’s highest-rated national news programs, A Current Affair. It was followed closely by other news, radio, print and online publications. A partnership with hugely popular and on-target blog Mamamia amplified the filmed content and drove debate online. Collectively we reached over 8 million Australians – forcing women to reconsider the price they pay for fashion.

The Situation

“You would never ever catch me shopping at Best&Less” average Australian. Best&Less, one of Australia’s largest retail chains, was founded on the promise of affordable fashion for all. The problem is, most Australians would be mortified at the idea of being seen walking into a Best&Less store. Known as the place that your parents took you to for socks and underwear, Best&Less has worked hard over the years to shake off its cut-price image. They’ve reworked the brand. They’ve redesigned the stores. They’ve even overhauled the collection. It wasn’t enough. Which is where we came in.

The Strategy

Australian women weren’t coming to Best&Less. So we brought Best&Less to them. In disguise. We created LAB, a pop-up boutique store in Sydney, alongside high-end fashion brands. In this store, Best&Less fashion was disguised under a new label ‘LAB’, with inflated prices. And we watched secretly while shoppers browsed, tried on clothing, and bought our clothes. The true price and brand only revealed at check-out. By creating an experience that shocked and confounded shoppers, we held up a mirror to the fashion industry and its distorted pricing – showing Australians that you shouldn’t have to spend big on labels to look stylish. And we revealed all via an exclusive with one of the most-watched TV programmes in Australia, supported by a partnership with one of the most influential blogs.