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Ralph Lauren’s Plan to Lure Younger Shoppers: Hype
Can a ubiquitous fashion label create and market a sense of scarcity?
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Ralph Lauren isn’t just about plain polo shirts and peacoats anymore. It’s about the hype.
Looking for some buzz, the 52-year-old fashion house using tactics straight from the “hypebeast” playbook—industry slang for shoppers who obsess about clothes that get extensive publicity. Similar to Apple fanatics who camp out in advance of a new iPhone release, these devoted buyers are willing to stand in line for hours to get their hands on the latest drop of sneakers or T-shirts from brands such as Supreme or A Bathing Ape.