Q&A: How Payless Brilliantly Bamboozled Fashionistas With Its Fake Luxury Pop-up, 'Palessi'

'We couldn’t skimp in any way. It had to feel real.'

#SMW is right around the corner. Join us April 9-11 in NYC to get up to speed on all the latest strategies, technologies and trends you need to be following. Register now.

There may be a few schools of thought on why the Payless faux boutique stunt has attracted so much attention this week, with its videos of Los Angeles fashionistas paying $600 for $20 shoes going viral within hours of launching on social media.

One: It’s a brilliant marketing move that calls attention to stylish footwear at bargain prices and shakes up popular (and stale) opinion about a retailer that’s been around since the late 1950s.

Two: It’s a sharp jab in the eye to influencers willing to shell out big bucks for pedestrian products.

AW+

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Spring Special

Save 30% Off an ADWEEK Subscription Today!

View Your Options

Already a member? Sign in