Merch thatโs Ugly-on-Purpose is now a capital-t Thing.
At least, that’s the only way I can explain the Pizza Hut hat from Chain that is so highly coveted that it has sold out multiple times.
Why occasionally having branded merchandise thatโs ugly is helpful for your business.
๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ, ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง.ย ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ซ:
๐น It’s a signal of ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ. Not everyone is invited to these celeb-infused events. The hat is an IYKYK social signal of an elite society.
๐น It’s ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐, which is super powerful in and of itself
๐น It ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ — the hat is loud and noticeable. It’s the equivalent of a neon shirt or dying your hair purple.
๐
๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ’๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก, ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐.ย This technique won’t work for every brand but it’s worth considering if a loud design might work for yours.ย If someone who loves your brand wants to wear it as a fashion statement, let them!
Why do YOU think this design is so popular?ย Do you like it, would you wear it?ย And lastly, could a loud or ugly design work for your brand?