MJTruth;4194685 said:
Ooops I didn't read your post.
So they release genuinely limited quantities of these items? what's the point then?
Yes, the rarity of such items and the hype it produces is a signature aspect of the Supreme brand.
From
this article:
Well the way Supreme works is instead of having a constant supply of a popular designs, such as Adidas track pants or Nike Just Do It shirts, Supreme instead makes “drops” on Thursdays where they release new designs. In these drops they release a very limited amount of any design, and after that drop they don’t sell that same design again... ...the feeling of rarity boosts people’s demand for the products, and the fact that they release so little at a time reduces the supply. Supreme’s artificial scarcity somehow works like magic, and if they can sell out anything they want in a matter of seconds then that seems like any company's dream, right?
Well this special position Supreme is in is a double edged sword, since even if they know a particular design will sell for a lot, they know they can’t make any more of it. At the end of the day however, the reason Supreme is so popular is exactly because of the fact that they make everything so limited, and their prices aren’t even that high; a shirt will retail for only about $44!
The article seems like a good introduction to the company's working model for those uninitiated, you might be interested in it.
MJTruth;4194685 said:
Branca said the estate would make no money on this deal but that they hoped to get new fans some day as a result of the deal. Well, with only very limited quantities I doubt they will attract many new fans (basic statistics), especially as the design is....well, uninspiring.
Almost everyone who wears Supreme are young (teens to young adults). To have such a youthful brand focusing it's attention on Michael Jackson puts a spotlight on him for an audience that might not usually pay attention to him. Even if there are lower numbers of the product per-say, think of the marketing, discussion, rarity and demand that'll follow as a result. Seeing dope images of MJ on a clothing line by a respected brand could get them to check him out on Spotify/Apple Music too I guess
I think what is key to remember is that working with a higher end 'premium' brand that is respected by younger audiences and popular with them helps associate the Michael Jackson brand name with a youthful, higher end image too. In fact, I just googled Branca discussing the Supreme collaboration and this reason is
exactly why they're going forward with it, to re-brand MJ's image with a younger audience. Older audiences might not get it, but they're not the target audience.
Here's a discussion where people discuss the popularity of Supreme and it's brand. Good explanations in there!
MJTruth;4194685 said:
I still believe it's true that these products would be MUCH more appealing to fans and non-fans if they used a design that was good. Something that might actually appeal to the Supreme's target market. I know it seems as though I think I know more than 'Supreme' themselves. A man of my age is not known for being intune with the skater fraternity but I have to say that I think I do this time around.
I mean when it comes to fashion, everyone's going to have their own opinions on what looks good and what doesn't.
The thing is, these designs
do appeal to Supreme's target market as this simplistic, minimalistic style is what they're known for. Take for instance Pink Diamond Princess and I, we're both young and within Supreme's target market and we've both expressed here how we like the simplicity of the designs.
I'm sure it's not to everyone's liking in our age bracket, but if you look at the success and popularity of the brand, well it is evidently appealing to a lot in this age bracket