As a society, many of us often have a good whinge about the price of things, but skincare brand The Ordinary is here to prove that it could be much worse. Its new pop-up shop, the Markup Marché, has attracted attention for its obscene price tags, from $175.90 bananas to $305.90 avocados. And how can they charge such a fee? Because premium brands are already doing it.
It's safe to say that a large majority of folks can be easily swayed by iconic brands and a bit of fancy packaging design, but The Ordinary is here to shine a light on the manipulative tactics these brands use to manipulate buyers. Turns out, all it takes is some posh-sounding jargon and an inflated product description to create a 'luxury' product, but beneath the glitz, is it all just empty packaging?
Created in partnership with Uncommon Creative Studio, the Markup Marché is all about highlighting the absurdity of luxury branding language. Instead of bananas, the pop-up supermarket sells an 'All-Natural Magical Energy-Boosting Bar', and no, that's no regular Avocado, that's a 100% Natural Glow-Enhancing Vitality Orb, of course.
The pop-up also includes interactive experiences like 'The Jargon Bar', a humble juice bar reimagined with the same buzzwords and gimmicks found in skincare, and even a chance for shoppers to create their own ridiculous product labels.
“We wanted to take the codes the beauty industry relies on – language, packaging, presentation – and apply them to the most familiar products possible. When you see those same tactics used on everyday items, it exposes just how powerful and sometimes absurd – those signals of value can be,” says Nils Leonard, Co-Founder of Uncommon Creative Studio.
I'll admit that when I first heard about this stunt, I was appalled that anyone could justify flogging the humble avo for over $300, but when studies showed that "a fifth (20%) of UK consumers say they’d pay up to £20 more if a product was described as magic," it becomes clear the issue is already present. With US consumers "willing to pay 45% more for exactly the same product, if it has more premium packaging," The Ordinary's new campaign is a playful yet illuminating look at an industry shrouded in empty word salad.
For more branding inspiration, check out the problem with International Women’s Day branding, and why 'Women don't need another inspirational slogan' or take a look at why Primark's luxury ad parody isn't the flex it thinks it is
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