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The Burberry Chavs:
When you think of Burberry, what’s the first thing that springs
to mind? Catwalk models and stylish wealthy socialites
parading around the English countryside; or chavs and
drunken football fans drinking larger in the local park?
Burberry is the perfect example of a brand whose fandom
very nearly ruined its image. In fairness, the Luxury fashion
label has made a big come back in recent years, and thanks
to some pretty savvy advertising, for the most part succeeded
in shaking off its market stall image. But maintaining a
luxury-clothing name is tricky and if the wrong demographic
of people suddenly become fans it can be very damaging to a
brand’s reputation. Unfortunately for Burberry, that’s exactly
what happened.
Growing up near Liverpool back in the 90’s, I can still
remember seeing the ubiquitous checked pattern everywhere,
particularly among football fans, (of which there were many).
The Burberry print quickly became the unofficial uniform for
what was referred to as the ‘chav’ community. And when
former soap star, Daniella Westbrook (best known for her
nose-eroding cocaine habit), was famously pictured with
her daughter dressed in a head to toe matching outfit, it did
nothing to help the brands reputation. The Burberry name
became a bit of a joke and when pubs and clubs across the
country began to ban customers who dressed in the label it
became clear that the company needed a new strategy, fast!
The brand removed the checked baseball caps from sale and
reduced the visibility of its distinctive pattern. It also made a
big effort to clamp down on copyright infringement to reduce
the amount of cheep imitation goods available to what it
considered to be the ‘wrong’ type of fans.
In an effort to go back to its roots, Burberry tried to recapture
the essence of ‘Englishness’. Reinventing the old classics and
hiring stereotypically British models, such as Stella Tennant,
granddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. It was
part of a massive advertising campaign to focus on tradition
and quintessential English heritage, championing good oldfashioned British clothes. And to all extents and purposes,
it appears to have worked. With the likes of Kate Middleton
and Emma Watson now being pictured in outfits, the brand is
well and truly back on track and its old chav status is quickly
fading into a distant memory.
The Abercrombie
Fitch Fat Fail: