Latest news with #limitededition
Forbes
an hour ago
- Business
- Forbes
How Ralph Lauren's Oak Bluffs Line Nails Modern Consumer Engagement
Retailer Ralph Lauren recently announced the Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs, a limited-edition collection. It is significant because it pays homage to and tells the story of the Oak Bluffs community on Martha's Vineyard, known as a safe haven for Black communities for more than a century. The collection and Ralph Lauren's rollout provides several great examples of how to authentically engage and earn the attention and loyalty of a community – particularly those from those that have been traditionally underrepresented and underserved. The consumers of today are not the same as they were even ten years ago. They continue to grow increasingly more diverse with their identities, and more than ever they are expecting brands to acknowledge their identity in marketing. Here's are some key takeaways from Ralph Lauren's approach that you should use as inspiration in your quest to authentically engage and convert a broader diversity of consumers who have the problem your brand solves. The Ralph Lauren Oak Bluffs Campaign Extended the invitation to Black consumers One of the common missteps brands take when working to grow a bigger and more diverse customer base, is to not extend an invitation to them to be their customer. Often, brands will produce their products and services, and just expect consumers to be aware that they are welcome. Ralph Lauren didn't wait for Black consumers to come to them. They saw the community, and this aspect of their culture, and invited the community in by placing this piece of culture on a pedestal through the lens of this special-edition collection. As a Black woman, I first heard about this collection through the chatter about it from various Black creators discussing and appreciating it on TikTok and YouTube. Although there are some detractors, the sentiment from most of the videos is positive. The invitation Ralph Lauren extended wasn't just an ad that featured Black people that had the heir of 'here, come buy my stuff.' The campaign took the time to lean into celebrate the story of a place that has held a lot of significance for a component of the Black community. For those people who had spent time in or already knew about Oak Bluffs, it was a beautiful memory. For those that may not have been aware, it was an invitation to learn more about that slice of history and culture. The draw for consumers is the elevation of culture, rather than the clothes. The clothes in the collection are not the stars of the show. Rather, they support consumers in being the hero in the narrative and story they derive and connect to as a result of connecting to this gem of Black and American history. Representation done right Representation matters. But not all representation is created equal. The Ralph Lauren incorporated representation in meaningful ways throughout the process, that helped bring this campaign to life in meaningful ways that speak to different communities. The most noticeable representation of course came through the models. That's where most brands stop short. However Ralph Lauren went further with the campaign was directed in partnership with Cole Brown, a Black director, and producer who spent summers on Martha's Vineyard. Campaign imagery including photography and videography was shot by Nadine Ijewere and Azariah Bjørvig respectively, who both have Black heritage. As part of the campaign, Ralph Lauren produced a documentary about Oak Bluffs, which included people whose families have lived there for more than 100 years, others who visited every summer. Valerie Jarrett, former advisor to President Barack Obama, and who is on the board of directors for Ralph Lauren, also appeared in the documentary, highlighting connectedness to the community through people directly associated with the company. All this representation including people who are a part of the culture being represented throughout all phases of the development and production process, helped the brand deliver a campaign that is authentic and aspirational. People are even making TikTok videos saying they are trying to save up money to send their kids to summer camp at Oak Bluffs in the future. That's the kind of authentic representation that delivers impact. Changes the narrative about the Black experience Too often when brands are working to engage consumers from underrepresented and underserved communities, they do it in a very superficial way that is off-putting to consumers. The Ralph Lauren Oak Bluffs campaign featured a narrative about Black people and Black culture that is one that isn't often told. It's a story of a summer vacation oasis for Black upper class families. Many of the families owned second homes in Oak Bluffs that has been passed down through generations. That's a part of Black culture we don't too often see in mainstream media and marketing. Much of what Black culture portrayed is connected to hip hop or struggle culture. This Oak Bluffs connection was enough of a change that featured a different aspect of Black culture, that even some people within the Black community struggled to connect. That's ok, every campaign won't connect with every person. The Black experience isn't singular. No community's culture and history is. Thus it is important for brands to acknowledge that, and not to only feature and elevate the same or most stereotypical aspect of a culture. Follow Ralph Lauren's lead with the things they did really well with this campaign to help you do a better job of engaging consumers from underrepresented and underserved communities.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New 'Old Skool' Vans shoes sell out, listed for hundreds on resale market
Squeaky clean sneakers may just be a thing of the past. Sold out in less than 24 hours, Vans' new sneaker features a pre-worn style with muddled coloring, tweed fringe detailing, and laces and soles that appear dirty – though they are brand new. The Premium Old Skool Shoe in Souvenir Warm Brown went live on the Vans website late July 30 and by the next day, the sneakers were already sold out. The Vans website, as of July 31, states that 118 people had purchased the sneakers. Originally $125, the limited-edition sneakers are now available for between $500 to $1,600 on eBay. Here's what we know about the Premium Old Skool Shoe and what Vans fans think about them. 'Y'all getting these???': Nike is releasing dirty Air Force 1s, social media is perplexed Vans Warped Tour: First few bands for 2025 comeback following hiatus What do the Old Skool 36 'Souvenir' Vans look like? The canvas of the low-top skate sneakers appears spraypainted with brown leather overlays. The sneakers feature multicolored tweed strip detailing and Vans-themed pins on the sides for "bag-like embellishment." The laces are a dark, off-white and the white soles appear dirty, though they are brand new. The sneakers appear to be inspired by Chanel's On the Pavement messenger bag, a part of the designer's Graffiti Collection, first introduced in 2014. The messenger bag, which is only available for high-dollar resale prices online, features the same spraypainted, muddled brown coloring, multicolored tweed detailing, vintage-style pins and overall distressed apperance. A version of the messenger bag is available on the Sotheby's website for $15,150. Vans brushed off comparisons in a statement to USA TODAY, saying the shoes were rooted in its creative branding. What are people saying? On Instagram, some of the comments on a vague Vans Instagram post promoting the sneaker's launch July 30, criticized the shoe's design. "I want 'em and get the reference. Very good creative direction, but take one step back and they do lowkey look like barf," one Instagram user commented on the Vans' post. Other creators and social media users are upset that the shoes were sold in such a limited run, with the sneakers going live on the Vans' website, and available in some retail stores, ahead of the date and time Vans promoted on social media – 9 a.m. ET on July 31. Back to school: Top shoe deals from Hoka, Rothy's, Nike and more Vans in its statement told USA TODAY that the official launch of the sneaker was July 31. The pre-worn trend Vans is certainly not the first brand to tap into the pre-worn style. Actually, Golden Goose is known for the trend, releasing its popular line of distressed sneakers in 2007, which continue to dominate the "pre-worn" market. Golden Goose's top-selling Super-Star sneaker, which sports a "dirty, scuffed" sole, is nearly $600. In 2021, New Balance released its "Protection Pack," a line of sneakers that appear to have torn fabric. Last year, Puma released a collaborative sneaker with A$AP Rocky called "Inhale Distressed." The $130 sneakers, now sold out, came in a grungy box and appeared covered in grease. And earlier this year, Nike released its Air Force 1 Low in "Dirty Triple White." The $130 sneakers appear dirty, creased and scuffed despite being brand new. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Distressed Vans 'Old Skool' sneaker sells out before official launch
CNA
2 hours ago
- Business
- CNA
Raise a glass to SG60 celebration: Singapore's 60th birthday sparks exclusive whisky and Cognac launches
As Singapore pulls out all the stops to celebrate its 60th birthday — from commemorative medallion sets to bespoke stamps, pop-art exhibitions, and themed dinners — some of the nation's top names in the world of spirits have joined the revelry. Leading alcohol distributors, local whisky bars, and international brands have launched exclusive collectables to commemorate six decades of remarkable growth. From rare bottlings to uniquely designed packaging inspired by local culture and heritage, these spirited creations offer a distinct toast to Singapore's progress. MARTELL UNVEILS AN EXCLUSIVE SINGAPORE-INSPIRED DROP French Cognac maker Maison Martell has dug deep into its historic reserves to create a special limited-edition 60-Year-Old Cognac in honour of Singapore's milestone. Martell's connection with Singapore dates back to 1871, when the first shipment of Martell Cognac arrived in the country. An archival ledger from a London supplier, dated Nov 3, 1871, documents the shipment of 200 cases. The consignment was routed via Kallenbach & Kemig to Poisson & Co, based in Singapore. At the time, the price was recorded as 21 shillings per bottle, equivalent to approximately £158 (US$211; S$271) in today's money. 'In crafting this Cognac, I sought to create a blend as emblematic as Singapore can be,' said Christophe Valtaud, the ninth Cellar Master at Martell, in a press release. 'It has a unique power worthy of the finest and rarest eaux-de-vie from the Founder's Reserve.' The Cognac is drawn from the Founder's Reserve — a collection of the house's rarest eaux-de-vie, aged in casks and demijohns — explained Master Blender Aldrick Dehec. Dehec was in town to launch the 'once-in-a-generation collectable', making it one of the most exclusive releases in Martell's history. 'The youngest eaux-de-vie in this bottle is from 1965, making it 60 years old. Others are over a century old,' he shared. Only 12 bottles are produced, each housed in a handcrafted case fashioned from refined oak wood and enhanced with engraved gold-coloured metal — reflecting both the modern elegance of Singapore and the timeless artistry of Maison Martell. The decanter is a work of art in its own right, paying homage to Singapore's national flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim, etched in 19-carat gold on the Baccarat crystal decanter. The delicate artwork is complete with vines and grapes, evoking the sun-drenched vineyards of Cognac. Each bottle is priced at S$45,000 and is available exclusively to members of Le Cercle by Pernod Ricard. WHISKY BARS COLLABORATE ON EXCLUSIVE SG60 BOTTLINGS Inspired by the momentous occasion, whisky bars across the island found the perfect reason to collaborate on a limited-edition collection of six single cask whiskies — launched in tribute to SG60. Led by Khoon Hui, owner of Quaich Bar, and supported by seven other bars — Signature Reserve, The Auld Alliance, Luss Restaurant & Bar, The Writing Club, The Single Cask Singapore, and the now-closed ExciseMan Wine & Whisky Bar — the collection spans a diverse range of expressions. Highlights include a Springbank 20 Year Old matured in a refill port hogshead, a Bladnoch 7 Year Old Oloroso, and an Irish Tipperary 8 Year Old Mezcal Cask, showcasing both regional and cask diversity. Each bar selected a distillery and cask to pay homage to the deep camaraderie between the Scottish and Singaporean whisky worlds. The bottlings were completed at the distilleries and labelled with full provenance — including cask number, bottling date, the SG60 commemorative logo, and a personalised note from each distiller. 'Most of these producers rarely do single cask bottlings,' Khoon said. 'They made an exception for the Singapore market.' The set is available for pre-order at S$1,965 through any participating bar. MALT WINE AND ASIA CURATES A WHISKY TRILOGY Local distributor Malt Wine and Asia, helmed by Alex Yong, has partnered with Japanese distiller Mars Maltage to produce a commemorative whisky trilogy — exclusively for Singapore's 60th birthday. 'We wanted to offer a meaningful, Singapore-themed gift for whisky collectors and overseas guests,' said Yong. The collection hails from Mars Maltage, Japan's highest distillery, located at 798m above sea level in Kagoshima. The 2018 Komagatake was aged in first-fill Bourbon barrels and at the Mars distillery, situated at the foothills of Mount Komagatak, while the 2020 Tsunuki was aged in first-fill Oloroso Sherry cask, in Kyushu. Finally, the Tsunuki-Yakushima aged in First Fill PX Cask on Yakushima Island. 'We were very pleased they used a cask from Yakushima, a World Heritage site,' added Yong, who travelled to Japan and personally selected the cask to suit the Singaporean palate. To complete the tribute, he commissioned Singaporean illustrator Lee Xin Li to design bespoke labels based on his artwork In Our Time. The triptych-style labels each highlight a different layer of Singapore's evolving landscape. 'The work represents the palimpsest quality of Singapore despite its size: Layers of history, architecture, culture and more, intertwined,' said Lee. 'Fast forward to 2025, the layers grew and remain ever more relevant as we celebrate SG60.' The trilogy was launched at Malt Wine and Asia's Great Expectation tasting in May and raised S$10,000 for St John's Home for the Elderly.
News.com.au
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Christian Hull in tears over Bunnings worker's 6am act
Christian Hull has been blown away by a Bunnings worker who went 'above and beyond' to secure him a cult item during a nationwide frenzy. The Aussie comedian was among the thousands of shoppers who visited the retailer on Wednesday desperate to get their hands on its range of limited-edition Bluey products that had returned to shelves. The Brisbane based celebrity, who is a huge fan of popular children's TV show, missed out on the four garden gnomes when released last year, and turned to his army of loyal fans to help him locate the 'hot-ticket' items. His quest was a success, but not before he went viral multiple times with the extreme lengths he took – including flying to Tassie to do a deal on a street corner. After hearing Bunnings had now released three new outdoor figurines based on the show's characters, he headed straight over to his local store, only to discover stock had been cleared out during a '6am rush'. For the best lifestyle coverage in Australia – download the app direct to your phone. Little did he know though, that a Bunnings employee at the Newstead, Queensland, store named Alicia, had already stashed the two new bride and groom gnomes – dubbed 'husbands' on Bluey – for him. And her actions have earned huge praise from Hull's fans. 'I still cannot believe my luck,' he wrote on social media. 'This morning at 6am Bunnings opened with new Bluey gnomes (husbands) and people bought them out. 'I woke up at 9am and thought, bugger I've missed out. I wandered into my local just to check to see if by sheer chance there was some left. There wasn't. 'As I looked at the pile of gnomes I already had, deflated, Leesh, a Bunnings Newstead team member said 'follow me' …' Alongside his post was a 3 minute video Hull filmed of his venture to the hardware store, which showed the comedian's rollercoaster ride of emotions as he went from believing he'd 'missed out' to a tear-filled but delighted Bluey fan. Hill's fans flooded the comments section of his video on Facebook and TikTok, declaring Alicia a 'legend' who deserved a pay rise. 'It's rare these days people make the effort to give these amazing staff members proper formal compliments, please can you contact Bunnings head office and put in a compliment for Alicia,' one said. 'Alicia out here doing the Lords work,' remarked another. As someone else declared: 'ALISHA NEEDS A PAYRISE!! HOW AWESOME IS SHE?' Hull has since confirmed he has sent a glowing feedback form to Bunnings for the staffer who made his day – and also called on the Australian retailer to 'give a pay rise' to the star worker. 'Legitimately, hand on heart, was going to film my disappointment after I sleep in, through the gnome buying craze, and miss out yet again,' he said in the clip. 'Sometimes I really love people, and Leesh … oh my God I could cry with absolute joy and happiness.' Bunnings has once again transformed stores in Australia and New Zealand into 'Hammerbarn', a fictional DIY store featured in the popular children's TV show, Bluey for the month of August following its success last year. As well as rebranding shop fronts and hosting Bluey -themed kids DIY workshops and scavenger hunts, Bunnings is selling a limited-edition product range – including the garden gnomes based on the show's characters which previously sparked a mad frenzy. The return of the $19 figurines – dubbed 'husbands' in one Bluey episode – has caused a similar reaction, with shoppers rushing to stores in the early hours in a bid to snag one. 'Went at 6am and it was a fight to get one,' reported one shopper on Facebook. 'There was a rush at 6am in Kirrawee, they are all gone now,' another added. As one commented: 'I missed out last year, am going to try my luck later.' Bunnings said that in order to avoid customers bulk-buying the limited-edition product, it had introduced a purchase limit of 4 gnomes per customer. But it appears to have done little to stop those hoping to cash-in on the item's popularity, with many of the gnomes already appearing on eBay with asking prices as high as $1000. This time around there are 7 different characters available, including the 3 new additions – Gerald and Bride and Groom Gnomes, which Bunnings said it was 'expecting to be hot property'. 'It's clear how much fans connect with the show given how quickly last year's Bluey gnomes flew off the shelves,' Justine Mills, Bunnings General Manager Marketing, said. 'We know they will be eager to build on their collections, and we're excited to see how customers respond to our new range and in-store activities.' Other items available in the beloved collaboration include Hammerbarn branded socks, key rings, bucket hats and kiddo's tote bags that are available across all stores, while stock lasts.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski pulls his own rare baseball card from pack in Greenfield shop
You'd be forgiven for thinking Jacob Misiorowski was celebrating the strikeout of another poor soul with his 102-mph fastball or 97-mph slider. After all, he hopped back, threw his right arm in the air and cheered, just like he's done after some of the bigger strikeouts in his young career. But the Milwaukee Brewers phenom pitcher wasn't on the mound. He was in a card shop — Brew Town Trading Co. at 4285 S. 76th St. in Greenfield, on July 25. Instead of a glove in his left hand, he had a pack of 2022 Bowman Draft cards. And why the reaction? He had just pulled his very own "orange parallel" limited-edition card from the year he got drafted, one of only 25 such cards in the world. You'd also be forgiven for not totally appreciating the infinitesimally small chances of that happening. As Brewtown Trading assistant manager Tommy Rhyner — who was with Misiorowski to witness it — explained, it was exceptional. Like seeing a triple rainbow. Or finding an entire beach of whole sand dollars. Forget a four-leaf clover, even a five-leaf clover — it was far closer to a six-leaf clover. "I think he has a better chance of getting struck by lightning than doing that again, and not only getting struck by lightning, (but) while holding the winning lottery ticket in the ocean with sharks around him and about to attack," Rhyner said. "You know all those things where you hear millions to one, right? Put all four or five together and that's right around there." Is Misiorowski's reaction starting to make more sense? "He had a true, genuine reaction," Rhyner said. "That's the card that he was looking for, and then to have it serial numbered?" Misiorowksi had been invited to the store to open Pokémon packs — his interest in Pokémon should be evident after he wore a custom suit jacket during All-Star weekend, with the "Lugia" Pokémon embroidered inside. After a few of those, he found the Bowman box from his draft class and wanted to open some of those, as well. Misiorowski got the card at the end of his third Bowman pack. Coincidentally, Rhyner and a couple of other employees mentioned to Misiorowski how cool it is when athletes pull their own cards. A couple minutes later, the Brewers starter got to experience that feeling for himself. It was reciprocated by Rhyner, who called it "probably my best hobby moment in and of itself." While he's seen other athletes come to the store, including four Miami Marlins pitchers who came by only minutes before Misiorowski showed up, no one has been as lucky as Milwaukee's newest sports hero. Before Rhyner started at the store, he said other athletes had pulled their own cards, but the rarity of the one Misiorowski received puts it in a different league entirely. "Just happened that Miz had to hit that big of a card is what made this so big," he said. "We've had athletes pull their own cards. But when it's just a base card, it's not quite as exciting, but still memorable." No one would have blamed Misiorowski for wanting to keep the card for himself. Instead, he signed it and donated it to the shop, a decision that has led to an increase in customers. "This Saturday (one day after the card was pulled)," Rhyner said, "I probably had 12 to 15 people stop in just to see the card." Rather than sell it, with the likely opportunity to make thousands of dollars, Brew Town Trading is building a special shadow box with custom framing for display. As Misiorowski left the store, Rhyner — a big Brewers fan who will be in attendance for the all-star's biggest start to date on July 28 against the Chicago Cubs — gave him a parting message: "Make sure you shove the ball down their throat." This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski pulls his own rare baseball card from pack
