If you've ever set foot in a mall, then you're probably familiar with Payless. If you're a young person and the only shopping you've been exposed to is through a computer (goddess bless your lil' heart), then let me fill you in.
Payless is discount shoe store that just recently put a Chapter 11 bankruptcy behind them. There used to be Payless stores all over the country, but with the rise of the internet they were forced to close more than 670 stores and mainly operate online.
Now that we're up to speed with what Payless is, let's get to the good stuff. This week, Payless trolled a bunch of people by opening a ~luxury boutique~ named "Palessi" (LMAO the name is everything), and tricked them into paying between $200-$600 for shoes that are actually worth $20-$40.
At the fancy party, hosted in what used to be an Armani store, people were so impressed with the new ~luxury~ brand that "Palessi" sold about $3,000 worth of shoes.
Party guests described the Palessi shoes as "elegant" and "sophisticated," proving, once again, most people don't know shit about fashion.
However, customers were quickly informed the "designer" shoes they were drooling over were actually from Payless, their reactions were...well, (excuse the pun), rich.
View this video on YouTube
She doesn't even need to talk, I can see the disappointment in her face.
I guess they don't seem so elegant and sophisticated now lol.
And as expected, Twitter had something to say about it:
"Influencers, having no idea they were looking at discount staples from the mall scene, said they’d pay hundreds of dollars for the stylish shoes, praising the look, materials and workmanship." I love this so much. https://t.co/OlR3YDrTx9
They loved the trolling!
Champion Trolling https://t.co/do5X3Luuak
And most people agreed that often times fashion can be very superficial:
Branding is all about mental perception, and often has little to do with quality or functionality. Take note. cc: @kobegatsby https://t.co/V2Bw4pUn7Z
I guess perception matters #ha #CIClass https://t.co/XAd8wcnyUU
people will buy anything if you present it to them properly https://t.co/Czm3oiuNGj
As/Is reached out to Payless for comment but didn't get an immediate response.
Smart move, Payless, or should I say...Palessi.
