It's Corteiz's World; We're Just Living in It
A bull case for why Corteiz should be 2023's brand of the year
Who rules the world? Girls Corteiz!
Seven months ago, Nike and Corteiz dropped the Air Max 95 commercial, and it’s one of those marketing moments that already feels iconic.
The campaign was so well-executed, oozing with all the right bits of satire, subculture, street jargon, and nostalgia, making it worthy to be nominated for video of the year.
And it also gives you a peek into the mind of Clint419 (who won’t reveal his last name), the semi-anonymous founder of Corteiz.
Clint is a rare breed, a man on his own mission, and Corteiz is his creative playground, where he invites us to participate in it.
The truth is, you don’t get Drake, Pharrell, and even the late Virgil Abloh hyping your brand by following the rules.
You rip up the playbook and write a new one.
That’s what Clint has done in a few short years. As we close out 2023, I think they deserve to be fashion’s brand of the year, and here are three reasons why —
Take us back to the roots
For as much as streetwear has given to us, an obvious low point has been the commoditization of its subcultural roots by opportunists and private equity firms (Supreme, anyone?) who want to turn something authentic into something sellable to the masses.
A true cash grab.
And don’t even get me started on the bots.
Yet, in a sea of sameness, Corteiz is leading us to greener pastures, a shining example that real community and good marketing can still exist.
1. F*ck the bots
Speaking of bots, we all know the complaints around Nike’s SNKRS app (and the sneaker community at large)—bots have ruined the love for sneakers.
Everyone seems to consistently take the L (I’ve got plenty of my own), which discourages participating in the experience of a release.
But Clint moves differently. He’s been anti-bot from the beginning. He doesn’t want his product drops to be overrun with greedy opportunists; he just wants fans to enjoy the products.
The 110s for £110 restock (photo below) was one hell of a flex to those cursed bots and a statement to the sneaker industry that he’s not messing around.
He’s a man of the people.
2. Corteiz, for the people
Audience ≠ community.
Why?
Audiences might participate in an experience, but they’re more likely to absorb it passively.
Communities actively participate in an experience, and their word-of-mouth amplifies the brand or product they love.
So, it’s no surprise that Corteiz spends zero money on paid ads.
In fact, it’s the opposite.
Their Instagram account started on private, and you originally had to either be invited or request to follow in order to see what drops were next. In 18 months, they went from 50 followers to 10,000. All on private, organically.
They’re at 939,000+ followers now.
This allowed them to build a base of loyal fans from the outset instead of acquiring fickle ones. Scarcity creates mystery and intrigue.
We all want what we can’t have, and Clint understands this.
3. Marketing genius
You don’t design anymore.
You don’t make products and set a release date.
No, brands are creative and entertainment channels, and we are the patrons to witness their spectacle.
Clint understands this, and if you look closely at his drops, they often:
Offer fresh creative
A way to engage in the drop
A unique way of selling it
And, he’s usually a character in each one.
His releases keep everyone on their toes, and there’s always anticipation around the next drop.
Here are some examples of how they’re executing—
BOLO exchange — when they hosted a coat exchange where customers traded their luxury puffer coats for a Corteiz BOLO one
Design your own kit — when Clint turned a salty comment from a hater online into an impromptu design competition where he awarded £1,000 to the best designer.
99p cargos — when they sold cargo pants for 99 pence, and the only way you could buy them was if you had exactly 99 individual coins. No change accepted.
Crossbar challenge — when he had people enter to win a pair of AM95s by playing the crossbar challenge to promote his Nike partnership.
Flash mob drops — he’ll drop coordinates for a secret location; whoever gets there first has early access to the product.
Hell, he even outfitted a bodega in New York to promote a Nike drop.
Make Streetwear Fun Again
Who knows what Clint’s end goal is with all of this?
Does he just build Corteiz forever? Take it to a certain height and sell it?
Let someone else carry the torch?
Shut it all down just for the flex?
The playbook is that there is no playbook.
But what we do know is that he can mobilize the youth like no other brand on earth. His grip on the culture and his understanding of rallying communities around a shared vision should be studied in marketing books for years to come.
Ultimately, Corteiz’s rise to the top has been refreshing because they’ve returned streetwear back to its roots, and it’s helped us reimagine what the purpose of a “brand” actually is.
And in a sea of sameness, we thank him for helping us believe that fashion can be fun again.
RTW.