B2 – Upper Intermediate
Payless, the affordable shoe retailer, played a clever prank by opening a fake luxury shoe store. They set up a high-end atmosphere, complete with sleek designs and fancy displays, tricking customers into thinking they were shopping for expensive designer shoes. Little did they know, the shoes were actually affordable Payless ones. It was a humorous way to challenge perceptions of value and brand prestige.
Watch the video to know more about this effective PR stunt and be ready to answer the questions that follow.
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “markup” mean? “$35 shoe going for $645, an 1800% markup.” Use this word in a sentence.
- What does the idiom “sit on one’s heels” mean? “Store owners sat on their heels as fashion influencers emptied their wallets.” Use this expression in a sentence.
- What does the phrase “let on” mean? “Then, they’re letting on the prank.” Make a sentence using the expression.
Discussion Questions:
- What are your thoughts on Payless’s prank of opening a fake luxury shoe store? Do you find it humorous or do you think it might have crossed any boundaries?
- In your opinion, does this prank challenge your perception of brand value and the psychology behind luxury purchases? Why or why not?
- Do you think experiments like Payless’s fake luxury store are effective in highlighting the influence of branding on consumer choices? Why or why not?
- How do you believe the participants in the prank felt when they discovered the true nature of the shoes they were admiring? Would you have a similar reaction?
4 replies on “Payless’ Fake Luxury Shoe Store”
Discussion Questions:
What are your thoughts on Payless’s prank of opening a fake luxury shoe store? Do you find it humorous or do you think it might have crossed any boundaries?
I think, it was a very interesting experiment, a very clever way to promote in a shocking way their product and to raise the value of the brand. They really laugh on the posh and influencer people that are not, in fact, his target customer. It is a clever way to reaffirm their customers telling them: you are clever than them and don’t waste your money..
In your opinion, does this prank challenge your perception of brand value and the psychology behind luxury purchases? Why or why not?
Of course, nowadays the products are made with hight quality standards, good design, etc, and it’s difficult to differentiate between the luxury firms and the “normal” brands, so formal things matter (p.e.: shop windows, the lights in the shop, the design of everything, the personal, etc…)
Do you think experiments like Payless’s fake luxury store are effective in highlighting the influence of branding on consumer choices? Why or why not?
I do believe are effective, The Video’s example is a real case and show us the importance of marketing in our live and how can they deceive our mind.
How do you believe the participants in the prank felt when they discovered the true nature of the shoes they were admiring? Would you have a similar reaction?
For sure they felt really bad, they were to pay a lot for something cheaper, they supposed to be savvy in fashion, design and so forth, but in fact they are not expert, they only have enough money to expend in alleged luxury products.
Well done always trying to practice your writing.
Check out the better word order in this sentence:
Good going!
1. I think that the Payless’s idea of opening a fake luxury shoe store is a way to show everyone that not everything is as it seems to be. Many people wrongly think that before two identical products and different prices, the expensive one will have better quality than the cheap one. I suppose that everyone learnt a good lesson from this anecdote.
I do not think that anyone believed that the prank crossed any boundaries since they did not hurt anyone and besides, they received the product for free.
2. I am not very fond of luxury brands since I have always thought that many products are overpriced, the price does not represent the quality of them. Some brands set high prices just because they want to focus on a small group of society. What’s more, I have sometime tried well-known brand clothes and they have worn in a very short time.
3. I agree that these experiments highlight the influence of branding on consumer choices. However, there will be many consumers who go on wearing these garments only to boast before the rest of the population that they can spend that money, even though they know they are not worth it.
4. I suppose that they felt stupid, since they were deceived. At the beginning of the video, we can see that they are describing the product they have in their hands as if they were experts. At the end of the video, all of them can not believe that it was a prank.
We commend you for doing the best you can in writing very good responses.
Writing this sentence this way would make it a bit better:
Keep going with this exercise to maintain your progress.