The Marketing Bestie Podcast with zoeunlimited - why do rich people like looking poor?

Episode Date: August 6, 2026

poverty chic is the new wealth💅🏻✍🏻FREE EMAIL LIST https://tapx.it/stanzoeunlimited✨Start your dream brand TODAY with a FREE shopify trial https://tapthe.link/zoeunlimitedshopifywhy is Balenciaga... uncancellable?From alleged child p0rn to, clothes with holes, shoes with mud, crocs with heels?Join me as an editor of the unlimited squad!! 💜https://forms.gle/dzGQxnW6y4ws7dfX6Subscribe to learn how to build a brand.Learn & Grow with me.💖 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoeunlimited/💜 TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@zoeunlimited🖤 Listen on Apple & Spotify: http://apple.co/zoeunlimited https://open.spotify.com/show/0ZReedpR6Bf1kvHeKBuWY1🪭 All my outfits https://www.shopltk.com/explore/zoeunlimited👩🏻‍💻 LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/zoeunlimited🛒 Essentials https://www.amazon.com/shop/zoeunlimited📧 Business inquiries: [e-mail]👉use code ZOEUNLIMITED for 10% off ALL travels on Klook https://t.ly/aA76T//🕙Timestamps: 0:00 Intro4:38 balenciaga 1.08:20 balenciaga 2.014:48 4 marketing secrets to “Uncancellable”

How did Balenciaga's 107 years legacy of elegance and craftsmanship turn into this, this, this, or this that humbly sells for just $1,850, and is allegedly exploiting children and growing a satanic cult? Promoting child sexualization. Featuring children holding teddy bears clad in bondage outfits. Used in certain sex actions, wolves, and liver around the teddy base. to a kid's clothing line. But remains uncannceivable.

Sold out all over North America. I got new stuff because I'm an addict. Dear Belong, balloon, Balin, Balenciaga guy. These are Balenciaga's new shoes. If there was someone dying to crawl out of his grave, it must be Cristobal Balenciaga. Because his legacy of Balenciaga, definition of craftsmanship, silhouette of elegance with over 107 years of heritage, is now clothes with holes, shoes with mud,

prox with heels, and models walking down with BDSM masks, or children modeling with alleged BDSM dolls. No, no, no, you see the child porn, it was just a goof, it was just for laughs, you know? Just, why aren't you laugh? Ah, no big deal, except Palenciaaga is not only selling better than ever, it's also selling out. With more waves of hate and controversy than the waves in Shin Raman? Fah L'Alanciaga. Why in the world is Balenciaga still dominating the world of fashion? It's all marketing, babe.

Look, we can sit here and rant about all the accusations of Balenciaga, how they are allegedly evil, or we can break down the genius marketing techniques they deploy that make them uncancelable and become a brand that somehow managed to live the paradox between legacy and modernism. And since you're here, I'd assume you're passionate about learning or high fashion. Thus, let's make a good use of our time. As your marketing bestie, who graduated to help 1% UCLE business economics with a background in marketing, we're going to explore how a brand cancelled by the whole internet from your third aunt to Kim Kardashian can still sell just fine and be as relevant as ever, unlike many of its counterpart brands that never fully recovered.

Or is it about to face its' story? true downfall. Fuck you, Balenciaga. This is what Balenciaga has a release. So I'm actually throwing all of this away right now. Garbage. Now, why is this even relevant to you? Other than the fact that you contributed $3,290 to this fine tote bag.

$4,500 for a singular glove and a tote, aka gloat. $5,750 for a 9 a.m. coffee cup. Note, not. 10 a.m. You know this video is going to be so fun. What is the difference, Potter, between H&M and Balenciaga? You are Balenciaga, Harry. Whether you wear holy Balenciagas or not, marketing principles can make or break you because you may see yourself one way, but how does your dream college, dream job, dream boyfriend see you? That's the importance of brand and yes, you

have one. I'm creating the series to analyze pop culture influences from a marketing perspective because of the power of influence they have over a generation of young girls. First it was kids with BDSM dolls, then a shoot featuring Scotus Child Porn Docs. Promoting child sexualization. Every single piece of it is intentional. People absolutely lost their mind. Please tell me I'm crazy. Come on. Cancel me. Look how cute. I love it. I love it so much. I'm starting a newsletter soon and if you want to be the first to join this exclusive community of deeper dives, trends, insights, and potentially other things upon request,

make sure you join the early sign-up link in the description. It's completely free. I got you. But what is not free is the branding of Valenciaga. They're going to cost $630. Before we debate whether or not it's hitting its downfall and how Balenciaga had a 180 degree rebrand like Jojo Siwa, we need to roll it back 107 years to Balenciaga 1.0. Christopal Balenciaga grew up in a small fishing town in Spain. After his father passed away, his mother began working as a seamstress to provide for the family. And yes, he was a self-taught prodigy, whose work began to catch attention early on.

In 1917, he established his first fashion house in St. Sebastian, Spain. Then due to the Spanish Civil War, Balenciaga was forced. to move to Paris in 1937. The designer's impeccable craftsmanship set him apart. From even the likes of Chanel and Dior, his pattern cutting and garment construction skills were at their best. Very quickly in the early 50s, Dior and Bologna were the leaders of Paris Couture in different ways. Dior's hourglass figure to Bilanciaga's bracelet sleeves. Other iconic pieces include the sack dress, the baby doll dress, pital dress,

and influential silhouettes never before seen in women's fashion. After an incredibly successful several decades, Valenciaga closed his Couture fashion house in 1968 and sadly passed away only four years later at 77. Cristobal Belenciaga said he wanted his fashion house to die with him. His name and brand remained the masters of the masters. But the world was not ready for it. to die. Thus, 15 years after Balenciaga's death, the name was resurrected. Only this time will it be the same.

We have this shit. Not to mention they have a bracelet that's made out of tape for over a thousand dollars. Cristobal's jaw might drop. Before elegant and classy Balenciaga became this Belenciaga, king of mean culture and many, many more, the TLDR of the In Between included the change of hands to the Nicholas Esquire. The creative director of Louis Vuittrand, to then being acquired by Caring in 2001, the parent company of Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, and Bottega Veneta.

In 2012, the fashion industry was a buzz with excitement when Alexander Wayne, known for his minimalist aesthetic and sharp design sensibility, took over as the new creative director of Belenciaga. He successfully merged Belenciaga's rich legacy with its own contemporary vision, that balanced tradition with modernity. But then in 2015, a new creative director, Demna, took over. And the brand of Balenciaga would never be the same. Only a year earlier, Demna was the one to launch his own brand, Vemont, that went viral in pulp culture, fashion, and streetwear society.

By just looking at VetMond, I'm sure you can guess if this clean, elegant silhouette of Belenziaga will breathe on the other day. As Demna himself said regarding his role at Balenciaga, quote, a translation, not reiteration, a new chapter. Literally a trash bag. What in the French toast sticks with syrup as this? You can call this a shoe? Hence, we are ready to present the real Valenciaaga 2.0. Why can it come back like a boomerang after each cancellation? I'm uncancelling Valencia. Big 33 K. Blenciaga Hall. and what might actually lead to its downfall. Any last words? Only one.

Belizeaga! Before we dissect the four secrets of why Balenciaga is uncancellable, marketing is only half the story. The wrong way first goes to Balenciaga's first key marketing principle. Controversial products. From ultra-distressed to, almost broken and unwearable clothing and sneakers to $2,000 quote-unquote designer items that look like a 99-cent IKEA bag or Trader Joe's grocery bag

to adding a little plastic heel that makes $40 crocs $695. Sorry, $626 because it's on sale and there's only one left. What is the design philosophy behind intentionally making something look ugly, poor quality, and unbearable at an absurd price. Well, the product itself is its principal marketing, controversial marketing, aka a deadly effective but also potentially destructive marketing tactic. Demas Balenciaga is nothing but subversive to what it used to be. Trending now, Balenciaga's new fashion line. Swapping the timeless and elegant silhouettes to something almost promoting wasteful consumerism at absurdly unattainable pricing. Blurring the lines between.

art and exploitation. In order to understand why this sells and who is buying Balenciaga, we need to also understand the psychology behind conspicuous consumption. The acquisition of particular goods or services that serve to display one's wealth. Of course, no one needs a pair of muddy shoes with holes. But if you're so rich, then you can afford to drop a few thousand dollars on these Balenciaga sneakers. And aesthetic of poorness is, I'm really, Ironically, a flex of wealth.

The psychological value being the perceived enhanced social status. How much damage can be done in 15 minutes? Hence, what is Balenciaga's targeted demographic? People who have the desire to not just have wealth, but flex wealth. New Balenci Which are primarily fashion forward Gen Zs and millennials who are drawn to luxury, exclusivity, and avant-garde designs, as well as streetwear enthusiasts, who appreciate its incorporation of edgy, casual elements into luxury.

But this is very smart because I guarantee you, although Balenciaga is known for its notoriously outrageous and hideous designs and this rich pretend to be poor aesthetic, these are only the limited drops involving the second principle, scarcity marketing. A, that enhances the perceived value, regardless of the intrinsic value, because whatever is scarce becomes more,

valuable. 20,000 dollar Balenciaga control jacket. Look at the details right here, bro. Just like how you need air to live and it's free and nobody really needs a diamond to live, yet people will pay hundreds of thousands, if not millions, just you own it. My ear and this is the key one. Balenciaga is not making their bread through these limited meme drops. The limited editions with the meme designs are what get people talking about them. them. Kind of like the lost leads at Costco, the $4.99 rotisserie chicken that's making them lose money, but brought people into the store that will make Costco way more than just $4.99.

Valencia is doing exactly the same. They bring eyeballs and a lot of free press. To their brand, through a few crock heels, dirty sneakers, IKEA bags, but actually sell more everyday items like the chunky sneakers, trainer socks sneakers, their city bags, and of course the iconic hourglass handbag. That's where they're actually making their money. And so is the third principle. Controversial marketing. The magic wand that sells everything? Well, let's talk about the child exploitation allegations in two campaigns that got Balenciaga cancelled. The first one being the 2022 Balenciaga GIF Shop campaign. That staged a series of child models and settings that hint violence, BDSM, themes of drinking to devil worshipping.

For instance, this bizarre looking destroyed bear with a black eye, or this one wearing fishnet tops, and leather harnesses. You see wine glasses, sharp objects, chains scattered all around. And if that's not suggestive enough, not long after, their Adidas collaboration campaign in spring 2023 with an office theme shoot features file papers such as The documentation of Supreme Court case v. Williams, which was a case that, quote, confirms as illegal and not protected by freedom of speech the promotion of child pornography. And this set the whole web to an outrage. Accusing Balenciaga promoting child pornography and that the campaign participated in child exploitation.

And even Kim Kardashian, a longstanding partner of Belenziaga, has spoken about reevaluating her religious. relationship with them. Quote, as a mother of four, I had been shaken by the disturbing images. The safety of children must be held with the highest regard and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in society, period. Now, in every commercial campaign, everything that appears in a photo is intentional and must be greenlit. A multi-million dollar brand. This was not an accident or unintentional.

Therefore, it can only make sense that there was a special purpose for. for these unapproved items that Balenciaga claimed in their apology, which they then filed a $25 million lawsuit against production company. That was very quickly dropped. Anybody who plays the media knows how sensitive it is towards cancelable topics like violence porn. And pairing that with children, you have a death sentence as a brand. I'm sure if Dior or Tiffany's did something like this, that will be the end of their time. But not Balenciaga.

Here she is, she's home. She's home, guys. Why is that? The four marketing secrets of why Valenciaaga is uncancellable. Is Balenciaga not canceled? Is it true that what's shocking sells? Behind the scenes of the Balenciaga NYC show. Well, Alentzaga is certainly not the first to use shock as their main marketing strategy. If you look at Calvin Klein campaigns in the 90s, you'd almost be thinking that you're watching porn of young models under the age of 15, not just a jeans ad.

Genes are fundamental in determining the characteristics of an individual and passing on these characteristics to succeeding generations. Occasionally, certain conditions produce a structural change in the gene. Can you unbutton the top button of those jeans? No, why don't you push them down a little bit? No. You think you can rip that shirt off of you? Even President Clinton had some harsh word. Those kids were my daughter's age that were in those ads and they were outrageous.

But how is Calvin Klein doing? Well, now worth $1.5 billion. It seems to be thriving just fine despite its waves of cancellation. As with Calvin Klein, Belenziaga knows that the media is very reactionary and can spiral any stories to satiate the masses' boredom. Valenciaga has to be a social experiment. Maybe that will be a fuck, come back.

Hence, comes the opportunity of farmed attention. Just look at the spike in searches in Balenciaga since their cancellation. And that brings up their second marketing secret. Clear brand identity. From the product designs to the marketing campaigns to the eerie runways, Valenciaga leans into its controversies, rebranding them as deliberate art pieces or provocations. That shields the

them from being cancelled because shock has already been embedded in the brand's DNA. I'm so over Balenciaga at this point, but let's review the show anyway. In a world with Couture is taking so very seriously, Balenciaga is not competing with the other legacy brands. It understands and serves the underserved community of trolls and meme culture. That also has a need for high fashion. Tapping into younger demographics that already wants to prove themselves to be quote unquote different by leaning into meme culture, absurdity, and disruptive

marketing while still maintaining its status as a luxury powerhouse. It really feels like Hannah Montana going Miley Cyrus. Its legacy as a pioneer of innovation gives it credibility to experiment and subvert traditional fashion norms and defines what it is not. But that of course is not complete without the power of third. Kim Kardashian may have voiced out her concerns, but guess who is still in the latest Palenciaaga campaign? Exactly. Guess what people still remember about the Met Gala?

Exactly. Guess what Brand did The Simpsons make a whole episode on? Dear Belong, balloon, balin, Balenciaga. Exactly. Guess what Cardi B sings about? I like those Balenciagas. Exactly. You have everyone and anyone from Kim and Kyle.

to Cardi B, Haley Beaver, Charlie XX, Nicole Kidman wearing it that established the very strong associations between key personalities in pop culture and Balenciaga. Terrible. Worst model I've ever seen. Hmm. I like it. She likes it. Then I like it. Then I like it too.

Then I love it. Valenciaaga's heavy investment in culture capital is paying dividends. There's strong hold in pop culture, for example, the Met Gallum, moment's memeification of their designs, ensure they stay relevant, even when criticized. Compared to Doche and Gabana, that got canceled many years ago due to their racial parodies, How do you use this small-quence-o-quenchance-to-weem to our great-trader pizza-bein? But it's still unable to recover this day, because A, they don't have the same

culturally relevant cachets, and B, they pissed off the wrong market. Half the world is boycotting you. The ever-growing luxury-consuming market in China. What do you mean my cards for decline? Try to get. Buy me product. Valenciaga. That is happily contributing to Valenciaga's growth.

Fourth, innovation. Whether you love it or hate it, you gotta admit. Balenciaga surprises you. By embracing ugly fashion, Valenciaga positions itself as a leader in postmodern fashion discourse. making it culturally resilient to shifts in consumer tastes. It does not care about being called ugly. In other words, it invents trends.

Instead of following the thousands of microtrends changing on TikTok every three hours. And it serves as a satirical critique towards the zeitguise attitude towards consumerism and what is considered quote unquote fashion through its own intentionally funny and sometimes offensive ways imagine working your whole life to wear belenziaga to look like you don't wear belenziaga look at this are they going to be selling a fifty thousand dollar garbage man outfit too are y'all so low on ideas that you're getting inspiration from hefty the biggest question is though shock is not the same as relevance would belenciaga eventually outsmart itself well two branding pitfalls.

First, the focus on shock and irony risks alienating core luxury customers who value timeless designs and craftsmanship, aka what's actually driving their revenue. Valenciauga's current direction may feel like a betrayal to Cristobal's original vision. Second, the reliance on constant provocation could result in outrage, fatigue,

where consumers no longer respond to the brand's provocations leading to diminishing returns. But it really depends on how Balenciaga decides to play with this double-edged sword. Its current trajectory reflects a paradox, simultaneously drawing strength from its rich history while rejecting traditional notions of luxury. Cristobal Balenciaga's focus on timeless elegance is now juxtaposed but Demna's pursuit of irony, absurdity, and commentary on consumer culture.

This tension is both the brand's quixote. greatest asset and its potential downfall. Luckily for them, the current Genzi market has a fascination with irony and contradiction, making Balenciaga's absurd branding feel mostly authentic to them rather than offensive. In my view, for Balenciaga to not just thrive now, believe the same type of modern legacy as Cristobal Balenciaga did, it must pivot from solely relying on provocations to also focus on creating products and campaigns that have lasting cultural and aesthetic value. Otherwise, it would be just like the meme your college friends

that you five years ago. Which one? Exactly. It was a good laugh, but not impactful enough to be remembered. And that's the breakdown of how Belenciaga went from Classy 1.0 to this uncannable new legacy. But let me know if you think Balenciaga's marketing is genius or steering it towards its downfall.

And comment which brand you like me to analyze next through a marketing perspective. This is your marketing bestie, Zoe Unlimited. Episodes are available on all podcast networks, Apple, Spotify, YouTube. Share this episode with someone you love. Have a fabulous day and I'll see you next week.