ASOS’s ‘Sausage Necklace’ – Another Banger of a PR Stunt?

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Are stunts a good PR move? We discuss the topic of sausage necklaces and plastic trousers

Is ASOS's sausage necklace all for a PR stunt asks Edinburgh PR agency

by Alice Ferguson

IT MAY have come to your attention that ASOS, the billion pound stylish giant conquering the global fashion market, may have lost its mind.

What with the ‘Tutu T-Shirt’ that came out last year, the strap on dinosaur tail or the flat cat clutch bag, it seemed the online retailer had reached its peak of strange and wonderful “fashion” items. But their latest accessory has quite frankly baffled shoppers and broken the internet yet again.

Introducing ‘The Sausage Necklace’, the latest bizarre banger to add to the ever growing collection of unique accessories available at ASOS for those with a questionable taste.

The ‘Stirling Silver Choker Necklace’ can be purchased at £15 and ‘can score a wardrobe win no matter the dress code’ according to the website. The site also states that the necklace has been designed by a London-based design team who ‘scour the globe to nail your season fashion goals’. But it seems that for most people, the Sausage Necklace is a serious fashion NO, with twitter in an absolute shambles after the fashion retailer revealed its latest accessory.

https://twitter.com/aineasaI/status/846468947864096768

https://twitter.com/jnny_gry/status/843882440745803777

And it’s not just ASOS who have surprised, shocked and quite simply dumbfounded the social sphere with some of their latest trends. Topshop’s ‘Clear Panel Mom Jeans’  had the world wondering who would be brave (or stupid) enough to bare their knees behind a window of clear plastic. And their latest ‘Hairy Fur Ankle Boots’ have left many twitter users amazed.

Amazingly, however, ASOS’s ‘Sausage Necklace’ is selling out fast and hasn’t deterred people from visiting the online retailer, with profits for 2017 raising by £2.3 million, a year-on-increase of 14%. So it’s got us thinking….is there method behind the madness?

The secret behind ASOS’s phenomenal success since its birth in 2000 can be linked to its unwavering focus on growth and creating a personality behind an otherwise faceless social media channel. Which could explain the rather whacky accessory and fashion editions to add to their ever growing 80,000 items on sale.

And the ASOS sausage necklace storm created on twitter is just one example of how the online retail master aims to get people chatting on social media, whether positively or not.


Scottish public relations agency Holyrood PR in Edinburgh offers a guide to sexy PR for any businessThink your product or service is dull and not newsworthy? Think again! We transformed the everyday into something that made us proud and achieved great coverage.


Yes, while the idea of adorning the word sausage around your neck is ridiculous, ASOS’s PR skills are no laughing matter. In targeting these social platforms, ASOS has managed to get a message across using humour. Not only does it want people to know that it sells jewellery, 2,218 pieces to be exact, but it differs from its competitors in successfully portraying a sense of humour.

It seems this idea of taking the mickey out of yourself, even if you are one of the biggest online retail companies in the world, is key to grabbing customers attention and pays off in the end, no matter how ridiculous the product.

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