In the ever-evolving landscape of business and branding: How Payless Shoes’ campaign fooled the fashion world
In a marketing world dominated by flashy influencers, high-ticket brand partnerships, and luxury positioning, Payless Shoes decided to zig where everyone else zagged. Known predominantly as a budget-friendly footwear retailer, Payless orchestrated a campaign that turned the entire concept of brand perception on its head.
The company set up a fake luxury boutique called “Palessi” in a high-end Los Angeles shopping district. Fashion influencers and stylists were invited to shop — unaware they were browsing Payless inventory. These savvy shoppers marveled at the design and craftsmanship of the shoes, praising items with price tags upwards of $400. In reality, these were $20 to $40 Payless products.
The results were viral. The responses were priceless. When the unsuspecting guests were told the truth, the buzz soared, and the digital audience was captivated. Payless not only revitalized interest in their brand but also sparked an industry-wide discussion: What really defines value?
Capturing the spirit of clever guerrilla marketing, this stunt highlighted how psychology and presentation can create enormous shifts in perception — all without altering the core product.
Daymond John’s Reaction: A Modern Take on Akito Marketing
When Daymond John chimed in on this campaign through his social media, he wasn’t just applauding an entertaining gimmick. He recognized the deeper marketing genius at play. Referencing Jay Abraham’s concept of Akito marketing, Daymond likened Payless’s strategy to metaphorical judo — using the opponent’s force against them.
Instead of reinventing the shoe, Payless reinvented the consumer experience.
By understanding how much people crave the feeling of being tastemakers and trendsetters, they reversed social biases. This wasn’t merely brand magic — this was a real-world application of a strategy that flips perceptions by leveraging existing social behaviors.
Daymond’s post was both acknowledgment and challenge: Understand the power of perception, humble origins, and smart strategy — then use them to your advantage.
The Psychology Behind Perceived Value
What makes us perceive one item as luxury and another as cheap, even when they’re functionally identical?
The human mind ties value not just to utility, but to context and narrative.
Luxury brands build entire empires not solely on superior craftsmanship, but also on exclusivity, scarcity, celebrity association, and presentation. Payless dared to test this by removing the brand name, changing the setting, and watching public perception soar.
This is a classic case of perceived value — the belief that something is more worthwhile due to its packaging, price tag, or social validation.
Daymond John, as a branding expert, recognized the brilliance of this tactic. Perception dictates reality in the world of sales.
LL Cool J, FUBU, and the Gap: A Legacy of Brand Re-Invention
Daymond’s post also echoes a nostalgic and powerful branding moment with LL Cool J, FUBU, and the Gap. In the 1990s, Gap, trying to catch onto urban fashion trends, hired LL Cool J for an ad campaign. However, instead of sticking to the script, the hip-hop icon wore a FUBU hat and slyly inserted the phrase “For Us, By Us” into the commercial.
The twist? FUBU was a direct competitor to Gap’s intended demographic reach.
And yet, Gap didn’t immediately catch on. The ad aired broadly.
Suddenly, without spending a dime, FUBU — co-founded by Daymond John — captured a massive mainstream audience. It was raw, clever, and disruptive. In many ways, it was a cultural judo move before Akito marketing had even gained traction as a widely used term.
When Daymond praises campaigns like Payless’, he’s harking back to molecular moments like this, where the power of the message outweighed the marketing spend.
Jay Abraham’s Influence: What Is Akito Marketing?
Jay Abraham’s Akito marketing borrows its name from the martial art of Aikido, a discipline that uses an opponent’s energy to your advantage. The concept in marketing is similar: you don’t resist market forces, you blend with them, redirect them, and harness their strength.
Instead of fighting dominant narratives — expensive equates to valuable — Payless leaned into it, weaponized it, and then revealed the trick, shocking the audience and generating free press.
Daymond’s expertise sees how Akito marketing plays into positioning. Entrepreneurs constantly battle against impossible odds — tighter budgets, lesser influence, unfamiliar audiences — but a well-executed Akito strategy can give small voices amplified reach.
These pivots are intuitive for those who’ve honed their creativity not in abundance, but in constraint.
“The Power of Broke”: Why Constraints Ignite Creativity
Daymond John has long advocated for a principle called The Power of Broke, also the title of one of his most impactful books. In it, he argues that scarcity fuels ingenuity. When you don’t have the budget, the name-brand appeal, or the corporate infrastructure, you’re forced to think differently — often more creatively — just like FUBU and Payless did.
If Payless had the budget of Nike, would they have built “Palessi”?
Probably not.
But because their resources were constrained, creativity matured in unlikely ways. The Power of Broke isn’t about glorifying struggle — it’s about recognizing the opportunity behind every obstacle. Daymond constantly encourages entrepreneurs to use their disadvantages as springboards rather than setbacks.
Rise and Grind: Turning Vision into Movement
Daymond’s well-known mantra, #RiseAndGrind, is more than a motivational hashtag — it’s a blueprint. It emphasizes the ground-up growth that most entrepreneurs experience and celebrates persistence over comfort.
The Payless stunt doesn’t just work because of creativity — it works because someone woke up, committed to the hustle, and executed something daring. It’s one thing to dream of a viral moment; it’s another to actually bootstrap it to life.
#RiseAndGrind reminds us that ideation is only half the battle. Execution matters. Vision fuels effort, and effort drives results.
Applying These Lessons to Your Business or Personal Brand
- Redefine your brand narrative
What story are you telling? Every brand, big or small, is rooted in storytelling. Think about how your audience perceives you and how small shifts — like packaging, messaging, or setting — could elevate your brand value. - Use your limitations
Don’t have a million-dollar marketing budget? Good. Get creative. Could you host a pop-up in an unconventional location? Could you twist expectations like Payless did? - Flip the script
Position yourself as more than what people expect. If you’re in a saturated market, bring a fresh perspective. If people assume you’re “just another freelancer” or “just another startup,” surprise them. - Understand perception is reality
Whether you’re a solopreneur or a company, how people perceive your brand can be more influential than your actual offerings. Craft experiences, visuals, and content that align with how you want to be seen. - Stay grounded — and grind
Don’t wait for perfect conditions. Start where you are. Build with what you have. Commit to consistency.
The Takeaway: Rethink, Reposition, Reclaim
Daymond John’s reflective post on Payless Shoes serves as more than industry praise. It’s a wake-up call to modern entrepreneurs, creators, and individuals trying to break through the noise.
We live in a world where perception drives scores of decisions. But if value is determined by narrative, and influence by ingenuity, then underdogs everywhere have more power than they think.
So rethink how your brand is seen.
Reposition your message using unexpected strategies.
And reclaim the space you deserve in a crowded marketplace.
Find your “Palessi” moment — and make the world believe in your worth.
Because as Daymond reminds us: with hustle, creativity, and a bit of vision, you can transform even the plainest shoes into a must-have item.