Dutch retailer launches campaign on difference between cheap and expensive sneakers

Why are some sneaker styles so expensive and others so affordable? Zeeman, a discount retailer from the Netherlands, has put together a clever campaign to convince consumers that the price difference doesn’t necessarily reflect a difference in quality.

The company has released two sneaker styles: Hybrid Z, priced at 200 euro (approximately 224 US dollars or 176 pounds), and Basic Z, which retails for 12.99 euro (15.4 US dollars or 11.4 pounds). For the first style, Zeeman claims to have invested more in a “unique, flashy design” for both the sneaker and its packaging, as well as artificially creating a sense of scarcity around the product. “By limiting production to just 500 pairs, we make sure it remains exclusive. Then, we invested in a marketing and social media campaign with various influencers to increase the hype even more”, said the retailer in a statement.

As for Basic Z, the company says it has “a simple design with good materials. We produced a large amount of pairs (20.000) looking to bring the costs down. We didn’t buy any expensive advertisements, all we did was make sure to take a good, clear picture of the product. This is how we can make a quality product for the lowest possible price.”

Which sneaker style will Dutch consumers prefer? That remains to be seen.

Picture: Courtesy of Zeeman