Buying In - (Page 23) buying in 23 emphasized that we weren’t just a T-shirt line—we were more of a lifestyle” that aimed to “bring this subculture out,” he said. “And I guess we sold him on that.” The Fred Segal deal helped them persuade other retail buyers to give the Hundreds a try. By the time we met up at Magic, the Hundreds had distribution in scores of stores, in eight states and fifteen countries. I’d noticed that their website included what was essentially a fan club section—you could join the Hundreds “bomb squad” and get stickers to put up around your city. I assumed this was bravado. Bobby told me I was wrong. “We get so many e-mails every day from kids, not just in America, but around the world, who want to be somehow involved in the Hundreds,” he said. Just like Ecko or Polo or Hello Kitty, or any other brand that finds an audience, the Hundreds meant something to its fledgling—but surprisingly enthusiastic—consumer base. People were starting to glom on to it. The Hundreds had created a symbol that had meaning, and that was cracking the Desire Code. Surveying the sea of brands at Magic, I found it tempting at first to conclude that consumers reach for these commercial symbols because we live in a world riddled with logos. But eventually I realized that maybe I had the cause and effect backward. Maybe we live in a world riddled with logos because symbols are something that we enjoy, desire, and even need.
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.