Converse's Knee-High Chuck Taylors are back

As a former emo kid, I have huge news.

Converse has relaunched their Knee-High Chuck Taylor.

This is not a drill. I’m about to put on BMTH, the blackest eye liner I can find, and as Avril Lavigne once non-ironically said, 'Rock owt.'

These shoes were once a huge trendsetter. But as the pop-punk phase faded out of sight like my red hair in summer 2010, so did the iconic kicks. They were eventually discontinued.

Until 2021, when some Elder Emos on TikTok began to reminisce about the nostalgic style of our youth. This became a consistent theme for the next 3 years, with users begging for Converse to bring the long-laced shoes back.

And, well, I guess we wore them down.

BECAUSE THEY’RE BACK BABY.

We’ve seen this kind of 'bullying works' thing happen before with TikTok and brands.

Think of the Chipotle effect. TikTok users pressured the restaurant’s employees to stop giving them stingy servings.

Glossier reverted to their original lip balm formula after widespread hate from their fans.

However, in this case, the 'pressure' is not hate-fuelled.

But it does carry the same message, which is the power of brand to consumer conversation.

As a brand, keeping an ear to the ground can be a great source of potential, cultural context, and a great way to engage with your audience’s wants and needs.

But it’s also a sign of an ingenious marketing trend that’s completely captured millennial and Gen Z markets over the last few years.

When Y2K fashion made a comeback in 2021, it brought with it some pretty epic nostalgia-fuelled brand collaborations.

In spring of 2022, Marc Jacobs dropped Heaven, a 90s inspired, youth-focused capsule, made with millennials in mind. But Heaven also captured the Gen Z shoppers who love to adopt and adapt our old trends.

This is just one example of the many we’ve seen come out of this phenomenon.

This tactic is dubbed 'nostalgia marketing.' It's when brands evoke memories by confronting consumers with the past, triggering an emotional reaction (and usually, a purchase.)

And according to Forbes, it works incredibly well with millennials.

Whether it’s choker necklaces, low rise jeans, side parts or tank tops, anyone born before ’96 has felt the pull of nostalgia marketing on our heartstrings over the last two years.

Tapping into fond memories can be an invaluable tactic. That's because reliving positive memories from the past feels good.

Especially memories from a time prior to hectic work schedules, unrelenting responsibilities, and a global cost of living crisis that makes our generation feel like they’re doing something wrong.

When a brand makes us feel something positive, we’re more likely to act on that feeling. Reaching us on an emotional level opens us up to being more receptive to brand messaging.

And Converse has been playing with our emotions for a while.

The brand has been actively working behind the scenes since 2022 to redevelop the highly requested knee-high sneaker. Although they didn't reveal this to customers.

On April Fool’s Day, 2022, Converse uploaded a TikTok captioned 'Unboxing my new knee-high Converse.' But the video was just endlessly looped footage of someone beginning to open a cardboard box.

Last November, the brand gifted SZA a pair to wear during her performance at the annual Camp Flog Gnaw Music Festival, of which Converse is a partner.

They also collaborated with designer Matine Ali on a grungier take on the shoe.

This teased consumers, who went from commenting normal stuff like 'broski where are the knee highs' to 'I NEEEEEEEEEED THE KNEE HIGHS. I WILL SELL MY SOUL. I WILL NAME MY FIRST BORN "CONVERSE". PLEASE. ILL DO ANYTHING.'

After officially announcing the revival of these ICONIC shoes, Converse gifted the sneakers to over a dozen consumers who 'had been asking for the product all along,' Converse CMO Rodney Rambo told Ad Age.

Their videos generated additional excitement around the relaunch later that month. Of course, this amplified the social media storytelling around the drop.

'I think our strategy is quite simple—it’s always been about [consumers], so let’s keep them in the centre of it,' he said. 'People tell the best stories, not brands. And our consumers were asking for something that they felt was pretty special. So, it was best for us to listen, connect, engage and collaborate with them.'

Safe to say, the emo in me is so stoked, and the marketer in me, impressed.

Here are my takeaways:

Nostalgia sells. So tap into its emotional power by bringing back products, styles, or elements that evoke fond memories from your audience's past! Honestly, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t work pretty damn well on me.

Engage with consumer conversations. Actively monitor and participate in convos on social media to understand consumer desires and trends. Then use that feedback to inform product development and marketing strategies. I don’t know why you wouldn’t utilise this tool today. Anything else feels like a shot in the dark!

Use strategic teasing. Build anticipation and excitement around a product launch using socials.

If you catch me reliving my teen emo angst, mind your business. And can somebody tell Oli Sykes I say hi?

-Sophie, Writer