Have you ever seen your favorite sitcom star wearing a dress that’s seriously irresistible? Maybe a hero from your favorite film has an iconic “look” that you can’t put together by visiting ordinary clothing stores. Wish you could just order an outfit as you see it on the screen? This is what Asos offers to the public, as a service.
ASOS is an acronym for “As Seen On Screen”. Not many of their buyers are aware of this fact. It cleverly describes with great eloquence, exactly what the company does. They recreate the clothing and cosmetics seen in popular films and on TV, making these iconic pieces available to the general public to own. They have been called the ultimate e-commerce success story of Britain.
Originally, the brand adopted the tagline: “Buy what you see on film and TV”. Some of the pieces that were most popular during their early days included the red leather jacket that Brad Pitt wore in the popular film Fight Club.
ASOS: A brief history
The clever enterprise was started by two ordinary British men with a genius idea: To recreate the amazing clothing and accessories ordinary individuals see on TV and in films. These men are Nick Robertson and Quentin Griffiths.
They were destined for success from their initial idea. Their creative service catered to a unique need by adding luxury and style to the must-have essential everyone needs – clothing. Added to that, they positioned themselves with trendy and slightly cheeky branding that aligns itself with the youth, their target market.
Another event that cemented the company’s success was their admittance to the AIM (Alternative Investment Market) on the London Stock Exchange, meaning that their shares could be floated.
ASOS the brand
Asos has an established brand identity that is decidedly young and trendy, aligning itself with many of the issues that matter to the younger generations. They promote body positivity by making their fashion items available in over 30 sizes. They embrace the non-stereotyping of genders, seeing fashion as an opportunity for self-expression with no limitations.
The brand further aligns itself with the issues that matter to their target market by implementing strict ethical practices with regards to the sourcing and manufacturing of their good: “We have 168 suppliers who use 713 factories around the world. We’re serious about making sure every single person in that supply chain is safe at work, respected, and earns a living wage.”
Research into consumer trends indicates that the most effective way to future-proof a brand is to build an enterprise that’s based n solid ethics around sustainability and empowerment of the people involved in service-delivery and manufacture.
Asos has achieved this: “We developed a world-leading Ethical Trade Strategy in 2017 and priorities include transparency; improving wages; health and safety; addressing and reducing modern slavery risks, and identifying and stopping child labor.”
The brand’s name plays a significant role in its success
As Seen On Screen, shortened to Asos, is short and sweet. The name gives the brand significant room for creative ad campaigns, something that few people factor in when they first embark on choosing a name for the company.
One example of a highly effective ad campaign that hinges on the theme of the name is their #AsSeenOnMe campaign. Instagram users are invited to upload videos of purchased ASOS products on or used by themselves.
How effective was the campaign? Well, everyone wants their moment to shine, publicly. Over 3 million people interacted with the video in the UK and this gained the brand significant publicity.
This brand emphasizes the importance of choosing the perfect name for a brand. The creative process is natural for so many, but a completely mysterious and elusive concept to others. If you’re the latter, it might help to use a brand name generator to help you.