Social media has a way of changing how things are viewed.

If an influencer wears something, others flock to buy that new piece of clothing, new purse, new shoe.

But what if fashion didn’t actually require a high cost? One store was determined to find out if that would get the same play on Instagram. 

But first, they needed to create a high-scale store.

Payless shoes, known for its bargain prices, wanted to prove that good shoes didn’t require someone to break their bank.

So they created ‘Palessi’, a brand new “luxury” shoe designed by “famed Italian designer” Bruno Palessi.

“We felt like this campaign would be a great way to get a lot of people to consider Payless again, and to realize it’s more than just a shoe store in the mall,” said Sarah Couch, Payless’s chief marketing officer.

On a mini runway, the store made sure to highlight the shoes with fancy lighting. Stiletto heels of all different types lined shelves. A statue was draped with bags. Social media influencers ran around, trying on shoes, posing for pictures.

I would pay $400, $500. People are going to be like, ‘Where did you get those? Those are amazing,’ ” said one woman, while trying on leopard print sneakers.

While the company was wanting to prove that their shoes could be just as good as more expensive ones, they also, some say, showed how easy it is to convince consumers that something is high value, simply by saying it is.

“The way that we evaluate things is through associations. If you put wine in a nice bottle, people like it more. If you package things up to look more premium, people will like it more,”  said Philip Graves, a consumer behavior consultant from Britain. “If advertising has high production qualities, people will think it’s better.”

A ‘Palessi’ sneaker.

Helping Payless was DCX Growth Accelerator. The New York-based company specializes in helping companies create pranks that garner attention in the media.

“We wanted to do something provocative. We wanted to get Payless back into the cultural discourse,” DCX founder Doug Cameron said.

Finding a spot in a luxury mall that has stores such as Michael Kors and Tiffany & Co., they styled the store in an Italian theme to suit their fake Italian designer.

They labeled Payless shoes with stickers that said “Palessi” in a clean, black font, with price tags as high as $1,800.

And on launch day, in came the influencers, lined up outside ready to try on fancy shoes. A cameraman and interviewer talked with them about the shoes and what they thought of the prices.

“Palessi is just such high quality, high fashion, taking your shoe game up to the next level,” said one man wearing spiked necklaces, holding a knee-high boot. “It looks really well made.”

“It’s just stunning. Elegant, sophisticated and versatile,” said a woman, as she held a pair of floral stiletto heels.

For me to experience this as an Italian designer is amazing,” said another man with an accent.

However, once the people purchased the shoes, some for as high as $600, they were taken to another room and let in on the prank. The shoes they had purchased typically sold for between $19.99 and $39.99 each.

The ‘staff’ of Palessi’s. Photo from Payless Shoes.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” said a woman who had fawned over a pair of floral stiletto heels. They were allowed to keep the shoes free of charge. 

Cameron said the prank was a way to remind consumers that they don’t have to pay high prices for things they will love.

“We interviewed all these consumers who said they loved great styles but resented the elite prices that people would pay for industry fashion brands. We had an interesting opportunity to take a cultural position and said, ‘Let’s have Payless gently make fun of all of that and go back to this pragmatist position in culture.’ That seems to have tapped a nerve.”

So the next time you see that luxury brand some Instagrammer is showcasing, remember – it could just be a Palessi.

Watch below for a look at the ‘high-fashion’ brand and its launch!

Sources: CBS News | Washington Post