They're world-famous brands. They have stores across the globe. But no matter how much cash you have, you can't buy their stuff.

Meet the Unshoppables: luxury so elite, you can't buy it.

(and what that reveals about the counterintuitive laws of luxury branding.)

⌚️🏎️ 👜👇 After I wrote about the Hermès lawsuit, some comments wisely noted that other luxury brands operate the exact same way.

Let's look at these Unshoppable companies, and answer the question: if you have well-heeled customers BEGGING to throw money at you...why wouldn't you take it?

Anyone else love a luxury lawsuit?

Hermès was recently hit with a class action over (what else?) their iconic Birkin bag.

To really understand the lawsuit, you need to understand the bag.

It's a story of how luxury brands think about—and create—value.

Let's dig in: Hermès is 187 years old, but they didn't create their most famous product until the 80s.

Actress, singer, & style icon Jane Birkin (known for carrying a wicker basket instead of a purse), happened to sit next to the Exec. Chairman of Hermès, Jean-Louis Dumas, on a flight.

When you think of "quiet luxury," you're thinking of The Row.

They never advertise. They barely do press. But they're your favorite fashionista's favorite label.

This is the story of two mogul designers who silenced critics and created one of the most coveted brands on earth:🪡 If you didn't know Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen started The Row, you're not alone. Their anonymity is by design.

Once a side project, The Row is a case study in building a luxury brand—and setting trends by being anti-trend.

And 17 years ago, it all started with one white T-shirt.

125 years ago in Cologne, a man was inspired by his love of travel to start a suitcase business.

Just one issue: travel as we know it...didn't exist yet.

This is the story of luxury brand Rimowa, and how their obsession with innovation changed how we travel. In the 19th century, leisure travel was reserved for elites. And they had a *lot* of bags.

Wealthy voyagers traveled by rail or sea, for long periods of time.

Suitcases for these travels were necessarily a luxury product, like the Louis Vuitton steamer trunk, introed in 1858.

At a Brunello Cucinelli boutique recently, I asked if a blue sweater I liked came in black.

"No," the saleswoman replied. "Black doesn’t often appear in nature so it’s not inspiring to Brunello."

Incredible!! And very telling.

Here's why: Before I explain, an intro to Cucinelli:

They make some of the finest clothes money can buy—emphasis on MONEY.

But they wouldn't be about to cross $1B in annual sales if "really expensive" was their core value.

Like any great luxury brand, Cucinelli knows story is everything.

Once upon a time, one family created something so desirable, it bewitched a king.

They became nobility, before falling into a 100-year slumber.

But this isn't a fairy tale.

It's the story of Trudon, one of the greatest luxury brands you've never heard of.

They make...candles. Cire Trudon is 380 years old. They became a luxury product when candles were still a basic necessity.

Their fans included Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, & Napoleon I.

So, how does a candle become a status symbol?

It's a story with a lot of ups and downs.

I'll enlighten you:

Luxury trends come and go, but one thing stays the same:

Money talks, but wealth whispers.

I'll explain: Money that "talks" is loud. It's often new. It has something to prove.

Money that "talks" buys the brands that do the same thing.

It announces itself, making a statement from across the room at Nobu.

These two bags look nearly identical, but the bag on the right costs $500 more than the bag on the left.

The difference? It's all in the leather.

Here's THE SECRET to finding the best leather money can buy🧵 Leather has been worn for thousands of years.

It transformed humanity. It's used in some of the finest consumer goods on the planet.

It's also morally sticky, and shrouded in misinformation.

And if you're buying ethically, it can—and SHOULD—be pretty frickin spendy.

The greatest luxury brands in the world spend centuries building a brand around exclusivity.

To do this successfully requires a tight control over supply, distribution, and brand perception.

But, a new wave of social media trends is changing everything.

Enter, Goyard 🧵 Lots of luxury brands *talk* about exclusivity, but nobody lives it like Goyard. As they said in an anonymous interview:

“Luxury is a dream, and revealing too much of what goes on behind the scenes would spoil the magic.”

This magic requires tight control of their story.

Over the past few days, I set out to answer a burning question that I've had for years:

Why are perfume ads so weird?

It's a pretty wild story 🧵 Advertisers grapple with one fundamental problem when trying to sell perfume:

You can't actually communicate the smell or the qualities of a specific perfume in a TV/print ad.

So, fragrance commercials have to rely on something completely different.

✨Vibes✨

10 years ago, Chipotle ran their first nationally-televised commercial during the 2012 Grammy Awards.

It was so successful, it increased the restaurant chain's revenue by over 23% 🤯

This is the story of the greatest restaurant ad in history... In the early 90s, Steve Ells was working as a chef at a high end restaurant in Denver, CO.

After years in fine dining, Steve had a vision for a new kind of restaurant concept.

He wanted to start a Mexican fast food chain using high-quality, sustainably-sourced ingredients.

The most prestigious luxury brands in the world can agree on one thing:

“Money talks, but wealth whispers.”

Let me explain... Money that "talks" is loud. It's often new. It wants to declares its presence even before it enters a room.

Money that "talks" often buys the brands that do the same thing — Products with a trademark design or logo that can be seen from across the room at Nobu.

Cartier is worn by celebrities.

But Van Cleef & Arpels is worn by royalty.

Let me introduce you to the world's oldest invite-only jewelry brand. The company was started by the joining of two families:

The Van Cleefs - Diamond dealers
The Arpels - Precious gemstone dealers

Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels married in Paris, France in 1895.

One year later, the two families started their joint venture.

A beautiful woman arrives to Paris for the first time from South America.

She meets a dashing, Moroccan-born Frenchman. They fall in love and start a boutique together in Paris.

But this ISN'T a RomCom.

It's the story one of the greatest luxury brand you've never heard of... The man and woman are Prosper and Martine Assouline.

The name of the boutique is Assouline.

And, Mr. and Mrs. Assouline set out to build the world's first luxury brand all about culture.

BUT, they had the idea for the company years before.

The name’s Birkin. Jane Birkin.

On a fated flight 40 years ago, a fashion icon (our girl, Jane Birkin) and a Hermès brand executive had an idea.

A bag. Big enough for the everyday. Expensive enough to not be for everyone.

This is the story of Hermès and the Birkin bag: Jane Birkin is an actress, singer, and style ICON who was known for carrying a small wicker basket EVERYWHERE instead of using a bag or purse.

And in 1984, Jane found herself struggling to jam that unrealistic basket into the overhead bin on a flight from Paris to London.

Pedialyte went from a medical formula treating severe dehydration to a wildly popular hangover cure.

It was all thanks to a SICK marketing strategy.

And... a lil Hailey Bieber and Miley Cyrus for good measure.

Here is the story: The @pedialyte formula was created in the 1960s based on rehydration therapies used by the World Health Organization in the '40s.

The recipe was originally designed as a cheap treatment for dehydration from sickness or gastrointestinal problems caused by viruses and bacteria.

Patagonia is a BEAUTIFUL paradox.

It's one of the most successful apparel companies in recent history that has built its entire brand on anti-consumerism.

This is how Patagonia is able to have its cake AND eat it too 👇🏻 Despite its smaller size, Patagonia is one of THE most successful consumer brands in the U.S.

In a 2021 study, they received the highest consumer brand perception ratings of any consumer company.

But asking someone what they think of a brand is tricky.

statista.com/statistics/117…

Yoga moms have Fiji Water.
Tech employees have Topo Chico.
Grown men on bicycles have Smartwater.

@LiquidDeath is for the punk in us all.

This is the story of the most dangerous brand in beverage 👇🏻 It's 2008. Vans Warped Tour.

Rise Against has just finished their set and Ad Exec Mike Cessario notices something.

There are energy drink logos EVERYWHERE - On banners, on tables, and in the hands of thousands of people.

Here are 31 websites I like: link.workweek.com/public/28866668

A few days ago, Starbucks announced their Fall drinks lineup.

But did you know that the news already leaked WEEKS ago?

I'll let you in on a secret: The leak wasn't an accident - It's a calculated brand strategy.

This is how Starbucks has mastered the art of controversy 👇🏻 Let's say that Starbucks is ready to announce the return of the PSL (an UNDEFEATED drink in the Starbucks seasonal lineup).

A few days beforehand, every single Starbucks location receives a shipment of the new ingredients and pumpkin flavoring for the unannounced drink.

A CRASH COURSE on how to optimize your brand's website.

There are sooooo many little things that can make an ecommerce experience amazing.

There are even more things that IMMEDIATELY RUIN the experience.

I present to you: 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOUR WEBSITE 👇🏻 10. I have NO IDEA where your website's shop button is.

If I visit your website and I can't immediately find the "SHOP" CTA PROUDLY DISPLAYED IN YOUR HERO, I'm immediately clicking out.