Superdry
Little did James Holder and Julian Dunkerton know when they began working together in their hometown of Cheltenham in 2003 that the brand they would develop would become a massive success on a national scale. Nearly 20 years later, Superdry is a global phenomenon dominating the UK.
Here are some exciting details about this fashion brand, which has gained international acclaim. The Company Started As A Market Stall. Julian Dunkerton, one of the founders of the Superdry Company, started his fashion research from a market booth in Cheltenham. From this point, he founded the company Cult Clothing, renowned for selling clothing with an Americana aesthetic and a vintage look in some of the largest cities in the UK.
Skatewear Brand
James Holder, a co-founder of Super dry, started the bench after experimenting with screen printing and design. The bar is a well-known skatewear company. Due to a mutual interest in pushing the frontiers of fashion, the brand perfectly captured his love of graphics and typography. And which he applied to the Super dry brand that he would later cofound with Julian. However, James and Julian were equally passionate about high-quality clothing and innovative designs. So it was when they travelled to Japan that the Super dry brand was born.
They combined their common hobbies into one modern apparel line through their trip to Japan’s capital. Only five T-shirts were available when It initially introduced the Super dry brand. However, it has expanded rapidly since then. These days, Superdry regularly produces seasonal collections that include thousands of different things and more than 500 unique logos. The Osaka 6 T-shirt, initially worn by British footballing legend David Beckham, was part of the original 5 T-shirt series. The actor and football player were only the first of many celebrities to wear the company’s clothing, along with Kate Winslet, Pixie Lott, and Leonardo di Caprio.
Brand Identity
Deciphering the script reveals that Super dry has nothing to do with anything, even vaguely Japanese. Maximum dry (do) sounds absurd when informally translated from Japanese (there is no literal translation). James Holder, the creator of Superdry, recalls his love of typography and his time reading Japanese manga as a child (known for its Japanese script on the cover). James reportedly came up with the logo in a Japanese bar utilizing a play on English and Japanese font to suggest, inexplicitly, using Super dry to remain dry on a rainy day.
The logo’s flawless integration of English and Japanese conveys a different meaning than what it says, branding brilliance! Some industry professionals think it’s a spoof of Japanese apparel companies that frequently utilize nonsensical English jargon to sound British. Super Group isn’t complaining, parody or not. Because of the logo, Super dry, in the same sentence as brands like Uniqlo, Zara, All Saints, and Mango compete with Super dry.
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Superdry: who are they?
For those unaware, Super dry is a fashion brand of Super Group plc, a global apparel corporation headquartered in Cheltenham, UK. Although it didn’t begin that way, that is the focus of this case study—a move from car boot sales to high street retailers, from obscurity to ubiquity. And is what it takes for Super dry-brand-the-branding-journal-5 to revive an almost nonexistent fashion line of outdoor apparel?
A “fashion chain for men and women merging antique Americana with Japanese and British inspirations,” as they like to call themselves, you wonder, “What’s the Japanese inspiration?” But wow, was it successful! SuperGroup has unmistakably benefited from consumer aversion to all things Japanese. According to research, European consumers prefer Japanese products and display this preference in their buying behaviour.
Idris Elba and Superdry
The Super dry logo includes these signs. The significance of these marks has always been a mystery to those who cannot read or understand Japanese. Fortunately, we can reassure you that you haven’t been wearing “I Love Sushi” across your chest. Since this text is not in Japan, the translation could be better. They claim that the founders only used a dictionary or that the word was using a website.
The British actor, whose work you may recognize from Luther and Fast & Furious Present: Hobbs & Shaw, has created a unique line of clothing with Superdry. There were no less than 250 pieces in the collection! The stylish motor jacket from this collection, in particular, proved an instant success. Idris Elba participated in the creation in addition to designing. The actor claims that his work with Super dry allowed him to have an impact on how people dress.
Clothing Company
Contrary to popular belief, Super dry is not a Japanese corporation. There was no connection between the corporation based in the UK and an Asian nation. Most people associate Super dry with Japan since the clothing company combines American and Japanese graphics but processes them in a British manner. Funny enough, Japan has no Super dry stores!
The co-founders of Superdry, Julian Dunkerton and James Holder, studied countless food packaging and nearby stores while brainstorming at a bar. It appears that the word “Super” is on every Japanese package. The idea for the term Super dries then developed from there. Holder sought to give the brand a Japanese flair when he returned to the UK and included some Japanese elements.
Final Thoughts
Despite its modest beginnings in Cheltenham, Super dry today has more than 700 branded outlets worldwide in more than 60 countries. However, the brand needs to be satisfied with its achievements and plans to expand globally into new countries in the coming years. The Osaka 6 T-shirt, initially worn by British footballing legend David Beckham, was part of the original 5 T-shirt series. The actor and football player were only the first of many celebrities to wear the company’s clothing, along with Kate Winslet, Pixie Lott, and Leonardo di Caprio.
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