Corteiz: Guerilla Marketing Geniuses, Gen Z's Must-Have Apparel And 2023's Hottest Brand?

15 Dec, 2022

Masters of guerilla marketing, creating hype and generating Gen Z appeal, fashion brand Corteiz is Imagen Insights Founder Jay Richards' one to watch in 2023.

1. Describe 2022 in three words…
Unexpected, exciting and trying.

2. Plug those words in What3Words for your 2023 Holiday destination. Where are you going and what’s the vibe?

A good way to end the year, relaxing off the coast of Australia. I’m technically in the middle of the Indian Ocean, but I’m grateful for a time to unwind and decompress even if I am stranded.

3. Asda, ALDI, John Lewis, Boots or someone else? Which Christmas ad won your heart and mind in 2022?

John Lewis - they bring it every year, but this year they’ve truly excelled with a wonderful purpose driven campaign - everyone in my team was talking about it and a few tears were shed!

4. What’s your favourite ad/campaign of 2022?

@imjustbait

99p Cortiez Cargos 😳 who got a pair? #imjustbait #crtzrtw W/ @tompablo

♬ original sound - Imjustbait

Corteiz - their gorilla marketing is like no other. The way they are building hype around the brand is driving Gen Z in their masses to buy into the craze of it all.

5. Mark Zuckerberg has asked to create your perfect Christmas in the metaverse. Where are you, who is cooking and what entertainment have you got lined-up?

We’d be somewhere hot - a colonised version of Mars. My mum and my nan are cooking Caribbean food and the line up is Jay Z, Pharrell and Kate Bush.

6. What do you want in your Christmas stocking in the old fashioned real world?

Chicken wings - I’ll figure out a way to make it happen without them getting yucky in the stocking.

7. Elon Musk has gifted you a place on twitter’s board for Christmas. What would you do to turn it around?

I think I would help focus him on implementing the business fundamentals he has that make sense, without doing it in a 'tech bro' way. I would also fix the bots issue.

8. What’s going to be hot in marketing in 2023?

Given we’re now in a recession, marketers are going to be more strategic about how they spend their budgets and this will lead to more well thought out campaigns.

9. How can marketers and brands ride the storm in 2023?

Take the time to experience life outside of their echo chambers allowing their consumers to thoughtfully add value to whatever they are building!

10. 2023 is the Chinese year of the water rabbit, which symbolises longevity, peace and prosperity. What are you hoping for in the year ahead in the world of marketing and advertising?

I’m hoping that people in our space create things that are actually exciting to them, that take risks and not things they are just being told to create. When times will be tough they need to do work that excites them as a marketer.

11. Top tip for 2023: What brand should we all be looking out for next year?

If we’re saying upcoming brand Corteiz - they’ve really been stepping up their game. If we’re talking about established brand I would say Converse - I just feel like there is great things to come from them - I think a period of reinvention and risk-taking for them will help them reap the rewards.

And finally…

12. Mince Pies - Christmas food heaven or hell?

Oh, Hell.

Jay Richards is Founder of Imagen Insights.

Join our mailing list

Speaker updates, ticket giveaways and exciting opportunities - don’t miss a thing and be the first to know about what’s happening at MAD//Fest

Stay in touch

Follow us and keep up to date with recent activity including new keynote speakers etc...