Depop rides the second-hand wave
Nostalgia is everywhere this week, and ‘circular fashion marketplace’ Depop’s effort with Uncommon is certainly not short of it. We dig into why.
Depop has launched ‘Where Taste Recognises Taste’, celebrating the thrill of discovering pre-loved fashion.
Spearheaded by (the very busy recently) Uncommon Creative Studio, the campaign taps into the universal longing for rediscovery, evoking the joy of spotting a stranger rocking your old JNCO jeans or a vintage gem you once cherished.
The campaign, led by creative directors Katie DiNardo and Kelley Barrett, positions Depop as the destination for ‘authentic self-expression through secondhand style’. “It’s about that moment when you see someone wearing something so ‘you’. It’s like spotting a piece of your soul in the wild,” DiNardo said.
The campaign’s playful yet poignant tone is well-pitched for Gen Z and millennial shoppers, who make up the majority of Depop’s 35 million registered users, by celebrating thrifting and the individuality of taste.
Featuring vibrant visuals and a mix of digital, out-of-home, and social media activations, the campaign showcases real Depop finds like oversized ’90s denim, Y2K crop tops, and one-of-a-kind vintage tees, styled by real users.
A standout element is a series of short films depicting fictional “taste tribes” connecting over shared fashion sensibilities, from grunge revivalists to maximalist magpies. “We wanted to capture the magic of Depop’s community, where buyers and sellers bond over pieces that tell a story,” Barrett said.
Uncommon Creative Studio, known for bold campaigns like the London Museum’s pigeon rebrand, collaborated closely with Depop’s in-house team to craft a narrative that feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking.
Our take
Nostalgia is omnipresent this week, and central to this ad. The campaign comes close to being too whimsical, but has enough humour and warmth to carry its sustainable message across the line.
As Depop continues to grow (reporting 1.5 million daily active users and a 20% increase in sales last year), ‘ Where Taste Recognizes Taste’ aims to cement its place as a cultural force in fashion. The timing seems apt, with more people than ever seeking the retro kudos, cash savings and old school appeal of a pair of vintage Levi’s or used ’90s leather.
We wonder, though, if beyond the laudable merits of second-hand shopping’s mainstreaming lies an urge to reconnect to a time when culture had a truly distinct aesthetic and a simpler political environment. Regardless, retro continues to push units.
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