Question: How do you make millions of Australians reconsider a low-cost retail brand they’ve dismissed for years?

Answer: Make them think they’re shopping somewhere else.

The fashion industry runs on the perception that higher prices and designer labels mean that you’ll look more stylish. Standing against this myth is low-cost Australian retail chain Best&Less, who believe that fashion should be affordable for everyone.

The problem was that most Australians would be mortified at the idea of being seen in a Best&Less store.

They wouldn’t go to Best&Less, so we took Best&Less to them – in disguise.

We created LAB – a new high-style fashion store in the heart of Sydney’s high-end fashion district. We disguised Best&Less clothes with new labels and inflated prices. And we watched secretly while shoppers browsed, tried on clothing, and bought our collections.

When they reached the checkout, we revealed that the clothes were actually from Best&Less, and that the price was far more affordable than they were originally willing to pay.

Through prime-time news media coverage, the LAB story reached 1 in every 3 Australians. The LAB pop-up store sales outperformed the best performing Best&Less store sales by 1733%. And we gave Australian women a reason to think again about the price they’re paying for fashion.

LAB launched in the heart of Sydney’s high-end fashion district.

While shoppers browsed, tried on clothes and purchased, we secretly filmed their every move and comment from a specially created surveillance room.

Customers who were happy to pay the inflated prices on the tags received a very pleasant surprise at the counter –a dress marked $140, rang up at $40, because “Best&Less believes that you shouldn’t have to pay these high prices for great style.” We captured shoppers’ shocked reactions with hidden cameras.

The story broke as the lead piece on one of Australia’s highest-rated national news programs, A Current Affair. It was closely followed by other news, radio, print and online publications.

A partnership with hugely popular and on-target blog Mamamia amplified the filmed content and continued to drive debate online.

Collectively reaching over 8 million Australians – forcing women to reconsider the price they pay for fashion.

• Editorial commentary featured in national television, newspapers, radio and industry blogs.

• Over 8 million Australians were reached with this campaign (nearly a third of the population of Australia).

• The goal of challenging perceptions and changing consumer behavior was achieved: The LAB pop-up store sales outperformed the best performing Best & Less store sales by 1,733%

Consumer reactions captured:

• “I wouldn’t ever go into Best&Less, but now I’ve seen the fashion… maybe!”

• “It’s definitely changed how I feel about Best&Less… there’s fashionable stuff in there.”

• “I felt a bit embarrassed that I’d had that pre-judgment.”