Brand Strategy Case Study- Senior Capstone
Lucky Brand
Team:
Kyna Bullins
Perry Forsyth
Olivia Murphy
Aayush Mewada
Get Lucky
%20(1).png)
.png)
Background
Founded in 1990 in Los Angeles, Lucky Brand Denim built its reputation on built on quality products and great fitting jeans and quickly grew into a lifestyle brand. Known for its signature “Lucky You” stitched tag, and strong ties to pop culture, the brand was extremely relevant in the 2000’s.
Since then, Lucky Brand has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020 amid shifting retail trends and decline in relevance.
The Setup
Once the coolest jeans in the room. Then, well… not.
Lucky Brand was that brand. The “Lucky You” stitched inside every zipper, the rock-star fits, the whole LA-cool thing. In the 2000s, wearing Lucky meant something — you had taste, or at least great-fitting pants.
Then athleisure happened. TikTok happened. Chapter 11 happened. By 2020, Lucky Brand had filed for bankruptcy and Gen Z couldn’t pick it out of a lineup. Our job? Fix that. No big deal.
1990
Founded in LA. Immediately became the coolest thing in your closet.
200+
Peak retail locations. That’s a lot of
great-fitting jeans.
2020
Chapter 11. Athleisure entered the chat
and nobody asked it to.
$225M
Sold to Leonard Green & Partners in 2013.
Then sold again after bankruptcy.
The Problem
America chose sweatpants.
Three separate ways.
01
Nobody Knows the Name
Brand awareness among Gen Z quietly flatlined. Not controversial, not polarizing — just invisible. The absolute worst fate for any brand.
02
Denim vs. The Couch
Athleisure redefined “comfortable” for a new generation. Jeans feel like effort. And effort? Hard sell to a generation raised on Lululemon.
03
Everybody’s Got Jeans
Levi’s holds 35.8% of all denim Google searches. American Eagle added 700K new customers in one quarter alone. The category is cutthroat
Primary Research
We talked to people.
Radical concept.
We ran a 45-minute Zoom focus group with 7 Gen Z participants and a 15-question quantitative survey with 30 responses. The goal was simple: understand how this generation actually thinks about denim, and where Lucky Brand fits — or doesn’t — into that picture.
Spoiler: they had a lot to say. Especially about sweatpants.
45 min
Focus group
on Zoom · 7 participants
​On celebrity ads
"Just because a celebrity is wearing it, I’m still not going to be influenced… I base it on whether I like the product and the quality".
On brand loyalty
"I don’t really care if it’s name brand or some random brand. If the jeans fit right and the quality is good, I’m sold".
On everyday wear
"I’m really not a jean person. I like tights, sweatpants… they’re more comfortable".
On price vs. quality
"I’m willing to spend more on them just because I know that they will last long".
On spending decisions
"If something is expensive, I’ll think about quality and be like, will this last me a long time?"
​On research habits
"Before I buy jeans, I usually look them up online first to see reviews or how they fit on other people".
Focus Group — 7 Participants — Their Actual Words
They had opinions. Unfiltered.
Survey — 30 Responses — Ages 18–25
The numbers confirmed it.
Finding 01
Fit beats brand. Every single time.
23 out of 30 ranked fit #1. Brand name? Zero percent called it extremely important. Not one person. Good news for Lucky Brand nail the fit and you earn the sale without the name recognition.
23/30
Put fit above everything else
“If the jeans are nice and they fit right and the quality is good, then I’m sold.”
​
Focus Group Participant
Finding 02
Quality justifies price. Every time.
70% spend $50–80 on jeans when the quality justifies it. They’re not cheap — they’re skeptical. MRI Simmons confirms: index 127 on “I prefer high quality products.” Prove the quality, get the sale.
70%
Put fit above everything else
Put fit above everything else
“I’m willing to spend more just because I know they will last long.”
Focus Group Participant
Finding 03
Brand loyalty is basically a myth.
Half the respondents rotate between brands. 17% switch constantly. Nobody is truly locked in. That’s not a threat that’s an open invitation. The category is up for grabs for any brand with a real point of view.
67%
Are not loyal to any single brand
“I don’t really care if it’s name brand or some random brand.”
​
Focus Group Participant
Finding 04
Celebrity endorsements: hard pass.
The focus group was deeply skeptical. They see right through paid partnerships. The product has to be genuinely good first. American Eagle proved campaigns work at scale — but only because the denim could back it up.
0%
influenced primarily by celebrity endorsements
“Just because a celebrity is wearing it, I’m still not going to be influenced.”
​
Focus Group Participant
Finding 05
They Google before they buy anything.
Purchases are research-driven, not impulsive. Reviews, try-on videos, fit comparisons all before checkout. Lucky Brand needs to show up in that research journey early, often, and with something worth stopping for.
80% +
research jeans online before purchasing
“Before I buy jeans, I usually look them up online first to see reviews or how they fit.”
Focus Group Participant
Key insight
Every day clothing trends are sacrificing composure and confidence for ease and comfort.
Everything we dug up
before talking to anyone.
Secondary Research — The 4 C’s
01
Company
A heritage brand trying to remember who it is
​
Lucky Brand nailed the culturally relevant “rock star” look in the 90s–2000s using quality denim and a cheeky voice. The “Lucky You” fly tag was provocative and it worked. Since then? Lost in the noise. Currently attempting a comeback via Addison Rae collabs and a revived low-rise jean.
02
Consumer
Primarily women, 25–34, West Coast, quality-first
Median household income $98,882. Over-indexes with women (index 119). Most concentrated in the West (index 123). Values individuality, authenticity, self-expression through clothing. Brand loyal when they connect — but Gen Z hasn’t connected yet.
03
Culture
Status signals shifted from things to behaviors
Indicators of taste are no longer one-time displays (formal clothing, ownership) but repeatable behaviors — dressing casually, referencing the past, keeping products longer, researching before buying. Heritage, nostalgia, and anti-trend positioning are all rising culturally.
04
Category
Crowded, competitive, dominated by a few giants
​
American Eagle: 35.8% of Google search share. Levi’s: 8.5%. Lucky Brand: invisible in search data. Most jeans sell for $20–$40. Mid-tier heritage brands must differentiate clearly or get buried. No middle ground.
Competitive Landscape
Heading 4
What the competition is actually doing.
American Eagle
Working
Sydney Sweeney “has great jeans” was controversial and it worked. 700K+ new customers in one quarter. 40 billion impressions. Stock up 22%. Then Travis Kelce to sustain momentum. Signature denim sold out in a week.
700K
new customers in a single quarter
Levi’s
Mixed
Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter for cultural relevance. Simultaneously pivoting to workwear roots western-style jeans at $59, expanding into Boot Barn and Cavender’s. DTC up 10%, stock up 23%.
23%
stock increase on new strategy announcement
MRI Simmons — Psychographic Data
Who they actually are according to the data.
132
Fashion
“I like casual clothing”
Index 132. Also index 124 on “I like fashionable clothes.” Casual AND fashionable. Lucky Brand lives exactly in that gap.
127
Shopping
“I prefer high quality products”
Index 127. Also index 119 on brand loyalty. Earn them once, keep them. The hard part is the first time.
122
Personality
“I consider myself independent”
Index 122. Clothing as self-expression (index 118). They want a brand that actually reflects who they are.
145
Category
Jeans are still the #1 purchase
Apparel index 145 for jeans. They still buy denim. They just need a reason to buy Lucky Brand specifically.
120
Spending
“I’ll pay more for quality”
​
Index 120. $75K–$150K household income. Lucky Brand’s price point is in range. The product just has to justify it.
118
Media
Instagram is the channel
​
Index 118 on Instagram. This audience is visual and discovery-driven. Show up where they already are.
Heading 5
The Strategy
Don’t fight comfort.
Redefine what it means.
The research was clear: comfort wins. Instead of fighting that, we positioned Lucky as the option that gives you both. Comfortable enough to live in. Confident enough to show up in. The effort that doesn’t feel like effort.
Positioning Statement
For the younger generation that wants to show up confidently no matter what shape their day takes, Lucky provides a sexier vision for lived-in comfort that lasts.
Positioning
Voice
Timeless + Casual. Not chasing trends.
Chic. Composed. A little cheeky.
While everyone chases what’s next, Lucky just… lasts. Like a good pair of jeans should. That’s the position.
P
Chic not pretentious. Bold not gaudy. Cheeky not childish. The original “Lucky You” energy updated for now.
V
Target
Opportunity
Meet Lucy, 24. Not easily impressed.
Low loyalty = open door. Walk in.
Thrifts. Hates performative brands. Wants one wardrobe for every version of her life.
T
67% aren’t loyal to any brand. That’s not a threat that’s an invitation. Show up with quality and a point of view.
O
Some people get dressed, you get Lucky.
Supporting Line:
Everyone deserves comfort, but not at the cost of confidence. Lucky’s quality, heritage denim that suits your needs and emboldens you is the antidote.
Message Strategy
The Big Idea