Company Analysis and Marketing Strategy for Ambush

1. Launch of
AMBUSH STORE
in Paris
Monisha Bandhu
MASTERE MARKETING DE LA MODE ET
ECO-RESPONSABILITE
Defining the marketing
strategy and developing
a marketing plan for the launch of
Ambush flagship store in Paris.

2. Introduction
Tokyo based label Ambush, launched in 2008, as an experimental line of jewelry by designer Yoon Ahn and her husband, hip-hop
artist and producer Verbal, quickly gained following with the fashion’s top elite with the brand’s unisex collection. They are known for
their rebellious approach to designing and was considered by Business Of Fashion as top 500 people influencing the global fashion
industry for four consecutive years since 2015. They were the top 8 finalists for LVMH Prize 2017.
The brand made its Paris debut in 2015. In this assignment I will be recommending marketing strategy for the fictional launch of their
Paris flagship store with a three month pre-opening teaser ideation and nine months of marketing support for the success of the
launch, utilizing their current marketing strategy and also proposing new ideas to incorporate in their marketing mix.
To recommend a marketing plan for the brand, I will be researching the history of the brand, analyzing interviews of the creator Yoon
Ahn, understanding brand’s current marketing mix, doing an internal and external analysis of the brand, conducting a competitive
analysis using Porter’s 5 forces, SWOT Analysis to better understand the USP of the brand and PESTLE Analysis to list down current
customer trends.
The focus of the brand research and subsequently the marketing plan is to create the right message and image matching the label’s
futuristic, non-conformist style for the target market in Paris, which can range from experimental musicians to sports enthusiasts, as
their collection seamlessly combines both.
Ambush is a very unique and distinctive brand but is still comparatively new and is evolving with each collection, therefore it can take
multiple directions for its launch in Paris. For my assignment I would like to focus on the label’s sustainable marketing part and how it
can take advantage of it to distinguish itself from the crowd.

3. ABOUT
AMBUSH was one of the first brands to recruit celebrities
and influencers from across street-wear and hip hop
which was at the time considered a radical venture.
Yoon became the first female designer to collaborate with
Nike and NBA to create a capsule range around the Los
Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. . In addition to the
black-and-white Dunk Highs (originally slated to release in
tandem with the Tokyo Olympics, which has been
postponed to 2021), Yoon created a unisex jacket, body-
hugging top and baggy track pants for each basketball
team. Taking inspiration from iconic female musicians of
the ’90s such as Aaliyah and TLC, the collection spotlights
women’s role in building the street-wear industry.
The label’s unisex sports casual wear with sleek hip-hop
styling and utilitarian hardware, irreverent graphic t-shirts
mesh seamlessly with chain heavy bracelets, necklaces
and military inspired accessories.
 2002 – Ambush Design Company is
founded focusing on album artwork and
art direction.
 2004 – Couture jewelry line called
Antonio Murphy and Astro
 2008 – AMBUSH is founded
 2009 – Collaborates with BAPE
 2012 – Collaborates with Reebok
 2015 – Unisex clothing as ‘canvas’ for
their accessories, Paris debut
 2016 – Ambush Workshop flagship store
in Tokyo
 2018 – First ready-to-wear collection for
Amazon Fashion week Tokyo

4. KAPFERER’S PRISM
Externalization
 Black and white logo,
influence of pop culture like
with POW motif, chain
jewelry, unisex clothing
 Collaborations with luxury
fashion and products like Dior,
Louis Vuitton, Rimowa, Moet
and Chandon. Collaboration
with street-wear like Uniqlo
and Maison kisune.
Collaboration with sportswear
like Nike, reebok and
converse. Articles on their
website on their inspirations
regarding sports, art and
music.
 Celebrity endorsements like
Rihanna and Jay Z. Unisex
clothing collection with multi-
cultural models.
Internalization
 Yoon’s collection for Nike and
NBA focused on women’s
clothing and inspired by
women who defined the
street-wear of the 90s. Hip-
hop and Japanese avant-garde
inspired clothing.
 Japanese brand inspired by
subcultures and futuristic
inspirations. Quality products
in experimental designs.
 Trendy youthful designs which
are unique and are inspired by
art and music.
• Black and white
logo
• Unisex clothing
• Chain jewelry
• Pop colors
• Collaborations
with luxury
and street
products
• Art, music,
sports blog
• Musicians
• Androgynous
personality
• Sportsperson
• Influencers
• Non-conformist
• Rebellious
• Avant-Garde
• Feminist
• Futuristic
• Fusion of
Japanese and pop
culture
• Experimental
• Quality conscious
• Trendy
• Youthful
• Unique
• Cultured

5. Collaborations and Products
Louis Vuitton
Sacai
Undercover
Off-white
Shu Uemura
Nike
Converse
Reebok
Rimowa
Gentle Monster
Moet and Chandon
Beats
Uniqlo
Bvlgari
Ambush has been reinventing
the way we collaborate, being
one of the first brands to
collaborate with influencers
and street wear. They have
collaborated with luxury
brands from clothing to wine,
as well as street wear brands
like Maison Kitsune and Uniqlo

6. Ambush’s designs are inspired by
subcultures with punk accents
and humor.

7. Marketing and
Communication
Ambush have their own retail website displaying their
products, all payments are invoiced in euro (EUR). Currently,
their communication is in English and Japanese language, to
launch in France they should add French language as well to
their communication and marketing. They have a mix of
pictures, videos, articles and inspiration blog, they also have
shop on all the major platforms.
They have a page called universe where they share articles
on their inspirations, a page on their collaborations and a
page on news regarding the brand which gives a thorough
knowledge of the brand, they need to add a page on their
sustainability design and business practices.
They have a mix of earned, owned and paid media as they
have their own retail space, online and offline, as well as on
various social media, they collaborate with various
influencers and celebrities, they have been featured in many
magazines and print.
 Facebook – 13K followers
 Instagram – 667K followers
 Twitter – 25.5K followers
 Weibo, wechat, spotify
 LinkedIn

8. CAMPAIGN
The AMBUSH Spring/Summer 2021 campaign invites
audiences to question the idea of comfort in one’s vision of
home. Yoon Ahn is as the creative helm of the campaign and
her vision is encapsulated by photographer, Ethan James
Green. The SS21 campaign pushes AMBUSH fans to reflect
on what they believe comfort is and how they define the
feeling when it comes to their apparel. AMBUSH poses two
sides, asking consumers if comfort to them means a relaxed
fit or the feeling of empowerment when wearing their
clothes.
The campaign features young models, Anok Yai and Malik
Anderson, demonstrating the brand’s timeless aesthetic and
path towards its maturity and elegance. The choice to cast
Yai and Anderson is the brand’s attempt at communicating
its own growth, where it too was once young, but now the
brand has blossomed in experience and complexity. The
brand chose to photograph the models together to capture
the state some aspire to be in – at ease with friends, with a
partner, with people we connect with best. Ultimately,
AMBUSH reminds consumers that their comfort zone is not
only physical, but it is a feeling of home.

9. AMBUSH WORKSHOP
Tokyo
 1,500 square foot
 Shibuya District
 Designed by Masamichi Katayoma’s
Wonderland
 Concrete structure, minimal and clean
design creates contrast with the jewelry
and clothes
 Inspired by the concept of ‘versatile
canvas’ of AMBUSH clothing design
inspiration the store has a counter which
looks like its floating, adaptable and
interchangeable shelves with flexible
layout.

10. Porter’s Five Forces
Competitive power
High
Competition
Low to
Medium
entry
barrier
Low
supplier
power
Low buyer
power
Difficult to
substitute
Threats of new entrants – Medium
• High capital investments and connections with influencers and celebrities is required
• It is a new company but with a very individualistic style and has the advantage of being the first
one in the market
• Trademark protected for the designs and collaborates with bigger brands
• Is considered a cult brand
• Specialized knowledge and skills required
Bargaining power of suppliers – Low to Medium
• Many different types of quality material is available
• Difficult to get reputed suppliers for specialized material
• Supplier can not be easily substituted
• The brand is open to new materials and suppliers, works with both luxury and street fashion
• Many alternatives to the existing raw materials with innovative ones
Bargaining power of buyers – Low
• Sells through own shop as well as through multi brand outlets
• Has a cult following and has customers all around the world
• Has a wide range and depth of products in various prices
• Few brands are able to create such wide variety of experimental products
• Buyers are trend savvy and design conscious
Threat of substitute – Medium
• Every year a new contemporary brand comes up with its own individualistic approach to design
• Customers are moving towards recycle, reuse, renting fashion
• Open to experimentation and growth, very flexible business and design strategy
Competitive Rivalry – High
• There are many cult favorite brands who create out of the box contemporary pieces
• There is an increase in demand of sustainable slow fashion and open sourcing, Ambush has not
created communication for them yet
• The uniqueness of the brand makes it stand out but competes in all product categories
• There is competition from companies which are much bigger in size but Ambush’s idea of
collaboration keeps it safe from them

11. SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Cult brand
Very individualisticdesigns
Won many awards
Collaborations with top
brands
Different customer base
Weaknesses
Small and comparatively
new brand
No communication
regarding sustainable
practices
Many product categories
Small team
Opportunities
Increase in demand for
unique products
Trust in certifications by
consumers
Customers like to transition
between luxury and fast
fashion
Threats
Over saturation of brands
Increase in anti-
consumerism
High competition as all
companies are expanding
their product range
Ambush is considered one of the cult brands based in Tokyo with a
very distinct design aesthetics of unisex fashion and experimental
punk inspired jewelry. Their futuristic designs are easily
recognizable and goes well with the brand’s non-conformism.
The increase in demand of unique individualistic designs is a great
opportunity for the brand and they should also move towards
communicating their sustainable efforts more, for example their
feminist design ethos or political stance as these are well regarded
by the current market. There wide variety of products and price
range is beneficial as customers like to shop at one place with all
their needs met and Ambush is able to provide that, but this also
makes it vulnerable to competition from various product brands.
Since it is comparatively a small brand and there is over saturation
of contemporary brands in the market as well as competition from
bigger established brands, the business idea of collaborating with
them is beneficial to the business as it makes Ambush a B2B and
B2C business. There is an increase in anti-consumerism sentiment
and it will good idea for Ambush to use this to support their
marketing strategy as it is a slow fashion brand.

12. PRE-LAUNCH TEASER
To device an idea which can be used in all different platforms of communication
and match the brand’s identity of Avant-Garde vision of Japanese designers and
influence from ‘remix’ of various subcultures.
The focus of the first three pre-launch months is to educate people about the
brand through various channels:
 YouTube teaser to create a stir around the brand, showing its history and
aesthetics
 An introduction of the brand in French with the YouTube video on the website
of the company
 Interviews in French magazine, explaining the history and aesthetics of the
brand and how it transfers to the French customers
 Articles in trade magazines to attract businesses
 A newspaper announcement for the launch of the brand’s flagship store
 Creating buzz worthy poster around the store with coming soon ads
 Sending sample designs to French influencers and celebrities to create buzz
 Advertising on social media channels to excite the customers
 Creating coming soon webpage and on social media channels with address of
the store

13. Marketing Plan
Marketing plan using various marketing mix, earned, owned and paid media, to support the launch for 9 months after the opening of the store
in Paris.
 Launch event at the store inviting celebrities, influencers and media like magazine and newspapers
 Posters all over Paris to create buzz and excitement around the launch
 Give away for customers and influencers to gain traffic
 Displaying the most iconic and popular products to buy
 Pop-up stores to generate traffic and get the word out
 Inviting illustrators and artists to entertain customers
 Gorilla marketing matches perfectly with the image of the brand and should be incorporated
 Collaboration with artists for store front and window displays
 Ambush+Moet and Chandon can be poured during launch event
 Later in the year collaborative collection can be displayed and loyal customers can be invited for pre-booking
 Special packaging and in-house fittings can be added for a more personal touch
 Buzz around the invites of one year anniversary can be created by the end of the year
 Special packages with invites to events and brand descriptions should be sent to PR and magazine agencies

14. PRE-LAUNCH 3 MONTH PLAN
JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH
TASK YouTube teaser
Website Intro with video
Interview in business and trade magazine
Newspaper announcement
Poster of coming soon on store
Give away on social media channels
Collaboration with French influencers
Gift baskets for celebrities
Second Teaser
Coming soon website page and social
media
Pre-orders for special guests
START 01/01/2021 10/02/2021 10/03/2021
END 25/01/2021 20/02/2021 15/03/2021
BUDGET 14,500 euro 12,500 euro 8,000 euro
TEAM Graphic Designer and Visual Merchandiser
Marketing and PR
Photography and video creator
Marketing
Social Media Manager
Photography and video creator
Marketing and Sales

15. POST-LAUNCH 3 MONTH PLAN
APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST
TASK Store launch event with
celebrities, influencers and
media
Posters all over Paris
Give-away gifts
Display most popular products
Posters all over Paris
Pop-up store at prominent
places
Store event with loyal
customers and illustrators to
entertain customers
Influencers and bloggers
Trunk shows and pop-up shops
Flyers
Gorilla Marketing
Store event
Collaborate with artists for
Visual Merchandising and
window display
Moet and Chandon for invited
guests
START 01/04/2021 01/05/2021 10/06/2021 15/07/2021 10/08/2021
END 20/04/2021 15/05/2021 15/06/2021 20/07/2021 20/08/2021
BUDGET 15,000 euro 12,500 euro 8000 euro 15,000 euro 12,000 euro
TEAM Visual merchandiser and Sales
Graphic and marketing
Sales Visual Merchandiser
Sales
Sales
Marketing
Visual Merchandiser
Sales
Marketing

16. 6 MONTH SUPPORT PLAN
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY
TASK Exclusive collection or a
collaboration collection
In-house fittings
Special packaging
Store event for loyal customers
Poster and pop-up store of new
collection
Give away gifts
Gorilla Marketing
Send invites for one year
anniversary
Create buzz around invites
Anniversary event
Invite special guest
Influencers, celebrities, loyal
customers
Visual Merchandising
Food and music
Magazine, media, PR, business
people
START 01/09/2021 01/10/2021 15/11/2021 10/12/2021 01/01/2022
END 15/09/2021 10/10/2021 20/11/2021 25/12/2021 05/01/2022
BUDGET 10,000 euro 15,000 euro 9000 euro 2000 euro 20,500
TEAM Design
Sales
Production
Marketing
Sales
Visual Merchandiser
Marketing Graphic
Marketing
Marketing
Visual Merchandiser
Sales

18. References
 www.ambushdesign.com
 https://hypebeast.com/2017/1/ambush-design-2017-spring-summer-lookbook
 https://thefallmag.com/ambush-s-s2021-campaign-fashion/
 https://hypebae.com/2021/2/ambush-yoon-ahn-spring-summer-campaign-collection-anok-yai-malik-anderson-release-where-to-buy
 https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/51890/1/moet-and-chandon-ambush-imperial-yoon-crafts-pop-culture-defining-career
 https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/retail/verbal-yoons-ambush-worksoph-jewellery-fashion-store
 https://www.freshnessmag.com/2014/02/13/ambush-x-maison-kitsune-tokyo-flagship-store-1-year-anniversary-collection/
 https://www.tttmagazine.com/mode/ambush-x-matchesfashion-from-tokyo-to-london/
 https://www.vogue.com/article/yoon-ahn-ambush-tokyo-fashion-brand-lvmh-prize-2017
 https://www.freshnessmag.com/2014/02/13/ambush-x-maison-kitsune-tokyo-flagship-store-1-year-anniversary-collection/
 https://showstudio.com/contributors/ambush
 https://www.highsnobiety.com/tag/ambush/
 https://theonecentre.com/case-studies/lil-miquela-collaboration-ambush/
 https://www.nuevoculture.com/how-ambushs-yoon-crafts-a-pop-culture-defining-career/
 https://www.elle.com/fashion/a29341583/yoon-ahn-ambush-designer-profile/
 https://us.vestiairecollective.com/ambush-x-bvlgari/
 https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/tokyo-designers-verbal-yoon-ambush-design/index.html
 https://www.farfetch.com/fr/shopping/men/ambush/items.aspx?view=90&scale=282&labels=1300