In the post-pandemic landscape, online shopping has become mainstream, while physical retail increasingly serves as a space for brand immersion. Across key markets such as the US, Japan, and China, a pronounced K-shaped consumer split has emerged—on one end, a focus on affordability; on the other, a growing demand for limited editions, cultural storytelling, and social identity. For heritage brands, the inability to sustain meaningful engagement with younger demographics risks cultural obsolescence. Benetton’s exit from Japan illustrates how a lapse in cultural continuity can result in a breakdown of brand relevance and market positioning.
Why We Selected This Case
Workflow: Market Intelligence Sweep → Extreme Creative Brainstorm → Integrated Marketing Creativity → Marketing Concept Visuals
Benetton was one of the first international brands to enter Japan by positioning fashion as a medium of social expression. Its “United Colors” message and bold visual identity once resonated strongly. However, with K-shaped consumer polarization and the rise of Gen Z, the brand lost cultural relevance and eventually exited the market—proving that brand legacy alone doesn’t guarantee longevity.
This concept paper explores how ADGo—throughMarket Intelligence Sweep,Extreme Creative Brainstorm, and Marketing Concept Visuals—we explore how heritage fashion brands can reactivate brand equity, sharpen differentiation, and re-engage consumers in today’s competitive retail landscape.
Market and Strategic Insights
As Japan’s fashion industry enters a highly segmented, Gen Z–driven stage of competition, Benetton has struggled with three key gaps: lack of product localization, limited digital engagement, and stagnant in-store experiences. In contrast, competitors have already embraced OMO (Online Merges with Offline) strategies, adopted sustainable materials, and activated high-frequency social media engagement—resulting in increased visibility and market share.
To reposition itself from “nostalgic memory” to a “lifestyle brand of diverse values,” Benetton must pursue three core strategies:
- Revitalize Brand Essence Reinterpret “United Colors” through a contemporary lens: Diversity × Sustainability × Color
- Co-create with Local Culture Launch small-batch capsule collections in collaboration with Japanese designers and subcultural IPs
- Upgrade the Omnichannel Experience Build an immersive retail ecosystem featuring interactive tech and sustainable design elements
Creative Outcomes
Building on these strategic insights, ADGo developed two launch concept activations and one marketing concept visual, serving as a cultural re-entry point for Benetton in Japan. These initiatives aim to redefine “United Colors” not only as a fashion statement, but as a lived experience—rooted in diversity, sustainability, and style.
By translating Benetton’s brand heritage into an expressive and shareable color language, ADGo enables the brand to shift from passive recall to active relevance. Japanese consumers can now participate in Benetton’s journey through everyday moments of self-expression and purposeful action.
1｜Color Empathy Regeneration Project
- A pop-up exhibition space combining: a “Color Story Wall” × ESG-limited garments × live customization by designers
- Each garment is tagged with corresponding social issues and transparent supply chain data
- Interactive QR codes drive member sign-ups and exclusive offers
2｜Palette Interaction Experience: My Color, My Action
- An AI-powered color palette generator uses color psychology to create personalized color cards
- Recommends styling suggestions across apparel, accessories, and cosmetics
- Encourages participation through hashtag challenges like #SustainableGreen, #InclusivePurple, #EmotionOrange
ADGo Execution Process
Workflow: Market Intelligence Sweep → Extreme Creative Brainstorm → Integrated Marketing Creativity → Marketing Concept Visuals
From market research to creative execution, ADGo blends practical experience with AI-driven ideation to generate rapid, scalable marketing prototypes. The entire strategy—visualized and presentation-ready—was completed in under one hour through our “Integrated Marketing Creativity” module.
This process offers brands a powerful starting point for inspiration. In actual implementation, brands can further enrich concepts with internal data and plug into three vertical professional modules:
- New Product Pre-Launch
- Social Buzz Amplification
- Integrated Marketing Creativity
Through seamless collaboration across ADGo modules, brands can break through silos between strategy, creativity, and execution—maximizing impact while elevating marketing performance.
Traditional marketing requires days of coordination.ADGo delivers insights, concepts, and visuals within one hour to accelerate sales strategy.