How True Religion is making a comeback—with Gen Z’s help

Founded just over two decades ago, True Religion is roughly the same age as many of the Gen Z shoppers the brand is currently trying to attract. The label made its name as a jeans brand during the high-end denim craze of the early 2000s, but following recent struggles, the clothier is now trying to fashion a comeback as a lifestyle company. In July, True Religion tapped Kristen D’Arcy, a marketing veteran with stints at American Eagle Outfitters, Ralph Lauren and PacSun under her belt, as its first chief marketing officer. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, check us out on Spotify and hear us on Stitcher. This is our RSS feed. Tell a friend! The new strategy comes after two recent bankruptcy filings, the most recent of which was in 2020, and the 2019 return of former president Michael Buckley as CEO. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs “Michael really believes that marketing can drive growth,” said D’Arcy, speaking on the latest episode of the Marketer’s Brief podcast. “And as part of new customer acquisition, we see there to be a tremendous amount of growth opportunity, particularly online as well as through our wholesale channels.” She said her remit is to unlock such growth through brand awareness marketing. In October, True Religion released a comprehensive holiday campaign called “Style is a Gift,” which included rapper Quavo and influencer India Love, as well as a partnership with the Los Angeles Rams. The push has already seen results. D’Arcy said the brand’s TikTok following has grown by over 500% (it has reached nearly 100,000 followers), while its Instagram followers (currently about 800,000) are also on the rise. “In order to break through, you need to have consistent messaging,” she said. “You need to stand for something otherwise you will stay in the clutter and you won't stand for anything and sales will tank as a result.” On the podcast, D’Arcy also discusses the state of the retail category, which saw tempered holiday sales forecasts this year, and how True Religion performed over the Black Friday-Cyber Monday selling weekend. Brands that offered deep discounts over the holiday weekend were savvy to take advantage of a competitive shopping season, D’Arcy said, however, brands also need to look at long-term marketing investments. “Smart brands are continuing to fuel and fund the brand-building activities both this year as well into next,” she said. “That investment really does trickle down to better efficiency when you need to make that sale, particularly in the hard-working digital channels.”

How True Religion is making a comeback—with Gen Z’s help

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