The Second Hand Store

The Lebanese currency itself was hit with an unprecedented hyperinflation increase of 1500% resulting in a lack of purchasing power and leaving the average citizens unable to afford new branded items. 

The Second Hand Store recognized this problem and crafted a solution. They created a marketplace where people could buy and sell pre-owned and preloved items at a competitive rate. 

The Second Hand Store reached out to Origin to provide a full and complete marketing package including brand building, web development, and marketing strategy. This was a large and exciting project and an opportunity for Origin to present something to Lebanon that had never been seen before. 

Second hand for the first time

The logo is the birthmark of the brand. It had to be unique, recognizable, and trendy. Origin created a logo featuring the number ‘2’ representing the ‘second’ from The Second Hand Store. The logo was designed to have depth as if several ‘2s’ were layered on top of one another. This was to showcase the different categories of second-hand goods the store stocked. 

This concept was then developed further to create unique branded icons each representing a different category. These included fashion, electronics, homeware, and many others.

The brand also featured a wide and bold color palette to represent the range of products on offer and to appeal to the target demographic, thus presenting Second Hand Store as a young, dynamic and approachable place to shop.   

Slogans and puns were created in Arabic to get people talking about The Second Hand Store in a positive light and to change misconceptions about the idea of buying second hand items. Origin succeeded in presenting The Second Hand Store as a new way of living and not a poor cousin of buying brand new.

Everything Origin created relating to the marketing strategy for The Second Hand Store was tied into the core message that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.    

Smashing Stereotypes - A New Hero 

Origin faced the challenge of redefining the Second Hand Store. Not just this business but the entire concept of how second-hand items and clothing were perceived. 

The Hero Video needed to do some seriously heavy lifting. It had to make The Second Hand Store cool.

The tactic here was to redefine what it meant to buy second hand through shared experience. The hyperinflation affected everyone. Everyone was in the same boat and The Second Hand Store needed to be positioned as a solution that everyone could access. 

Origin created a high energy humorous Hero Video. It showed The Second Hand Store as cool, hip, and trendy. Two highly recognizable Lebanese comedic influencers starred in the video as well as actors and actresses of all ages to show that this was for a store everyone.

The hero video ends by showing the full range of products available as the celebrity comedians rush around the store. This was the beginning of redefining how the world sees second-hand items.

It was shot in a deliberately low-budget style to build on the humor of the advert and the honesty of The Second Hand Store.

Influencing with humor

To break through the typical view of a thrift store and redefine it for the Lebanese people, it wasn’t enough to simply hire actors and actresses for the Hero Video. Origin sought the comedic influence of Jad Bou Karam and Amal Taleb, two very well-known and highly respected Lebanese comedians. 

Origin used their success, recognition, and humor to appeal to The Second Hand Store’s desired audience, which included everyone hit by the country’s economic problems.

This strategy helped The Second Hand Store connect with their audience on a very human level from day one. In a time of crisis, these brilliant comedians became the perfect ambassadors to present the carefully crafted message Origin had created. They also helped to immediately raise the profile of the business and separate it from any and all competition.

We communicated with both influencers and drafted a PR plan involving them both over the course of 6 months. In addition to being very well-known social media figures, these comedians were at the peak of their trend. By doing this, we gained instant credibility with our audience and drove a lot of traffic to The Second Hand Store's social media accounts.

Second hand, First-rate quality.

Origin identified the stigma attached to buying second-hand. This needed to be dealt with. Origin created a range of social media posts and strategies built on the Hero Video’s energy and the appeal of the influencers. It was important to keep the same level of humor and fun but to also address the pain points the customer base felt towards buying second-hand items.

Origin used their skills in market research to strategically tackle the concerns a new second-hand buyer might face. We used testimonials, social proof, and other powerful and convincing factors to reduce the fear of buying second-hand and answer all the customers' questions before they had a chance to ask them.

Origin positioned The Second Hand Store as a place where quality was assured.

Moreover, follow-up images and videos leveraged humorous experiences couples faced in their day-to-day lives such as fighting over the blankets. This creativity allowed Origin to craft a highly human narrative that customers could relate to and present The Second Hand Store as a solution to real problems for real people. 

1st class social media, second-hand goods 

Origin used bold colors and fonts to create a memorable impact and separate The Second Store from the traditional way second-hand goods are viewed.

All stock at The Second Hand Store was carefully framed and presented to give a high-end boutique feel that appealed to the target demographic who were previously unfamiliar and even wary of this kind of store. 

Infographics were used to explain the simplicity of the system and the various quality assurances The Second Hand Store has in place. 

Other creatives were designed to reinforce the appeal of the brand, showcase the range of goods available and attract both buyers and sellers. 

A website that pops

Origin created a website that would serve as an online catalog for users to browse and purchase. The site also included a WhatsApp plugin for a smooth customer experience and included a full e-commerce section. 

The user interface was designed to be very customer-friendly. It included a powerful UI and branded elements throughout. It needed to be easy to navigate from browsing and to the final purchase considering the huge numbers of SKUs that were listed. 

To provide a complete user experience, the website uses WordPress and WooCommerce technology. The research was conducted and the design was created from scratch. Amazon.com was used as inspiration and for reference because of the number of products listed, traffic volume, and diverse demographics that frequent the website.   

Winning Strategies

It was Origin who laid out and directed the marketing, communication, and content strategies. 

The launch of an all-in-one concept was a feat we achieved with great success in Lebanon. 

The main spearhead of a fun and pun approach resonated superbly with the target audience.

A teaser and revealer campaign was laid out to introduce the concept in a very witty and engaging way, using the idea of the 2nd hand in Arabic, and it takes two hands to clap
إيد وحدة ما بتزقف. We were able to build a fun message around the idea that we are the second hand, and that together we can make a difference.

First-rate results

Origin’s strategy and implementation was a monumental success.

Here are just some of the figures The Second Hand Store was able to achieve:   

-        Reached 8000 organic and real followers on Instagram

-        Reached 3500 organic and real likes on Facebook

-        The hero video was viewed over 5000 times on both Instagram and Facebook

-        The hero video was viewed over 100,000 times on both Instagram & Facebook on Jad Bou Karam and Amal Taleb’s Instagram & Facebook

-        The engagement rate on Instagram peaked at 12% on The Second Hand Store’s social media pages