LOEWE Tomatoes, Lisa Rinna Lip Gloss, and High Body Count Hair
How Meme Culture Took Over Branding
It happened. A viral tweet about tomatoes turned into a luxury handbag. If you were still of the idea that meme culture and luxury occupy different universes, LOEWE just launched a $3,950 clutch to prove you wrong.
We’ve officially entered a new era of cultural marketing, where viral online moments can become sold-out products before you even think “add to cart”.
So, why are brands increasingly tapping into popular culture through online memes, low-brow reality TV chaos, and viral tweets? Because relevance, community engagement, and identity all now live online, where culture is made in real time.
WHAT IS HAPPENING. Meme Culture Moves Markets
It’s no longer an option for brands to not have their finger on the pulse of pop culture, as meme fluency is quickly becoming a key competitive advantage.
Take LOEWE’s Tomato clutch, which just dropped last week. The bag, a red nappa leather replica of a tomato, is the latest example of the meme-to-product phenomenon. The moment was seeded (pun intended) in June 2024, when an X (formerly Twitter) user reposted a photo of juicy heirlooms with the caption “This tomato is so Loewe I can’t explain it”.
Just days later, Jonathan Anderson - the brand’s creative director at the time - posted a prototype of a tomato-shaped clutch on Instagram, turning a niche tweet into a luxury product in record time and collecting over 1 million views in 5 hours. Less than a year later, the bag is officially on the market for just under $4,000 - that is, if you can get your hands on one, as it’s already sold out almost everywhere.
More and more, brands are shedding their fear of low-brow pop culture, happily partnering with reality and meme stars in the name of cultural relevance.
Who better to sell lip gloss than the woman whose lips were made for talking? MAC Cosmetics knew exactly what to do when they launched their Mothers Day campaign, featuring model of the moment Amelia Gray and her mother, the iconic Lisa Rinna. Catapulted into the mainstream by her fabulously unhinged run on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Rinna is now known as much for her drama as for her instantly recognisable pout. Her signature line “My lips were made for talking, and that’s just what they’ll do” became the perfect entry point for a campaign that blends strategic camp, nostalgia, and meme appeal.
Then there’s Kérastase, who had a moment gifted to them unexpectedly by The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. During a heated argument about, well, who dresses sluttier, Angie Katsanevas tells a fellow cast member that she has “high body count hair”. Lisa Barlow, attempting to damage control, delivers what might be one of the greatest product placements of all time: “Don’t let her hurt your feelings. But you know what? You do need Kérastase Thermatique” (She meant Thermique, but French is difficult).
Unsurprisingly, the clip went viral. Searches for Kérastase surged, and the brand responded quickly. “After we heard Lisa is a mega Kérastase fan, it was a no-brainer that we ended up partnering with her on some fun social content” said Sarah Barr Battle, VP of Marketing, to Glamour. The partnership has since extended to Angie Katsanevas, who recently partnered with the brand to promote its new Gloss Absolu line from her salon.
Three moments, three memes, three viral mini-campaigns. None of them traditional. All of them profoundly effective.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE. It’s Not Just a Laugh: It Drives Relevance, Reach, and Revenue
Brands are waking up to the fact that these low-brow cultural moments are an invaluable resource. These viral nuggets of internet gold can deliver entertainment, visibility, and a sense of community in a way traditional campaigns rarely can.
And this exactly is the kind of thing that I could spend hours dissecting with friends in front of a coffee or a very dirty vodka martini. So I did the next best thing: I spoke to a few experts to get their takes.
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CULTURAL RELEVANCE
In a time where culture is made online and virality can strike from any direction, brands are realising that they don’t always need to make culture: they can participate in it. Ideally, they’re not just borrowing from it, but adding to the conversation in a way that feels fluent, not forced.
, editor and founder of , sees this as a generational shift:, writer and founder of , also echoed this sentiment from a design perspective, as he told me:“Recently, LOEWE has upped the ante to reach Gen Z luxury consumers, adding ambassadors like K-pop singer Giselle and creating content featuring TikTok stars like Ryan Crouse. And while the tomato clutch launch seems primed for virality, Jonathan Anderson’s parting gift to LOEWE is more than just a move to future-proof the brand for a generation of social media native customers. The design perfectly exemplifies his creative direction, which has revived the once-sleepy Spanish brand over the past 11 years through lighthearted, playful creations that bridge pop culture and high fashion. By bringing a meme-inspired design to life, Anderson makes himself more relatable to us, extremely online mortals. His refusal to take luxury too seriously has made him as beloved as his quirky designs that play with proportions in unexpected ways”.
“The tomato bag is one of those examples of fashion not taking itself too seriously and becoming a meme that speaks to internet culture. I like that it's funny, which is something that's been missing since Karl Lagerfeld was at Chanel”.
HUMOUR AS A STRATEGY
In a chaotic world, people want more than just products: they want good stories. Especially in today’s uncertain and sometimes stressful world, stories that offer escapism (such as LOEWE’s surrealism) or even a simple laugh (such as the Housewives) can create meaningful connection by providing entertainment value and making brands feel human.
, reality TV expert and founder of , notes:“Many catchphrases and plotlines from The Real Housewives have become iconic online, often featured in reaction memes and GIFs. Brands are now tapping into these memorable moments and personalities to better connect with audiences. This tongue-in-cheek approach feels both authentic and organic”.
YOUR AUDIENCE AS A CREATIVE PARTNER
This isn’t just top-down storytelling. When social listening is done right, the feedback loop between consumers and brands can become a form of creative exchange. Brands borrow from pop culture, while consumers also respond to the cultural cues brands put out, forming new associations and meanings. In this way, art doesn’t simply imitate life: it reflects how we interpret it together.
, art director and founder of , puts it like this:“Loewe has built such a specific visual language that even a tomato can belong. The fact that a random tomato felt like LOEWE to begin with says everything. That’s the power of strong art direction. When your creative universe is so defined that people start seeing your brand in shapes, fruits, and objects out in the world, then you know you’ve made it. You’ve taught people how to see through your lens”.
Of course, for co-creation to be successful, speed and agility matter. That’s often easier said than done, especially in luxury, where calendars still revolve around the runway, and large teams can struggle to move at the pace of the internet.
BUILDING A COMMUNITY THROUGH MEME MARKETING
Memes are, for better or worse, social currency. People share them to start new conversations, bond, and obtain validation from others. When brands contribute to that cycle, they gain access to a powerful form of organic reach and word of mouth.
However, tapping into internet culture only works when it feels true to the brand.
, luxury brand strategist and founder of points out:“The tomato bag is a luxury brand masterclass in engaging with fans without losing your soul. Jonathan Anderson didn’t pander - he played, magnificently. He took a viral moment and spun it into a surrealist clutch that’s both cheeky and unapologetically LOEWE: high art with a wink. It’s not about giving fans what they ask for. It’s about giving them what they didn’t know they needed. That’s how you build a cult brand”.
This isn’t about being funny for the sake of it. It’s about brands knowing when to join the cultural conversation, and how to speak the right language once they’re in. The brands that get it right are not just riding the meme wave: they’re shaping it.
DON’T KNOW HOW TO WEAR THE TOMATO BAG? We’ve got you covered.
Speaking about her love for LOEWE,
also told me:“My wildcard investment each quarter is almost always a Jonathan creation. Last summer, it was a pair of LOEWE wrap shorts, and this season it will likely be the oversized belted jacket from his eponymous label. I will not be buying the tomato clutch, but I understand why fashion collectors or Anderson’s most ardent fans would. I can also see my readership, highly discerning shoppers who skew Millennial and Gen X but don’t necessarily subscribe to the minimalist aesthetic, buying it and styling it with their favourite brands. They might dress it up with Doen’s Caroline gingham red mini dress or down with LESET’s Kyoto carpenter pants, paired with strappy leather sandals from Emme Parsons or A.Emery”.
This is so true but it’s missing the middle- tomato girl summer, tomato girl summer candles and then the resulting catalyst. That tweet worked because Loewe had pre-identified itself through tomatoes.
That opening paragraph is 🔥 Fab article and yes to more fun in luxury fashion. Lord knows we need it!