To create the illusion of a large, popular brand with minimal inventory, FUBU's founders acted as stylists on music video sets. They would put one of their 10 high-quality shirts on an artist for a shoot, then take it back to be used on another artist, repeating this frugal process for two years.
Instead of giving limited product to trend-setters who wouldn't repeat outfits, FUBU gave high-quality shirts to musicians' large bodyguards. These 'influencer-adjacent' brand ambassadors had fewer clothing options and wore the shirts repeatedly, creating a constant "billboard" effect around the actual target artists.
With no ad budget, FUBU offered to paint its logo on the security gates of local businesses—from bodegas to repair shops—in exchange for keeping them graffiti-free. Labeling them all as an "authorized FUBU dealer," regardless of what they sold, created a massive, free advertising network and the perception of a large retail presence.
Mainstream fashion labels were popular in the hip-hop community but remained aloof and even disrespectful towards how their products were being used. FUBU's success was rooted in its authentic mission to create a brand that genuinely valued, supported, and was made "For Us, By Us," filling a void of respect left by incumbent players.
Unable to get a loan to fill $300,000 in orders, FUBU's founder and his mother placed a newspaper ad reading, "million dollars in orders need financing." This unconventional tactic attracted 33 responses and ultimately led to a critical production and financing partnership with Samsung's textile division, bypassing traditional gatekeepers.
In first grade, Damon John tried selling pencils with girls' names on them to boys, who just beat him up and stole them. He quickly pivoted to selling the pencils directly to the girls themselves. This early experience taught him to align his product directly with the end customer's desire, not an intermediary's.
Rapper LL Cool J, a FUBU partner, wore a FUBU hat in a Gap ad and slyly inserted the brand's slogan—"For us, by us"—into his rap. The Gap's marketing team, lacking cultural context, didn't notice and spent millions airing the ad, giving FUBU massive, free exposure that a typical endorsement deal could never achieve.