For sometime now we have been running a hash tag here at Archibald encouraging people to #NeverAccept – an attempt to allude to the rebellious spirit that underlies our existence. At the surface we might seem like yet another direct-to-consumer brand selling glasses online singing rehearsed hymns about markups, but Archibald is a new, unique breed attempting to change how consumers perceive value.
As a brand attempting to break new ground in consumer retail, our success in establishing the concept in many ways hinges on our ability to listen to customer demands and foster a community that serves as the basic building block to make sure we do not falter and always remain on track.
There is also somewhat a degree of historical precedence. Growing up, my grandfather would always tell me the story of Ferrucio Lamborghini, a clever entrepreneur with perhaps one of the most iconic last names in automobile history. Hailing from a family of grape farmers, Lamborghini made a name for himself after the Second World War, creating a business that manufactured agricultural equipment, specifically tractors.
Success led to deserved self reward, and due to his love of automobiles, Ferrucio travelled to Maranello, Italy to purchase for himself a Ferrari 250 GT – a car that was at the time recognized as one of the finest autos. However, after sometime, he came to the realization that the clutch in the Ferrari was inferior and not quite what he expected.
Dissatisfied with his latest purchase, Lamborghini sought out the enigmatic and proud Enzo Ferrari in order to complain about the same – going as far as to claim that his tractors had a superior clutch than those of Ferrari automobiles.
The man at the helm of the great Italian manufacturer assumed that a mere farmer could hold nothing against the pedigree of the famous prancing horse and didn’t shy from letting his feelings known – creating automobile folklore. This insult resulted in the entrance of Automobili Lamborghini to the super sports car market – a result of Ferrucio’s insistence to #NeverAccept.
Today, the Maranello based automotive icon find themselves competing for space on bedroom walls with Ferrucio’s legacy. Rosso Ferrari no longer holds that monopoly it once did on our imaginations. The prancing horse now finds itself, more often than not, crossing a charging bull.
It is a dangerous game to cross a passionate man and even more so to underestimate him. The rest is history, and perhaps all could have been avoided if Enzo swallowed up a little of his pride and at least slightly entertained the plight of his customers. Customer interaction might have led to an interesting initial collaboration.
