Posts in category: Blog Post

You’re on an otherwise empty stretch of highway 90 in West Texas heading east. High desert and rugged mountains are visible in all directions. Just over that ridge to your right is Mexico. You feel like you’re in an old Hollywood western.

Then suddenly, something unexpected happens… Was that a Prada store I just saw? 

Hit the brakes, back up – yep, it was! Although it’s not really a store. Turns out, it’s just an art installation located on the outskirts of Marfa — an artist’s commentary on high brow consumerism. Maybe a bit of satire, too.

The structure was created in 2005 by a team of Scandinavian artists known as Elmgreen & Dragset. Although the fashion brand had nothing to do with its construction, Miuccia Prada was apparently told of the concept and gave the artists permission to use the logo and even donated a selection of pieces from the fall/winter collection to display inside the faux ‘store’.

The genius of Prada Marfa lies in its unexpectedness. The idea that a luxury Prada store, stocked with handbags and shoes, sits on a desolate road in the middle of the Texas desert is humorous, bizarre, and unforgettable. It defies expectations in a way that makes people stop, think, and—most importantly—talk about it.

Prada Marfa has captivated travelers and sparked intrigue around the world. Photos have been shared countless times on Instagram and other platforms and the installation has been covered in global mainstream media, making it a must-visit landmark for road-trippers, influencers, and curious travelers. Its allure grew organically, proving that when you do something different, people will talk about it.

At Facet 58 Consultants, we believe that this isolated art installation holds an important lesson for brands trying to break through the noise.

The success of Prada Marfa is that it captured attention in a place where nothing else was vying for it. The barren stretch of highway acted as a blank canvas, amplifying the installation’s presence. Similarly, brands can use unexpected tactics to capture attention in otherwise crowded or overlooked spaces.

Your business may not have a desert highway to work with, but you can still apply this principle. Whether it’s a bold social media campaign, an unconventional ad placement, or a thought-provoking video, thinking outside the box can help you get noticed in a saturated market.

Prada Marfa later inspired other quirky local landmarks that added a dose of humor to the West Texas landscape. About 80 miles east of Prada, in the unincorporated community of Altuda, a tiny Target suddenly sprang up around 2015. The ‘artist’ responsible for painting this former railroad structure to look like a mini department store chose to remain nameless. 

While travelers loved having another roadside attraction to view while on their way to Big Bend National Park, residents understood the subtext. Prada Marfa represented the culture of the highbrow, affluent tourists and inhabitants of the town of Marfa. Target, on the other hand, is decidedly lowbrow and affordable—more akin to the aesthetic of the community. Those who live in the area got the joke, and loved it. They were devastated when, in 2020, the land owner decided the structure was a safety hazard and needed to be demolished.

Humor, used effectively, can build a connection with your audience, humanizing your brand and making it approachable and memorable. Even though Target wasn’t behind the tiny pop-up in Altuda, they benefited from the shares on social media.

For businesses, creating shareable moments that show you understand your audience and their motivations can be a powerful tool. In a digital world, your audience becomes your best marketing team when they’re excited to share your content. A clever or humorous campaign doesn’t just stay local—it spreads. Great marketing invites people to connect with your brand on a deeper level.

Not to be outdone by their neighbors in Altuda, someone in the tiny West Texas town of Sanderson (perhaps the same anonymous ‘artist’) decided to create the ‘smallest Buc-ee’s in the world.’  The rest stop chain – known for its huge square footage and for having clean restrooms – immediately embraced the imitation.

As one would expect from smart marketers, Buc-ee’s responded by saying, “We are dispatching a cleaning team immediately to the nugget-sized stop.” (Using the term “nuggets” is also smart marketing as those familiar with Buc-ee’s are likely addicts of the salty-sweet road trip staple, ‘beaver nuggets’).

Now that’s good marketing!

At Facet 58 Consultants, we specialize in helping brands create those connections. Whether through playful campaigns, smart design, or strategic planning, we’re here to help you stand out and leave a lasting impression.

In a world of endless options, it pays to be bold, humorous, and a little unexpected. After all, if a Prada store in the middle of nowhere can become iconic, just imagine what your brand can do when you tap into creativity and think outside the box.

Ready to unlock the full potential of your business? Contact us today!