A hidden webshop for the most devoted Beatles fans

Eton Shirts is a Swedish luxury shirt brand founded in 1928. Known for its high-quality craftsmanship and timeless style, Eton has long been a proud producer of high-end business shirts. Looking to reach new target groups without leaving loyal customers behind, the brand sought a creative way to position itself in a new fashion context. All while remaining true to its heritage.

In 2023, Beatlemania was back. The Beatles were set to release their final song, sparking a level of excitement not seen in decades. Eton Shirts, hailing from Sweden — one of the world’s most devoted Beatles fan nations — wanted to pay tribute to their long-time heroes by releasing a collection inspired by the band’s most iconic albums.

But the timing posed a challenge. Many brands were quick to collaborate with The Beatles, flooding the market with products competing for the same attention.

The challenge was for Eton to stand out during the biggest Beatles craze since 1964.

To cut through the noise, Valtech and Eton tapped into true fan behavior: the hunt for rare items. They created Ticket to Buy, a webshop hidden in the barcodes of some of the rarest Beatles collector LPs. By transforming these barcodes into exclusive access keys, the shirts in the collection became some of the hardest fan items to acquire.

The activation encouraged fans to dig deep into their record collections, testing whether their rare LPs could unlock early access to the limited-edition shirts. To complement this exclusivity, each shirt came in a bespoke green box inspired by The Beatles’ Apple record label. A detail that paid tribute to the band’s legacy and Eton’s commitment to craftsmanship.

The campaign reached the most ardent fans and sparked global conversations across X, Reddit, Facebook and Instagram.

Outcomes included:

• 49% increase in new customers compared with the same period in 2022
• 95% faster sellout rate than the average sales rate for Eton’s new collections
• 31% higher organic clicks than before
• 89 million organic reach 

By celebrating the most dedicated Beatles fans, Eton created a never-before-seen e-commerce experience that proved the power of emotional connection and fandom. The campaign was awarded Gold at The Drum Awards for Social Retail.