The Ordinary opens fake grocery store – puts $175 banana on sale
The Ordinary has opened a series of fake grocery stores to challenge inflated beauty pricing with a campaign built around wildly overpriced everyday products.
Called The Markup Marché, the activation by Uncommon Creative Studios sees the brand turn bananas, coconuts, avocados and toilet paper into premium-priced “wellness” items, complete with elevated product names and luxury-style packaging.
A banana becomes an “All-Natural Magical Energy-Boosting Bar” priced at $175.90, while a coconut is sold as an “Exotic Thirst Defying Hydration Vessel” for $195.50.
The fabricated stores appeared in six cities, including Toronto, London, Sao Paulo and Melbourne, bringing The Ordinary’s long-running message about ingredient transparency and fair pricing into a physical retail setting.
The campaign takes aim at a culture where simple products can command huge markups when wrapped in glossy language, premium design and lifestyle promises.
By borrowing the codes of high-end grocery stores and beauty marketing, The Ordinary makes its point with humour rather than a lecture.
Amy Bi, VP of Brand at The Ordinary, comments: “The beauty industry hasn’t always been selling the truth, and we’re continuing our mission to change this. We wouldn’t buy everyday essentials that were marketed misleadingly, so why shouldn’t we apply the same logic to beauty products?”
Nils Leonard, Co-Founder of Uncommon Creative Studio, adds: “We wanted to take the codes the beauty industry relies on – language, packaging, presentation – and apply them to the most familiar products possible. When you see those same tactics used on everyday items, it exposes just how powerful and sometimes absurd – those signals of value can be.”
Since launching in 2016, The Ordinary has built a loyal following by offering straightforward skincare at accessible prices.
