Zac Clark is no stranger when it comes to using controversial methods to advertise his streetwear brand. Clark was only in high school when he generated the profitable idea to launch his independent brand FUCKTHEPOPULATION (FTP). There was little public engagement in FTP’s beginning stages, but Clark’s unique mind began brainstorming intelligent business strategies to increase the public interest for his streetwear brand.
FTP faced some controversy for the brand’s profanity in its early development stages, but with time the brand has managed to allure this exclusive and attractive image to its appearance even with some disagreement. Clark ran with this strategy and began marketing his brand in what some may see as controversial methods.
FTP was first introduced at Clark’s Los Angeles high school. He began to gift his classmates with FTP products to receive free advertisement, they would wear the brand around the city and school grounds. To avoid suspension, Clark avoided printing the profanity on his designs and switched it up to say “KCUFTHEPOPULATION”. The high school faculty still tuned into the backwards foul language and immediately banned all FTP products on school campus. If students were to wear Clark’s brand on campus, it would result in automatic suspension.
Clark had lost the opportunity for free advertisement at his school, although the creative didn’t lose sight of growing his streetwear brand. To gain further insight in design and fashion, he began interning at HUF WORLDWIDE Inc. He worked inside the company warehouse while occasionally contributing ideas to further the establishment of their business development plans.
After some years of experience, Clark made the decision to leave HUF and entirely pour his focus and vision into FTP. In 2015, he came up with the genius and low-cost idea to showcase his spring lookbook: Pornhub.
FTP uploaded to PornHub a video of two people having sex in the streetwear brands clothing. This explicit, not-your-average spring collection received great attention, and by that summer, the brand had exploded in popularity resulting in Fredo Santana modelling for the next season’s lookbook.
Controversial branding methods became further prevalent in FTP designs. In its ten years of operation, the brand has stirred up some public disagreement – whether it be from the box cutter graphic on a tee that read “aim for the neck”, or printing “FUCKTHEPOPULATIONTERRIOSTORGANIZATION” on a hoodie, which earned Clark an official government letter asking him to stop his designs.
Despite the occasional controversy, over time, FTP has established a solid reputation for itself inside the streetwear community. Clark is now 26-years-old and has remained committed to running and operating FTP for over ten years. Although Clark doesn’t wish for his brand to be acknowledged as controversial, the unconventional route has led to mass public attention leading FTP to exist as one of culture’s hottest streetwear brands.
