Get Off, Get Paid: Brand Marketing & Courtroom Style

If you have any kind of self awareness, you know that almost anything you see on a screen these days is actually some type of paid advertisement. A Gen-Z meme about Timothy Chalamet’s new movie, characters of the TV show you’re watching conveniently taking their time while eating lunch at Subway, or a video of a guy in his room reacting to Drake’s new album. It’s all been paid for.

ⓒ@firsttimesworldwide

Something I never imagined would be tainted by our current level of late-stage capitalism, however, was the court room. Yet, as of January 2025, we’ve now been shown that not even our sacred judicial system is safe.

Celebrity trials aren’t just about legal battles anymore, and they haven’t been for a while. They’re about visuals, strategy, and an certain dress code that influences public perception to a point where it can very realistically make or break the case. High-profile court cases being a cultural talking point isn’t new, but now they’ve slowly began to double as complete pop culture events. Events where every look is dissected and every accessory is analyzed. What someone wears to court isn’t just about dressing well, it’s about controlling the narrative, shaping trends, and now, getting a bag.

We need to take a look at A$AP Rocky here, which I’m sure no one will object to. This man beat a case for felony assault last month, and then he was immediately—four days later—named as Ray-ban’s first creative director. Take one guess what he had worn to every court date of the trial. I’m not even going to write it out, you already saw them in the picture up there. (Surprise, he wore Ray-bans.)

ⓒVogue, ⓒAP News

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to get political or complain here. If I’m watching the news, I don’t mind getting some free fashion inspo and style tips while I do it. Why would you not want some help planning your fits for next season while you try to remember how jury voting works again? I’m just curious how far brands are going to try and take this. Trend-setting trials may not be new, but let it be clear that we now have a precedent of direct brand marketing getting involved in the system.

Who’s the other hot guy in court right now? The one that everyone wants to get off just because he looks good (okay, not just because he looks good). Well, recently he was seen going sock-less at his court date. Practically 3/4ths of the political spectrum under 40 years old is thirsting over this man and he wears these on a day where ten thousand pictures taken of him are turned into a hundred news articles and even countless more online posts.

ⓒYahoo News, ⓒGQ

Searches for formal Italian footwear in his style spiked 14,000% (three zeroes) after these pictures dropped, with an additional 350% increase for “Luigi Mangione outfits”. Trends for the summer have just been set. This one doesn’t matter which way the case goes, you think people are not going to take any opportunity they can to copy even the tiniest bit of his style? If I were a shoe brand, I would be seeing pure dollar signs right now. And looking back at Rocky, we know they’re now already late to the game.

We’ve seen brands get into law suits almost on purpose before, but examples of them pushing their brand publicly using someone else’s lawsuit, undeniably a much cheaper and easier option, were almost non-existent until now. All I can say is, I’m not really a loafers type of guy, but those Ray-bans are looking pretty good at the moment.