Why did Hemingway Tailors contact social media agency, The Thinking Cap?

What was The Thinking Cap’s proposal?

We recognised that convincing a customer to invest in a new suit from an unknown tailor through social media alone could be tough, especially given the high-value nature of the product.

However, one way of achieving the result Toby was aiming for was to feature a product at a lower price point to help him to create those new relationships with customers and build confidence in his products, so he could upsell at a later date.

The ’Tailored Shirt Gift Experience’ was the perfect product to do this.

Our first task was to redesign the webpage to explain exactly what the process was and the timeframe.

We also created a new URL for the page:

https://www.hemingwaytailors.co.uk/pages/tailored-shirt-gift-experience

Martin, our Creative Director, came up with a clever concept which was inspired by the classic FCUK tagline.

With this campaign, we really wanted to help toby to appeal to a new generation, opening up a tailoring experience to a younger audience.

Martin, therefore, created a tongue-in-cheek social media campaign to get everyone talking about the Hemingway Tailors’ brand, by replacing the ‘r’ in shirt with an registered trade mark ® (shi®t), and some cheeky taglines, such as, ‘Fed up with the same old shi®t?’

Although the concept was quite simple, with just the statement, Hemingway Tailors’ logo and CTA of the ‘Tailored Shirt Gift Experience’, the webpage was designed to attract attention from a younger demographic.

What made them choose The Thinking Cap to work with?

We were recommended by another client to work with Toby on his social media platforms.

As a Leeds-based tailor, he wanted to be on LinkedIn so he could target his services to local professionals.

“I was referred to Lisa by a mutual friend and I’ve not been disappointed as I got a ‘two for one’ deal with not only Lisa’s great social media experience, but also getting Martin's vast brand creativity experience…and being a Yorkshireman, you always like good value!

From the moment I met them, I instantly felt that both Lisa and Martin were thoroughly decent people. This has led to a most enjoyable and thought provoking brand building process and collaboration whilst trusting them with my Hemingway, Block Code, and Rainbow Forensic Marker brands.

This collaboration has already proved to be well worth the investment and I’m sure in time will prove to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in business.”

How does Hemingway Tailors feel that the campaign went?

Toby loves working with us, but he especially loved the work we did on this campaign!



Our proposal gave Toby the confidence to approach his friend Matt (former ‘Married at First Sight UK’ participant), who is an Instagram influencer, to discuss the possibility of a collaboration.

Matt loved the campaign and personally wanted to be involved. So much so, that he went through the process himself and was over the moon with his tailored shirt!

We managed the social media campaign for Hemingway Tailors, directing social media reels and other content.

To Toby’s delight, an insurance company bought twenty as Christmas gifts for their staff right at the beginning of the campaign, boosting his confidence in the campaign and his product offering.

Later on in December, Toby appointed a new member of staff, Steve. Started in January, Steve will be Toby's mobile tailor, attending pop-up shops/stands etc.

To help Steve stand out, we’ve designed a variety of banner stands, one showcases the tailored shirt concept, selling it as a safe gender-free corporate gift, which will also help boost the campaigns awareness.

How do you feel the campaign went?

The idea behind the campaign was for Toby to engage with a new, fresh and possibly younger demographic, and we felt that the ‘Tailored Shirt Gift Experience’ provided the ideal opportunity to create a ‘buzz’ around the Hemingway Tailors’ brand, bringing it to a whole new audience.

The whole concept was great fun to work on and the messaging worked extremely well on social media platforms – with both meanings!

We also managed the whole online process, including homepage banner ads, links, social media posts and email newsletters, as well as managing the collaboration process with Matt on Instagram.

We are really pleased that the campaign was such a success, and that people were talking about the Hemingway Tailors’ brand.

In fact, it was so successful that Toby is still pushing the ‘Tailored Shirt Gift Experience’ today. After all , a shi®t is not just for Christmas, is it?

What were the results for Hemingway Tailors?

The campaign went so well that Toby had to appoint another member of staff to help with the extra workload.

The Hemingway Tailors’ brand is now being noticed by a new, younger clientele, by increasing brand awareness on social media platforms.

The involvement of Matt, Instagram Influencer, certainly helped to boost the message as he was so enthusiastic about his tailored shirt experience, and he loved the whole cheeky campaign concept.

The campaign has got legs and is still being used to promote the gift service.

Shirts are worn all year round, so although the fabrics may change with the seasons, the concept is for all seasons!

What were the results for The Thinking Cap as a social media agency trying to stand out?

We were so thrilled when Toby, his clients, his friends and his colleagues came on board with our proposal.

We learned so much ourselves on this campaign about the customisation and posture analysis that has to be taken into consideration when tailoring a bespoke shirt for an individual – we had no idea!

We were really excited by the buzz the campaign created around the Hemingway brand and we are pleased that it has exceeded all our expectations.

We are also proud to show small businesses that you don’t have to have the marketing budget of someone like French Connection (FCUK) to create a brilliantly successful digital/social media campaigns.

At The Thinking Cap, we have the expertise and multi-channel know-how, plus the strategic and campaign knowledge to produce great results for our clients, whatever their budget!

Would they recommend you to others?

Toby has already provided us with a great review (which we mentioned above) and is working with Martin’s creative design service on ideas for his other company.

What’s more, he has already told us that he will happily recommend The Thinking Cap to his wider professional community, and we can’t wait to meet them!