The art of cringe: the Olga Basha effect

Les points-clés en français au bas de l'article

Olga Basha is a NY-based denim label. The brand dropped two videos so far, one in spring, the other at the end of September, both lauded on Instagram – and on YouTube, despite only 25 subscribers on the channel and comments like "“How does this video only have 744 views? It's the best piece of content marketing I've seen in forever. So good.”

I won't spell out the storyline – wouldn't want to spoil the videos for you – but I will break down the ingredients that make the ads work so well and build such a strong brand.

Everyday settings, unexpected scenes, anything can happen

The videos work as two mini-movies that situate characters in ordinary, relatable moments – a lunch between friends, a casual date where the protagonists act akwardly – but layer in a tension that keeps viewers hooked.

Suspense is built through acting and directing of course (the incredulous expressions of the two friends, close-ups of the guy's hand, etc.) as well as sound design (thuds, percussive beats, tense music, the switch between the two soundscapes the protagonists evolve in)

But more interesting is the real-time effect in the lunch video. We are watching the action as it happens, just like the two women and can't wait to see what’s coming next and what this guy is capable of doing.

And this is where the brand really nails it: it’s the ability to extend the moment, explore cringe and push boundaries that keeps viewers captivated – not just the cringe of a single moment, like the aftermath of ‘I said no radishes’ when the irritating friend reacts and the waitress shoots an annoyed look or the awkward pause when the guy admits he’s listening to his own song.

Imperfect people, imperfect brand

Imperfection is central to Olga Basha’s ads:

• unpolished videos borrowing from social media codes: city sounds, reflections on the café window, work on light and amateur Instagram/Tik Tok aesthethics
• imperfect people: the two denim wearers obviously but also they potential matches, i.e. the girl talking with her mouth full (lunch video) and the guy spitting out a fruit stone before remembering he's not alone (date video)
• imperfect brand: a name you can hardly pronounce (lunch video) or read and a brand you don't even know you own (date video)

Why it works

Because of the unexpected twists – "a man who knows himself" –, of course, but more importantly because the ads exemplify a brand able to:

• capture and boldly express a vibe of spontaneity and weirdness that feels real and deeply in tune with today's codes. The humor and tension feel organic – especially the slow burn that make the videos feel alive and unpredictable as if you’re peeking into real life rather than watching a scripted ad.
• not take itself too seriously, as shown by the bold art direction but also by its willingness to laugh at itself within its own ads

With these two ads, Olga Basha perfectlly captures what a modern, self-aware brand should be: irreverent, unpolished, and intriguing. It’s a label you barely realize you own (like the girl who needs to check), whose name you might not even read properly – is that “g” in the Olga logo actually a “q”? – yet it sticks in your mind.

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Les points-clés

• Des scènes du quotidien pleines de tension et d’imprévu
  Olga Basha est une marque de jeans new-yorkaise. Elle s'est fait remarquer avec deux mini-films dont la mise en scène transforme des moments banals (un déjeuner entre amies, un date) en séquences captivantes où tout peut arriver.
• L’imperfection comme signature esthétique
  Une esthétique brute inspirée des réseaux sociaux, des personnages maladroits, des situations réalistes. Cette imperfection, à la fois humaine et visuelle, devient le cœur de son identité.
• Une marque moderne, consciente d’elle-même et audacieuse
  Humour, autodérision, capacité à refléter l’étrangeté spontanée du réel et à repousser les frontières du malaise : Olga Basha a parfaitement compris les codes de sa cible et incarne une nouvelle génération de marques imparfaites et mémorables.