Jack Wills clothing
Jack Wills is an exclusive fashion brand of sporty, casual clothes in the "preppy style" and is marketed firmly at the university/public school market.
If you want to browse through the hundreds of items of Jack Wills clothing currently for sale then please click on our links Jack Wills clothing for men or Jack Wills clothing for women
The 
company was started by Peter Williams in 1999 who named the company after his grandfather, Jack Wills. The first shop opened in Salcombe, Devon and since then the company has steadily expanded. In 2007 the company secured further funding from private investors which allowed further expansion and by 2009 the company had 30 stores across throughout the country.
company was started by Peter Williams in 1999 who named the company after his grandfather, Jack Wills. The first shop opened in Salcombe, Devon and since then the company has steadily expanded. In 2007 the company secured further funding from private investors which allowed further expansion and by 2009 the company had 30 stores across throughout the country. Currently London has the largest number of stores with a total of five, the rest are located across the country with a focus on university towns.
Store buildings tend to reflect the company's upmarket image and are generally buildings of some architectural note or quirky design.
There is a factory outlet in Kildare, Ireland and two stores in St. Andrews and Edinburgh, other than that the remaining stores are all based in England
A list of Jack Wills stores can be found below:-
|
Chelsea, London |
Aberdeen | Bristol | Durham | Gunwharf | Oxford | York |
| Covent Garden, London | Aldeburgh | Burnham Market | Edinburgh | Harrogate | Reigate | Kildare |
| Notting Hill, London | Bath | Cambridge | Eton | Leeds | Salcombe | Dublin |
| Richmon, London | Bicester | Cheltenham | Exeter | Marlow | St. Albans | |
| Clapham, London | Brighton | Chester | Guildford | Nottingham | Winchester |
Every season the company produces a catalogue of new, seasonal clothes and these catalogues are referred to as "handbooks". These handbooks are launched in line with term time at universities and colleges e.g. the latest Jack Wills catalogue is called "Jack Wills Autumn Term handbook 2009".
In 2008, the company decided to launch a new brand, Aubin & Wills. This range of clothing is targetted at the older customer i.e. post graduates and by the start of 2009 the company already had four stores across the U.K.
Jack Wills clothing is a premium designer brand with prices on the higher side than average. A large variety of clothing is available for both men and women including casual sportswear such as polo shirts and hoodies, branded with the JW logo of course. Leisurewear and beachwear are also catered for as well as knitwear and jackets for the Autumn/Winter season.
Sometimes described as a "Boarding School brand" Jack Wills doesn't apologise for it's unashamed attempt to cater to a very specific demographics. Head on over to one of the university towns in the south of the country and on a Friday night find yourself a comfortable seat at a popular pub. You will see plenty of young, good looking students all dressed differently but at the same time all dressed the same, the Jack Wills way.
The Jack Wills look is H-O-T right now but not that popular that the brand loses it's appeal. The hefty price tags for even a hoodie ensure that there's a reassuring air of exclusivity about Jack Wills clothing.
Jack Wills is more than just a fashion brand. It has developed into a lifestyle brand thanks entirely to some brilliant marketing. Students want to look cool and Jack Wills does that by not only designing clothes for fashion conscious students but also by allowing them to feel they're wearing something that is much pricier than your average high street fashion brand.
The compant employ almost guerilla type marketing techniques such as sending a pair of Jack Wills hoodies to every head boy and girl of every public school in the UK-who needs a multi million pound TV campaign when you can laser target your audience in one foul swoop ?
They may not have a PR department or any form of mainstream advertising but Jack Wills are very adept at getting in and amongst their target audience almost unseen and before anyone knows it all their friends are wearing Jack Wills and there's a pull for them to do so also.
The boarding school, preppy image is amplified by the company by sponsoring polo events and debutante balls even the changing rooms in a Jack Wills store are designed to look like dormitories.
Another string to the Jack Wills marketing bow is the employment of what are known as Jack Wills Seasonnaires. These good looking young people act as ambassadors for the brand organising summer parties, barbecues and other social events. They home in on the most popular students on campus and then use them as a gateway to the university's social network.
It's very much a soft sell and if anything it's a great excuse to have a party. The only difference is that the Jack Wills brand will be strategically placed so it receives the necessary attention without being in people's faces.
Below is the Jack Wills promo film for the Autumn 2011 term (season).