Why Major Brands are Suddenly Acting like Underdogs

Once upon a time, "challenger brands" were the scrappy underdogs. Dollar Shave Club shaking up Gillette. Oatly vs. Big Dairy. These brands enitre identities are built around being not-the-market-leader, which made them nimble, daring, and emotionally resonant.

However, now the big dogs want in (yawn, of course.)

The challenger strategy is officially no longer just for startups. It’s a mindset. And major players like Walmart, Heineken, even Procter & Gamble, are adopting it fast.

Why? Because the old playbook is slow to work these days. Inflation, AI anxiety, and post-pandemic fatigue have changed the way people spend, shop, and show loyalty. Consumers want brands that feel alive, adaptive, creative, and unafraid to take a stand (or take the piss.)

So, what is a challenger strategy, really?

At its core, it’s about behaving like a disruptor, regardless of size. Challenger brands often question category norms, flip expectations, and take bold creative risks to win attention and relevance.

Instead of selling a product, they’re reframing the problem and poking the bear.

Now, we’re seeing legacy brands borrow those moves. Because in a world of economic uncertainty and overstimulation, safe is forgettable…and boring doesn’t convert.

There are a few brands that just get it:

Heineken turned a fake men's skincare line into a real product: “Heineken Smootheriser” trolling beauty culture while promoting moderation and rethinking masculinity. A total category zag.

Walmart - yes, Walmart - is using fashion as a Trojan horse to reshape its brand. With a rebranded look, buzzy collabs, and a CMO straight out of Vogue’s Rolodex, they’re not just competing with Target; they’re challenging your assumptions about value and style.

PepsiCo’s snack brand Doritos launched a digital triangle tracker and stealth marketing campaign for its iconic shape—not the flavor, not the crunch, but the geometry. Weird? Yes. But impossible to ignore.

Challenger thinking is about unpredictability, distinctiveness, and culture fluency. It says, “We know what you expect. And we’re not giving it to you.”

Want to challenge the status quo? Here’s how:

1. Identify your enemy (even if it’s an idea).
Challenger brands thrive when they’re up against something bigger: an outdated belief, a broken system, a bloated competitor. Your enemy doesn’t have to be a rival. It can be apathy, sameness, waste, boredom. Choose your fight.

2. Take creative swings.
This isn’t the time for beige campaigns. Challenger strategy demands standout ideas that cut through noise. Embrace humor, surrealism, contradiction, whatever your audience isn’t expecting.

3. Be fast, not perfect.
Legacy brands are learning from startups: speed matters more than polish. A lo-fi idea with cultural heat beats a six-month cross-platform rollout that lands flat.

4. Don’t just advertise, agitate.
Challengers don't just sell products; they provoke thought, shift perceptions, and stir things up. Think less “how do we promote this?” and more “how do we reframe the conversation?”

5. Build community, not just campaigns.
Challenger brands treat their audience like insiders. Give people a role, a reason to care, and a way to join in… because belonging builds loyalty.

The truth is, today’s consumer is already a freaking challenger. They're price-savvy, skeptical, and constantly recalibrating. If your brand looks, sounds, and behaves like it always has, you’re probably going to get left behind. Tata. Bye for now.

In this climate, acting like the underdog might just be the boldest power move of all. 

-Sophie Randell, Writer