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Mar 20, 2025
By: Sonakshi Gupta
Humans are wired to want what we can’t have. Whether it’s an invite-only club, a members-only sale, or a sneaker drop that sells out in minutes, scarcity creates an irresistible pull. It’s not just clever marketing—it’s psychology.
I’ve fallen for it, too. When my friends are eating at a certain restaurant, going to a party, or when my For You Page is flooded with people wearing Rhode or Skims, I suddenly feel like I need it—even if I wasn’t interested before. The more I see it, the more I feel like I’m missing out. That rush, that creeping sense of urgency, is exactly what brands capitalize on, turning FOMO into a powerful marketing weapon. In 2000, marketing strategist Dan Herman published an article in “The Journal of Brand Management” explaining a fear of missing out as a motivation behind certain consumer behaviors and marketing methods. Over the past two decades, FOMO has grown across the internet as brands have mastered its use in their campaigns, with social media acting as a major driver—constantly fueling anxiety by keeping users updated on what others are doing. By providing real-time updates on who is doing what, when, where, and with whom, social media creates the perfect environment for FOMO to thrive.
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Chasing the Unattainable
Psychologist Robert Cialdini, explains that four key psychological triggers drive our desire for exclusive, hard-to-get items. Exclusivity makes us crave what’s difficult to obtain —whether it’s a VIP membership or an invite-only app. Rarity heightens value, turning sneakers or baseball cards into prized possessions. Urgency pushes us to act fast, knowing a one-day sale or midnight drop won’t last. And when Demand surges, long lines and waitlists reinforce the idea that if everyone wants it, it must be worth chasing. Few brands have mastered these principles and built their entire identity around them as effectively as Supreme and Hermès.
Supreme and the Thrill of the Chase
Every Thursday morning, like clockwork, long lines snake around Supreme stores in cities like London, New York, and Tokyo. Young men —some in camping chairs, others fresh off planes—wait for hours, even days, just for a chance to buy a hoodie or a T-shirt. Many don’t even know if their desired item will still be in stock when they get inside. But that doesn’t matter. Because when it comes to Supreme, the chase is the point. Meanwhile, at Hermès, customers don’t camp outside stores—but they do wait. And wait. And wait. Walking into a boutique and asking for a Birkin isn’t how it works.
The rise of Supreme is built on the idea that if you don’t act now, you’ll miss out forever. Every week, the brand releases a limited batch of products, and within minutes—sometimes seconds—they’re gone. As journalist Jamie Clifton observed in Vice UK, Supremes’ scarcity model has turned its drops into mini social events, where fans travel across countries just for the opportunity to buy anything from the brand. "In about an hour, the doors to Supreme’s London store will be opened, and everyone here—tired Nick; patient Werner; teenagers from Cardiff, Newcastle, and Canterbury—will get their chance to walk inside… and flick through the first batch of caps, coats, hoodies, and T-shirts released this season," Clifton writes (Vice UK, 2016). Some don’t even expect to find what they originally came for, but that doesn’t matter. At the peak of Supreme’s brand, owning anything Supreme is a win.
But why is that so? Because Supreme’s appeal isn’t just about owning exclusive clothes—it’s about identity and “clout.” The brand has transcended streetwear to become a status symbol, "People want to be seen wearing Supreme, and there’s no better way to communicate that than with the box," a Supreme fan told Vice UK. The brand’s collaborations with luxury houses like Louis Vuitton or cultural icons like Nike and The North Face further reinforce its reputation as a high-end fashion house.. In other words, Supreme isn’t just selling clothing—it’s selling membership to an elite streetwear club. And that membership comes with bragging rights.
Courtesy of Erik Mclean via unsplash.com
Hermès: The Art of Luxury Gatekeeping
FOMO exerts its influence across every tier of fashion. If Supreme is a high-speed sprint, Hermès is a slow, calculated marathon. The French luxury house doesn’t rely on quick sell-outs or weekly drops. Instead, it builds demand by making its products intentionally difficult to obtain.
Take the notorious Birkin as an example. Unlike Supreme, where fans can at least attempt to buy something, at Hermès, money won’t even get you through the door. Even the wealthiest buyers must establish a purchase history, prove their loyalty, and wait months, if not years, before they are offered the privilege of buying one. Even then, there’s no guarantee of getting the color or size you want. The result? A product that isn’t just expensive—it’s an achievement.
Like Supreme, Hermès understands that people want what they can’t easily have. The longer the wait, the stronger the desire. This echoes insights from Kushaan Shah’s Mind Meld newsletter, which notes that scarcity isn’t just about physical goods—it’s about perception. “Humans place a higher value on an object that is scarce, and a lower value on those that are in abundance,” the article explains (Mind Meld, 2023). Hermès embodies this principle, ensuring that demand always outpaces supply.
Courtesy of Zoshua Colah via unsplash.com
More Than Just a Marketing Tactic
Just like Supreme fans flaunt their box logo tees, Hermès customers signal their status with a Birkin. This goes beyond style—it’s a statement of status and exclusivity. These brands have crafted an image where ownership itself is an achievement. In both cases, the consumer is perceived as someone who beat the system, obtaining something that many others—even those with money—could not. As consumer psychologist Dr. Dimitrios Tsivrikos told Vice UK, luxury brands tap into deeply rooted human instincts, “We collect articles or resources to survive, but survival doesn’t only rest upon what we need physically. We need, psychologically, to distinguish ourselves.” It’s this fundamental need—to set ourselves apart, to belong to an exclusive circle—that fuels the success of brands built on FOMO marketing.
A brand becomes more than just a product—it’s a reflection of how individuals want to be perceived by the world and the identity they seek to project. Whether it’s a Supreme hoodie or a Birkin bag, ownership isn’t just about fashion; it’s about identity, exclusivity, and the psychological rush of acquiring something rare. As long as people crave status and the validation that comes with scarcity, brands will continue to use FOMO as a marketing tactic—one that keeps us chasing, buying, and believing that the next rare drop or luxury handbag will set us apart. Supreme and Hermès may play by different rules, but the game is the same—make it rare, and we’ll do whatever it takes to get it.
Sonakshi Gupta is a sophomore in Media, Culture, and Communication with minors in Business of Entertainment and Psychology. She is passionate about marketing psychology, consumer behavior, and, of course, good food.
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