Luigi Mangione's outfit is already sold out

The media frenzy surrounding Luigi Mangione, the primary suspect in the murder of UnitedHealth's CEO, has become an unprecedented phenomenon. The 26-year-old Italian-American has captured the attention of millions of young people worldwide. His identity, revealed last Monday evening, sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with some users declaring it “the best day in Twitter’s history.” However, the frenzy had already begun in the days prior, fueled by a collective effort to identify the masked killer, which brought significant attention to the clothes he was wearing, triggering a wave of investigations by social media sleuths. Within a short period, not only were details about his movements and weapon uncovered, but also the outfit worn by the alleged killer: particularly a backpack containing Monopoly money, a sweatshirt, and a military-style jacket. The virality of this information caught brands completely off-guard, throwing them into the eye of the storm. For some, this media attention might seem like a double-edged sword, but as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as bad publicity. The results were immediate: Google searches for “McDonald’s reviews” increased by 2400% over the last few days, while the backpack Mangione wore sold out on the official website of Peak Design. Levi’s green military jacket became the subject of a massive online treasure hunt, with Reddit flooded with discussions about finding the exact model. According to TMZ, over 6000 users tried to purchase it at Macy’s, where it is now listed as “no longer available”. In New York, the phenomenon took an even more surreal turn with a “lookalike competition” held while the young man was still on the run, demonstrating how Mangione’s figure transcended the realm of true crime to become a viral icon.

This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Consider the Ferragni case, where a viral apology video turned a €600 Laneus gray tracksuit into a must-have item. However, not all brands involved are thrilled about the spotlight. WWD reached out to representatives from Levi’s and Tommy Hilfiger but received no responses. According to Evan Nierman, a crisis management expert, events like this show how crises can unexpectedly turn into opportunities. For an independent brand like Peak Design, previously little-known, this sudden visibility generated a boom in interest and sales, bringing it to the center of the media stage. Despite Peak Design's CEO, Peter Dering, himself notifying the NYPD that the suspect’s backpack was one of their products, Dering declined to comment further on the case, creating as much distance as possible between Mangione and the brand. However, it’s important to differentiate between coincidence and strategy: no marketing campaign could have predicted or capitalized on such a dramatic event. In cases like this, the results are unpredictable, highlighting the complex relationship between notoriety, virality, and ethical responsibility.

The collective obsession with Luigi Mangione has reached such heights that it has spawned a parallel market of merchandise inspired by his figure and the events surrounding the case. Phrases like “Deny, Defend, Depose,” engraved on the bullets used in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, have become viral slogans, appearing on a wide range of products from thermal mugs to sweatshirts and baseball caps. Despite Amazon removing Mangione-related products, including T-shirts and tote bags bearing the phrase “FREE LUIGI,” merchandise continues to thrive on platforms like Etsy and Sivelos. Among the bestsellers are T-shirts featuring a collage of Mangione surrounded by engraved bullets or even an ironic reinterpretation of Super Mario’s Luigi, depicted with a green cap, hoodie, and machine gun, tapping into the viral imagery surrounding the alleged killer. What’s particularly absurd is the complete disconnect between this fast-paced consumerist obsession and the motivations behind Mangione’s crime. If one seeks to idolize an anti-capitalist “folk hero”, doing so through a T-shirt mass-produced in under 48 hours and shipped by Amazon seems contradictory, doesn’t it?