Inside Syna World, the viral streetwear brand from Central Cee

Exclusivity is the key, he explains. “You could put the worst design on a T-shirt, but if you market it right, it’s going to sell out,” he says. “The psychology I see behind some clothing brands is the more exclusive it is, the more people want it. When they come onto our website to purchase something, they know they can’t think about it too much. If they don’t buy it now, they know they won’t be able to buy it tomorrow. It creates an impulse buy.”

Low-key marketing

The focus is on the most engaged of fans. Cee does not post about Syna World on his social media feed, only nodding to the brand occasionally in his Instagram stories and on his broadcast channel. It’s an approach now gaining traction with non-streetwear labels too. Phoebe Philo’s new namesake brand and Kylie Jenner’s new fashion brand Khy both encourage consumers to register for first updates and access to product.

Cee encourages people in his network to promote the label. The People Gallery, a TikTok account that documents celebrity style, recently shared a video of Cee wearing a Syna World beanie and puffer jacket in a new colourway. The video has garnered over 4.2 million views and more than 763,000 likes. A video posted by Cee’s former maybe-girlfriend Madeline Argy featuring herself and Cee in the kitchen (while wearing his label) went viral, with 30 million views as fans tried to figure out whether they were dating.

“The new marketing model works in that way,” says Laura Leeb, a director at PWC’s strategy consulting arm Strategy&. Word-of-mouth is effective because it is authentic, she explains. “[This approach] makes Central Cee more successful because he’s not saying ‘hey, look at my great new range’. Someone else is doing it for him.”

Cee’s relatable touch makes him and Syna World stand out, adds Kamaran. “His music is good, but as we know, the industry is also about your image. When you look at the biggest rappers in the UK — Stormzy, Fazer — when they blew up they just wore designer. Louis Vuitton, Chanel, you name it. But, that’s not relatable to the working class. Now comes Central Cee with his big chains and the best drip, but it’s stuff that everyone can afford.”