From Comebacks to Catwalks

It started with a free fall. In the summer of 2021, Daniel Grieder took over the reins of HUGO BOSS at what could generously be called its low point: more than €200 million in losses, a fading brand image, and a future that felt anything but fashionable. But Grieder, a Swiss-born industry veteran with 20+ years at Tommy Hilfiger, wasn’t interested in playing defense. Instead of shrinking, he doubled down. Not on discounts. On sports.

A comeback, he explained at GMPLN25, takes guts - and vision. And HUGO BOSS needed both. The goal? Turn consumers into fans, just like in sports. Because while consumers come and go,

fans stick around.

And the comeback? It's shown in the numbers:

From €1.9 billion in revenue in 2020 to €4.3 billion last year.

How did they do it?

The strategy was called “Claim 5” - five pillars with one central star: the consumer. Or more precisely, the fan.

1. Boost Brands – elevate and differentiate BOSS and HUGO with unique identities and global campaigns.

2. Product is Key – expand into lifestyle collections beyond suits.

3. Lead in Digital – apply AI and consumer data across the chain.

4. Drive Omnichannel – unify physical and digital brand experiences worldwide.

5. Organize for Growth – scale logistics, operations, and teams to support global expansion.

The playbook looked a lot like a sports calendar.

Formula 1. Tennis. Cycling. Golf. Equestrian. Wherever sports met style, HUGO and BOSS were there. But it wasn’t just logos slapped on athletes - it was athletes walking in fashion shows, sitting front row, showing up in campaigns that pulled in billions of impressions.

And then there was David Beckham. After Grieder watched the Beckham docuseries on Netflix, he knew: this was the guy. The one who lives where sport meets fashion. The result? A blockbuster multi-year collaboration that spiked underwear sales and drew over 3 billion impressions.

Grieder pushed HUGO BOSS into the digital era, building a tech campus in Portugal with 300 data experts, layering AI across the value chain, and rolling out a loyalty program that turned data into experience. In Shanghai, BOSS fused fashion, retail, and Formula 1 into one mega-event. He reimagined retail not as a sales channel, but as a stage. Pop-ups became immersive events. Stores became fan zones. And internally? He turned employees into brand evangelists.

“If your team isn’t your first fanbase,” he said, “you’ll never win the game.

The new HUGO BOSS culture is pure sports DNA: discipline, boldness, teamwork, speed, energy. Grieder’s closing line? As punchy as a locker room chant:

“Be Hugo. Be Boss.”