The Backpack: Issue #31

A Masterclass in Fashion + Merch 

It’s a strange and delightful merch world to be in right now. Never before has branded apparel commanded such a unique space in the world of fashion, to wit: The Brooklyn Circus + Jack Daniels collab. At one time, merch was simply a logo on a t-shirt. But that was then. Merch has transcended utility and advertising to become a reflection of our culture. Jack Daniels reached out to the style geniuses at Brooklyn Circus to do a merch collab for their Tennessee Apple whiskey. And instead of a billboard on a t-shirt, what they got was a tasteful play of fashion and advertising in a collab that sold out immediately. For merch inspo, check out their varsity jacket and cap, and to get a glimpse of how it’s done, watch Ouigi Theodore, (designer, founder, and creative director of Brooklyn Circus), break down his process for making bold branded merch with style.

PetSmart Does Smart Merch and even smarter AI

Here’s a cool story first heard from our friend Ann Handley: PetSmart creates an AI tool called Rescue Writer that helps people craft a pet’s story to increase adoption. “A pet’s backstory can inspire a person to adopt them, but they’re often left blank. That’s why PetSmart Charities created an AI tool to help volunteers, staff, and fosters craft compelling pet profiles instantly.” And PetSmart has always been about the merch!

Logo Slapping vs. Marketing Genius

The term "logo slapping" has gone mainstream, a handle for lazy merch design, it’s no longer a phrase just for industry insiders. But really, what’s it mean? Well, style commentator Clayton Chambers runs a popular newsletter called sprezza and, in a recent post on IG, talked about the difference between a logo slap and marketing genius. Using positive examples and brands like Rolex’s ironic tennis ball and the New York City Parks and Rec trash can, he (rightfully) slammed those outrageous Louis Vuitton lunch bags and Carhartt WIP’s off-brand $2000 espresso machine. 2k: make it make sense! Nice breakdown C!

Pre-Registration is Open for skucamp!

It’s known by a lot of names: NashVegas, Music City, Athens of the South - but the one thing that’s true about Nashville, it’s the city of cool vibes and mega hits. skucamp has journeyed from the sunny streets of Palm Springs to the vibrant vibes of New Orleans, from the industrious spirit of Pittsburgh, to the eclectic energy of Brooklyn, and even the smokey streets of Austin TX, but when it comes to the next big thing, it’s no surprise that the hitmaker’s land in Smashville! Pre-registration is now open! What’s pre-reg get you? First dibs on tickets that sell-out quickly. Hit the link to be in the know and start tuning that guitar, backpacker!

Future Proofing Promo

At skucon in January, Denise Taschereau, the CEO and co-founder of Fairware, delivered a powerful talk titled “Future Proofing Promo,” and it was sparked by this question: Does our industry have the resilience, nimbleness, and fortitude to meet the demands of today’s buyers? If not, what are the core requirements we’ll need to not only meet today’s demand, but also lead the next generation through high-impact, conscientious merch experiences? Tune into Denise’s forward-thinking keynote here!

Merch Madness: Today’s Shorthand for Selfhood

Linni Kral is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and educator. Her work appears in The Atlantic, the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, and more. Linni wrote an article titled “Merch Madness” that appeared on Eater.com, the digital media brand dedicated to all things food and dining. Linni’s article on Merch asks, “How has branded merchandise become so ubiquitous and also a shorthand for selfhood?” And mostly, how did we get here? Tune in as commonsku’s very own Allison Lavigne (Customer Success Specialist and professional voice actor!) reads “Merch Madness,” followed by an interview with the author Linni Kral!

NYT Report: Hotel Merch is (Finally) Hot

The Sunset Tower Hotel in Hollywood announced that new merch would be available at the gift shop. The collection included prints from the Tower Bar’s famous menu and hoodies emblazoned with “Rude Guests Will Be Eaten Whole.” How’d it go? The collection sold out within an hour. Since then, items have been popping up on eBay, selling at outrageous prices, with one sweatshirt listing for $850. The NYT reports yet another phenomenon in the sought-after swag biz: Hotel merch. Here’s a quote-worthy clip for your next client preso: “We all take 3,000 photos a day now, but I don’t look back at old travel photos very often … Travel merch is another way of remembering and thinking how lucky you are to have experienced something.” One of the hotels, Rosewood Hotel Group, expects their merch sales to soar by 25% compared with last year!

Who won the Superbowl of Merch?

Was it Dunkin’s Dunkings, whose track jacket and bucket hat sold out in 19 minutes? Or maybe Kawasaki’s mullet merch? Or maybe one of our favorite merchifier’s, Poppi with their “future of soda is now” swagger. Or perhaps you were one of 1,000 fans who received a Miller Game Time Jersey “emblazoned with a QR code” (like our very own VP of Supplier Partnerships Dave Shultz) that could then be scanned for the chance to win beer money. Maybe mayo cat merch? TBH: We think Taylor might have won with this “Go Taylor’s boyfriend” sweatshirt. What do you think? Who won the Superbowl of merch? Hit us back with your vote! And BTW, if you want a really cool breakdown of how to measure the effectiveness of branded merch against broadcast advertising (like commercials), check out our friend Kirby Hasseman’s latest post.

Exploring the Outdoors with Merch!

You know what you need? A bucket list water bottle. Yep, a bucket list in the shape of a water bottle. Wondery Outdoors is an outdoor gear company that hopes to bridge the ‘nature gap’ for Bipoc, female adventurers (Guardian). What’s really cool is that Wondery donates 3% of every Parks bottle purchased to support the National Parks Conservation Association’s (NPCA) conservation efforts. So, packs on backpackers, where are you traveling next?

😱 For the first time, an ad agency must pay $350 million in damages for marketing; the settlement involves Purdue Pharma and the opioid crisis.

👀 If you’re one of those who thought the Superbowl commercials were way too weird and you question their effectiveness, you’re in good company. Check out Kyla Scanlon’s excellent analysis here on why viewers matter but social engagement matters even more.

⏰ Speaking of social engagement, here’s an updated “best times to post on social” for ya!

💌 Check out this awesome merch mailer for beauty brand Biossance created by our friends at Harper + Scott!

🍃 Sustainability: If you haven’t heard about the new EU ruling that “Carbon Offsetting Can’t Be Labeled ‘Climate Neutral’” it’s big news even for the US. We asked PPAI’s Liz Wimbush to hop on the skucast to give us a breakdown, you can hear her insight on this new ruling in the intro of this episode!

🔗 Supply chain: Uh-oh. Here come the tariff wars.

👨‍💻 PromoStandards holds second-annual Tech Summit

🎉 ePOs for alphabroder Canada are here!

👊 Trader Joe’s is fightin' Trader Joe’s over merch.