The Backpack: Issue #64

• Trend Alert: Best merch for summer? Here are a few hot finds.
• Top commonsku News: $10MM in revenue w/ 10 people? It’s possible.
• AI + Merch: AI is radically changing how brand guidelines work.
• Can’t Miss Content: F1 movie merch or Squid Games?

Best merch for summer? Here are a few hot finds.

First: Fishwife —always a winner— does a Summertime Art Box which taps into our desire to get offline and out in the real world? Also, not ready for hot girl summer? That’s okay, cause Alamo Drafthouse brings you Hot Godzilla Summer, collection here. And if there’s a colorway for summer it has to be Karol G’s merch. Want some summer design inspo from the OG of streetwear, Supreme? Check their new collection of summer tees. And this isn’t necessarily summer, but it’s bright and summer-like and fits into the toy trend: Glossier’s mini laptop mirror. And bye-bye Tomato Girl Summer, you were so 2024, Lobster Core is here.

Merch continues to steal the spotlight in politics

Reminder: We don’t lean left or right, we lean into the merch! And here’s an amazing merch story: NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani uses merch as a powerful connection point with people including a pop-up screenprinting experience: “Devoted volunteers—teachers, retail workers, college kids, and even high-school students—signed people up to vote while churning out Zohran-stamped T-shirts, tote bags, and other garments for the hundreds of supporters in attendance. The merch was all free.” One citizen put it this way, “He doesn't have any merch on the website, and I'm big on merch,” she said. “We just want to support him whichever way we can.” CNN writes that his campaign energized young voters. Lesson for candidates? Two lessons: 1) Scrap the red/blue motif and be colorful. 2) Merch works because it reaches a young, enthusiastic audience. Expect more candidates to launch even bigger merch campaigns in the future.

Oasis + Adidas levels up the merch story

One would expect that Britain’s most effortless style icon (Liam Gallagher) would do merch right for the Oasis tour (a tour for the ages) and yes, the merch rises to the occasion. I mean, their promotion video alone is a sick drop. Our fave merch? Tour coach jacket, jersey, striped track pants. But the best piece in the collection is not the Adidas merch but this Time Flies anniversary tee designed by Japanese artist Kosuke Kawamura. But maybe this tamborine shirt might "just be the one to save me." 🤓 

 

10 people at $10MM in revenue? It’s possible.

Can a 10-person team really build a $100 million distributorship? Leo Friedman, CEO of iPromo, says yes—we’re entering a world where AI could shape a new reality for sales and growth. In our latest episode of the skucast , Leo shares how AI is transforming the promo industry, from automating order handling to breaking MOQ barriers with on-demand. He explains why traditional SEO is dying, how iPromo builds shops in under 30 minutes using commonsku, and why understanding buyer psychology is key. It’s a bold vision for the future—streamlined, tech-powered, and customer-centric. Listen to our chat with Leo now.

The reset economy: tariffs, AI, and uncertainty

In case you missed it, we just hosted a timely discussion with Kyla Scanlon, skucamp speaker and author of the recent bestseller, In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work. Kyla has contributed to the New York Times, Financial Times, New York Magazine, Bloomberg, and has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal, along with many other major publications. Her daily mission is to simplify the complex and reimagine economics as an accessible topic for the next generation. Check our biggest lessons from a mid-year economic outlook here!

 

How buyers are using AI to shop for merch

Interesting glance at how people are using AI to search for merch. Yes, it’s for collectibles but there’s a tangential impact on how buyers are using AI —-right now—- as a search engine for merch. If you don’t think your buyer is searching “best ideas for company outdoor picnic” for summer, you’re wrong.

AI is the future with brand guidelines

Coca-Cola creates tomorrow’s brand guideline tool. AI branding tool Fizzion is a next-gen AI branding tool that blends design-savvy intelligence with seamless Adobe integration. Fizzion helps designers create content up to 10x faster, adapt visuals for different markets while maintaining brand consistency, and instantly generate localized campaigns—all within the tools they already use. It also learns from designers in real-time and turns creative decisions into digital instructions, ensuring global consistency without manual checks. Adobe + AI = a branding powerhouse. (Shoutout to Danny Rosin of Brand Fuel for the heads-up!)

🗞️ “Merch or it didn’t happen.” You gotta read this New York Times Style Magazine piece on merch, here's the lead: “This idea — that merchandise offers both access and emotional connection — underpins its success across categories.”

🎨" Make the logo bigger” > Canva’s comedic genius billboards.

📚 “BookTok girlies prepare your wallets.” Merch incoming for blockbuster author Sarah J. Maas’s “romantasy” phenom.

👜 BLACKPINK’s $18 plastic bag is a messy merch story And as a band, you better do your fans right with merch otherwise: cautionary tale.

🐙 Squid Game Crocs just in time for season 3.

🍻 Ohhhh this Timberland Pro and Pabst Blue Ribbon collab is sick.

🏀 We love, love, love it when someone uses merch to respond to internet trolls. Nicely done Angel Reese, “mebound” merch here. And it’s much better than this merch drama.

🏅 “The Oklahoma City Thunder kinda popped off with its champions merch.” Rolling Stone and have you seen this adorable merch story between the Thunder team and their fave local reporter?

🐬 The 50 years Jaws merch is rad but you know who has the best Jaws merch? Richard Dreyfuss. The actor sells signed merch on his website: bucket hat, and this “Smile you son of a …” bottle.

👕 "The rise of merch: How today’s brands turned simple swag into sought-after collectibles”

🏎️ F1 movie merch dropped and it’s gorgeous, especially this tee.

🎬 This isn’t about merch at all but it’s sooooo cool: Cannes Lion 2025’s brand experience & activation winner is The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for redesigning “a captioning system that helps Deaf and Hard of Hearing audiences experience not just the words, but the emotion, tone and rhythm of film and TV.”

🏙️ What city wins the merch award for best fundraising merch? Berlin. And it’s as weird and rad as you’d think, check this “Rico” doll, Berlin’s most famous street sweeper.