The Backpack: Issue #67

• Trend Alert: Cowboy cool is hot
  
• What's new in commonsku: Check our AI webinar series
  
• AI + Merch: Our new newsletter The AI Promo Brief
• Can’t Miss Content: Tariff news (again)

McDonald's yee-haw merch and Tecovas boots

While Beyoncé's got everyone dusting off their cowboy hats, Chili's and Tecovas just dropped the collab nobody knew they needed. Their limited-edition boots and belt feature actual chili pepper inlays and custom toe bugs. Smart takeaway: when unexpected brands unite around shared geography and subcultures, the results are tastier than bottomless chips and salsa. Our take: These boot are definitely made for Joaquin. And McDonald’s saddles up too: The golden arches just wove menu items into cowboy fashion billboards for Calgary Stampede season, dishing out epic Western merch that would make any brand wrangler —even cowboy Post Malone— jealous.

H-E-B rocks the merch with metal-inspired tees

Texas grocery giant H-E-B just dropped the hottest collab in supermarket merch: heavy metal-inspired tees that transform grocery shopping into headbanging. The designs by local artist Connor Designs feature bold, concert-poster style graphics. Rock out with H-E-B and take notes on how partnering with a non-traditional designer can net real genre-bending brand ideas. Ozzy would be proud.

YouTuber's 50-state trip raises millions for St. Jude

YouTube star Ryan Trahan and wife Haley's "50 States in 50 Days" challenge has already blown past their initial $1M fundraising goal for St. Jude Children's Hospital (one of the biggest campaigns in YouTube history.) When he's not road-tripping for a cause, Trahan co-owns Joyride, a better-for-you candy company with equally tasty merch. Check out both their epic journey and sweet swag for double the inspo!

Storm Creek's sustainability trifecta

Can you tell a client the exact carbon footprint of a zipper? Storm Creek can. A fresh B Corp certification (after 400 questions and changing their entire corporate structure), carbon tracking down to individual components, and $2.8 million raised for charity: They're not just talking green—they're living it. And their new Connected+ integration on commonsku means distributors get real-time inventory and ePOs that jump straight to the front of the line. Plus, their Sustainability School turns intimidating acronyms into selling strategies that actually close deals. With sustainability RFPs jumping 2-3x in Q2 alone, Storm Creek's betting that documentation beats decoration every time. All in our latest skucast episode!

AI + brand magic: Merch girly geets machine

What happens when you land a $3.5M account in your first year and then add AI to your arsenal? You get Savannah Dmytriw—VP of Marketing at Team SCG and the brain behind @MERCHGIRLY—who's cracking the code on blending AI with authentic brand storytelling. This isn't your typical "ChatGPT will save us all" webinar. Savannah's bringing real talk on how to use AI to sharpen your strengths without losing your creative soul, why going full-bot is a career killer, and the art of deciding what to automate versus what needs that human magic touch. Join us Thursday, August 21st at 2 PM EST for the blueprint on making AI work for you, not against you. The future of merch isn't just smart—it's strategic: Register here.

Yeehaw Your Merch Game

While everyone's talking cowboys, here's the merch making it happen. From rodeo-ready hats to boardroom-worthy leather goods, this collection captures the cowboy vibe without the cheese. Browse the collection →

Is this the new “start a project button?”

Rotterdam-based distributor monday merch drops a wicked cool AI tool that replaces that old “start a project” button on your homepage. Just fill in 5 fields (product, style, color, material, logo) and this slick AI tool instantly creates photo-realistic merch visualizations delivered straight to your inbox in about a minute. Perfect for when you need to show clients what's possible without waiting on design mockups! See it in action.

💪 How powerful is merch? MSN drops the mic with this headline: 12 Trends That Became “Movements” the Moment Merch Started Showing Up

👨‍🍳 If you followed our Tiny Chef story in a previous backpack where Tiny Chef was dropped by Nickelodeon, well, here’s an update and it’s adorable: Eye of the Cheffy

🏰 Mickey's Money Machine: Disney Pockets $63 B-B-B-Billion in 2024 Merch Sales! 🤑

🤘  Blood Gods: Donate blood through February 2026 and score an exclusive Metallica tee plus a chance to win a signed guitar. Metal up your veins!

🍌 Kiwi delivery brand Delivereasy goes absolutely bananas with F-bomb fruit merch: Peel back the story

🏨 Luxury hotel merch: From Ritz Paris caps to Chateau Marmont tees, get the hospitality haute couture scoop!

🔥 ASI reports: Trump's updated tariffs to India are jumping to 25%, wait, [refreshes browser] scratch that, now 50%, Vietnam to 20%, and Switzerland to 39% – tariff tsunami incoming. And just in: China increases now delayed until Nov 10.

💡 Sort Refer is a UK brokerage firm who started a contest with their reps called “Show Us Your Merch.” (Ignore the less than stellar design on the landing page) but still, great concept for your clients and their merch from their shop!

🎸 Indie music merch mavericks (Down Right and Overcast) form new company 'Armada' to merge into music's newest merch powerhouse with a $30M war chest.

🏆 Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman supports Epilepsy Action's 75th anniversary with her "Wellies in a Puddle" design on merch featuring her doodle and signature—see this celebrity charity collab from National Doodle Day.

🌊 HARD MTN DEW and Truly are making waves with summer merch collections featuring everything from Baja Blast two-pieces to neon fruit swimsuits and boombox pool floats: dive in!

🤖 You heard about our AI newsletter and our AI webinar series, right?