The Backpack: Issue #74

• Trend Alert: Pre-drops beat premieres!
  
• What's new in commonsku: PPAI Expo 2026 hangouts
  
• Can’t Miss Content: Dunkin', Crocs, and Beatles

Marty Supreme merch will break the internet!

A24 and Timothée Chalamet just schooled everyone on hype movie merch—before most people have even seen Marty Supreme. The limited-edition capsule with Nahmias featured $250 windbreakers that fans lined up for at a single LA pop-up, creating instant scarcity and resale gold—one hoodie's already hitting $1,075 on eBay. But it’s not just the jacket, there’s paddle keychains, caps, and jerseys. The play here? Drop elevated streetwear tied to cultural anticipation, not box office results. It's merch as pre-hype machine, and it's working. Your clients launching anything this season? This is the blueprint.

Big Tech's Biggest Flex? The Merch

Big Tech's merch game is having a main character moment—and it's gloriously analog. While AI eats the world, the smartest brands in Silicon Valley are betting on hoodies, hats, and IRL flexes. Take just a few brands as an example: Stripe, Microsoft, and Claude. Stripe is roaming the streets of San Fran and NYC giving away free merch for Black Friday and Cyber Monday (look at that Carhartt hat!). Microsoft's Satya Nadella is reppin’ classic excel merch like it's Christmas morning, their Nano Banana merch is loved as much as much as concert tees, and people are treating drops like sneaker releases. And don’t forget Claude’s pop-up experiences which is still creating epic lines, worldwide. And just when you think laptop stickers are out, here comes Google’s DeepMind. When your brand's biggest flex isn't your tech stack but your crewneck's resale value, you've officially cracked the merch code. 

At Camp Flog Gnaw, Merch Is the Main Event

The LA Times called this merch one of the festival's "biggest draws"—and they're not wrong. Tyler, the Creator's Camp Flog Gnaw just proved merch isn't a side hustle—it's the headline act. Fans aren't just showing up for the music; they're camping out for limited drops that sell out faster than festival tickets. This year's lineup included exclusive tees, hoodies, and accessories that blur the line between concert swag and streetwear flex. When your merch tent generates the same energy as the main stage, FOMO is the currency. The riskiest merch move? Childish Gambino’s collectable cancel cards.

Lets Hang at PPAI Expo!

PPAI Expo hits Vegas January 12-15, 2026, and we're showing up with platform demos, breakfast hangs, and all the skummunity energy you need. Looking for commonsku insights? Want to talk shop with fellow distributors? Just need coffee and good conversation before the trade show chaos? We're your people. Hit the link to see where we'll be and lock in your spot at the best parts of Expo!