The Backpack: Issue #57
Friday, March 21
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Upcycled uniforms: Vain x McDonalds?
Many of you sell uniform programs but have you ever thought about upcycling your old uniforms … into new uniforms? New Wave Magazine has the breakdown of how Finnish fashion brand VAIN convinced Chicago-based McD’s to do it: “Initially, they wanted to make some kind of influencer marketing campaign, we then had a meeting with them. We told them and their PR, ‘Sorry, we are not doing anything that you wanted us to do, but, we have an idea which will work if you let us do it’ and they trusted us, and we made everything ourselves. We upcycled the collection from all kinds of old 麦当劳 workwear…” The uniforms are dope. And the marketing campaign? Check this fashion runway show -- in a McDonald's. Oh, and the results? “Reached over 200 million people on social media and garnered over 800 articles written worldwide.”
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Retro merch trend: Chili's drops 50th merch
Oooooohhhhhh baby back ribs and awesome blossom: Chili’s —a brand not really known for their fashion sense— just defied gravity and dropped a retro-merch collection that’s HOT. Like this classic ringer tee.?Or foam front trucker hat! And we know you can’t wait to pull your hair back with this pepper claw set and then hit the Chili’s bar HH with this scarf. And If Reddit says Chili’s is having a comeback, Chili's is having a comeback. You gotta give it to the Chili’s marketing team for also dropping a country song (with merch): “Ride the ‘Dente.” Saddle up for that Presidente Margarita!
Spring Trends Webinar with Numo
We’re joining forces with Numo to bring you the hottest Spring Trends in merch! The Backpack + Numo are teaming up to bring you insights on the changes in totes, maximalist designs, customized culture, and the breakout of refined athleisure. Join us and walk away inspired with new ideas for your clients - register here!
skucamp is 80% sold out, secure your seat now
Want to learn how to craft an unforgettable customer experience? How about navigating economic volatility? Or, how tariffs impact the industry? At skucamp, we’re tackling all the crucial topics plus insights on ethical sourcing, raising leaders in your biz, developing an agency mindset, fashion-forward merch, and innovative lead-gen tactics. And virtually all of it is peer-led! skucamp is 80% sold out, grab your tickets before they’re gone!
Quiet work, power brand ( Motifs Joel Antymniuk)
Joel Antymniuk founded MOTIF in 2016 and, since then, has grown their crew and in-house design agency to a full-service firm, including kitting and online stores. Joel’s passion is embodied in his creed for work: “The real magic isn’t just in reaching our goals; it’s in pursuing them. We need to shift our perspective and realize that happiness and fulfillment in our entrepreneurial lives don’t come from simply hitting targets, but from embracing the process of getting there.” Check out Joel’s thoughts on “quiet work” and the 4-day work week!
Superflat art meets baseball
Famed artist Takashi Murakami has 2.7M followers on IG and is known as the godfather of the “superflat art” movement. Murakami just dropped an MLB merch collab with the LA Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. Faves? This clear tote and these slides. What to learn from this merch drop? Vibrant and playful: Many brands are expanding outside their normal brand guidelines to push the limits on playful merch. We’ll be talking about this and more in our next webinar with Numo on the hottest Spring Merch Trends, sign up here!
Ukraine drops (controversial) merch…
Our domain is not politics, but anytime we see politicians using merch in a creative way, it gets our attention. The post Trump-Vance-Zelenskyy meeting caused a stir and a t-shirt. Ukraine’s national fundraising platform dropped a tee with the phrase “I’ll wear the costume when this war is over.” From their website, “a reminder that there is a time and place for everything. There will be a time when we can all wear suits. Right now, it is time to help Ukraine finish this war. You have all the cards to support Ukraine — it’s time to play them.” And since we’re talking politics, we always want to share both sides: If you wanna help save the US gov’t some money, buy a DOGE shirt! ??
Coachella merch Shreks; Lolla's goes to college?
We love watching what the biggest music fests do with merch because we love learning about trends, and this year, Coachella and Lolla couldn’t be further apart from a design perspective. Coachella drops a line of merch that resembles a Shrek 5 movie drop while Lolla drops a line of “core essentials” that looks like we’re heading back to college circa 1988. Neither really fired us up, so maybe the big, cool music fests aren’t up to all that (merch hype?), or are we being cynical? What say you, backpacker? To be fair to Coachella, it is a cactus flower and it is in the desert, but Lolla? What are we missing? Hit that reply and tell us what you think!
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?? Tennis star Danielle Collins drops merch with a rad tag, “Play Tennis, Cash Checks, Repeat,” we’re digging the bright orange on this tee and camo on this hat!
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?? We love how new fashion brands enter the market with merch.
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? The Marías is an atmospheric band who skyrocketed to fame with their mood music, and recently, they partnered with sports imprint Kappa to create football-inspired merch (“soccer” for those in the US); it’s sick.
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?? AI created fan merch" “you remix the merch!” A new startup called Flossy AI aims to partner fans with artists to build and sell fan-created merch. Cool way to build a merch program: designed by the people who love the brand band the most!
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?? Whoa: Fans throw a “Kanye Sucks” party to encourage fans to ditch their Ye merch
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?? The movie "Jaws" turns 50 and drops some pretty lame merch. Could have used a bigger boat.
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?? It’s B Corp month and we’re celebrating 5 commonsku distributors who are absolutely certifiable!
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??? Shops, shops, shops! We just dropped a fresh batch of commonsku shop templates — “Click and send” is the new “done and done!”
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?? Our friend (and keynote speaker at skucamp) Dan Gingiss, CSP? saw this article and sent it to us (cause he’s a keener), “Make swag premium, useful, and easy to carry—or skip it entirely.” Speaking of: You know skucamp’s 80% sold out, right? Tickets going fast, grab yours now!
Customer Experience Expert ?? | Keynote Speaker ?? | Author of ‘The Experience Maker’ ?? | Turning Everyday Interactions into Remarkable Experiences?? | Ex-Discover/Humana/McDonald's ?? ?????? ??
14 小时前This is awesome! I love when franchise brands show some personality. Can't wait to see people rockin' this new merch!