So Long Selfie Stick, Hello BOLDFACE!

If 2014 was the year of the selfie stick, 2015 is two months away from becoming the year of the BOLDFACE.

According to Advertising Age, 2014 was by far and away the year of the selfie stick, with over 100,000 units sold in December 2014. The selfie stick took control based on its novelty and great utility. With selfies plastering the social media universe, the Kardashians and other self-admirers surely considered selfie sticks as a direct gift from the gods.

But in 2015 expect a shift from selfie to self-expression.

Each year U.S. consumers spend billions on holiday shopping. This year the National Retail Federation expects holiday sales to top $630.5 billion - or 3.7% more than 2014.

And while a fair share of the spending will return to the traditional holiday purchases such as Barbies, Legos and Monopoly board games (and some more selfie sticks), a large segment of the consumer base is always on the hunt for the next great toy, gadget or accessory.

Derek Schou, Associate Editor of Website Magazine cites in the September 2015 issue a 2011 Forrester research study that found that “35 percent of consumers indicated they are interested in products in which they can customize, modify and build-to-order to fit their specific needs – and that number has likely only grown since then.”

Associate this finding with the rise in popularity of sites such as Snapfish and Shutterfly and it is clear that consumers in 2015 are looking for products that allow them to express themselves by sharing with the world those moments that they find most near, dear and relevant.

So goodbye selfie stick, hello BOLDFACE.

BOLDFACE, a Los Angeles-based startup, was born out of the idea that self-expression trumps mass production. Originally focused on the guitar aficionado, BOLDFACE pivoted in the summer of 2015 to backpacks.

"The next time you are out on the town count the number of plain and uninteresting backpacks you see. When did we agree that backpacks were solely about utility and to hell with self-expression and originality," says BOLDFACE founder Randy Fenton. "I use a backpack daily. For work. For the gym.
For the beach. I should not be stuck with what someone thinks I will like. I should be able to wear exactly what I love."

Focusing on consumer demand for customization while maintaining a commitment to quality, BOLDFACE is the world's only maker of customized on-demand backpacks with interchangeable "faces."

Just as consumers have created millions of mousepads, coffee mugs, t-shirts and other items featuring their children, pets or favorite vacation spots, BOLDFACE allows consumers to do the same on a backpack. But BOLDFACE adds one more element of customization to its backpacks - the interchangeable face.

"The ability to take your iPhone or GoPro images and upload to our widget to get a custom made backpack is the BOLDFACE advantage over ordinary backpacks. But the killer feature is the ability to create multiple faces and swap them out anytime you want to wear a new look," says Fenton. "We took customization to the next level by letting you not only customize your backpack, but also letting
you choose the image you wish to show at any time. I can rock my favorite surf spot when at the gym and show off my family when I'm out and about."

In fact, BOLDFACE is making such a splash in 2015 that the backpack was chosen as the musical artist swag bag at the October We Can Survive charity performance to promote Breast Cancer Awareness and featuring Nick Jonas, Demi Lovato, Maroon 5, The Weeknd, 5 Seconds of Summer and Calvin Harris.

Nonprofits have recognized the massive consumer and branding appeal and have developed BOLDFACE backpacks used for fundraising activities. And corporations are working with BOLDFACE to create branded backpacks for sales teams.

"We're thrilled at the response we have had with our backpacks since our launch this summer," says Fenton. "Every person or organization that creates a BOLDFACE results in exponential referral business. While our plans call for steady long-term growth, I would love to see holiday sales blow up. A BOLDFACE under every tree would not be such a bad thing."

Whether BOLDFACE unseats the selfie stick as the product of the year remains to be seen. However, given the fact that nothing similar exists on the market along with the broad use of backpacks in every day life and our need for self-expression, BOLDFACE seems like a good bet for product of the year this holiday season.