A new album from the late rapper Pop Smoke is set to drop on Friday, but fans in New York and LA can now find posters around town with QR codes on them. When they scan the QR code with their Snapchat camera, it gives them a sneak preview of some of the music…
Read MoreAuthor: Brendan Menapace
NC State Researchers Develop Mosquito-Proof Apparel
People don’t necessarily want to smell like bug spray when they’re just hanging out in their back yard, hiking or going camping. Having apparel that stands up to pests but also feels comfortable to wear could be huge in the outdoor apparel world…
Read MoreUnder Armour Follows Actual Space-Travel Apparel With Virgin Galactic Branded Merch Capsule
This partnership actually started before billionaire Richard Branson’s voyage to the stars, with Under Armour designing the clothing and uniforms for eventual commercial flights on Virgin Galactic. Back in 2019, Virgin enlisted Under Armour to design apparel and footwear for both pilots and passengers…
Read MoreNike and Xbox’s ‘Space Jam’ Kit Is a Slam Dunk on So Many Levels
Warner Bros. has 200 licensing partners for “Space Jam: A New Legacy.” The latest merchandise to come out of that is a co-branded kit from Nike and Xbox that combines footwear, gaming and direct mail, appealing to fans and influencers alike. The attention to detail here is out of this world…
Read MoreThe Dodgers Are Raffling Off a World Series Ring and a World Series Ring NFT
Major League Baseball recently announced a partnership with Candy Digital, which specializes in “digital collectibles.” As part of that partnership, the Los Angeles Dodgers are auctioning a 2020 World Series ring NFT along with a real one. It underscores the possibilities in combining digital and physical merchandise…
Read MoreFacebook’s Proposed AR Device Looks Like a Regular Baseball Hat
Facebook is betting that taking apparel we already wear and integrating augmented reality technology might be what finally allows the tech to embed itself in mainstream culture. The company filed for a patent in 2019 for a baseball hat with a “display subsystem” on the brim, which can be folded up or down…
Read MoreLil Nas X’s Roblox Digital Merchandise Sales ‘Creeping Towards 8 Figures’
Online video games have enormous user bases, and that has prompted artists to “perform” livestreamed concerts within the games. Lil Nas X performed in Roblox in December, racking up more than 33 million views and a digital merchandise haul reportedly “creeping toward eight figures”…
Read MoreStreaming Platform LiveXLive Partners With Merchbar for E-Commerce Capabilities
You might recognize Merchbar as the company that partnered with Spotify and YouTube as they implement e-commerce platforms within their sites or apps. LiveXLive’s partnership with Merchbar will include items like apparel, vinyl records, posters, accessories and more for artists on the platform…
Read MoreFlorida Suppliers Provide Tropical Storm Elsa Updates
Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast this morning, and is expected to bring heavy rain and wind as it moves north across the state. The storm briefly strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane last night, according to CBS News, but weakened back to tropical storm status as of this morning. Promotional products…
Read MoreSupply Chain Issues Now Causing Problems for Custom Apparel Orders
We’ve covered supply chain issues in detail, but until recently, they’ve mostly impacted promotional hard goods. The apparel supply chain tends to have more country diversification, insulating it from some of the issues facing hard goods, which are mostly made in China. That’s no longer the case…
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