Why Merch?

Because it is emotion made wearable. Merch is the physical marker of passion, an experience, a cultural moment. That’s why.

Selling is all about story, and brands continually co-create their stories with fans through merchandise-related engagement. Merch is for starting conversations and building community.

Merchandise has become an essential aspect of buffing up every brand’s revenue stream, but it is so much more. It is solid, a definite sale in an ever-changing sales world, and we all own at least one t-shirt. With album sales and streaming revenue diminishing in the music world, merch is a hands-on way for bands, especially independent bands, to have more power and control over their income. 

Merchandise Past: 

Even though the 40s, 50s, and 60s revealed a massive rise in fan culture, especially music fan culture, selling merchandise wasn’t considered part of the fame game. Merch was usually bootlegged or created by some unofficial company because there was money to be made. Fans run by feeling, by identity, by sharing what they love. It wasn’t until the 70s that brands and bands started tapping into merchandise. 

Along with music, merch expanded into film and television with extreme and sometimes hilarious fervor. Around the mid-1970s, movies became the base for merchandise like posters and t-shirts and blew up through the 80s, 90s, and 00s into consumerist mayhem like cereal tie-ins, Rain Man boxer shorts, and Swingers matchbooks. The merch became more creative (and excessive), taking on physical objects as symbols of the stories on screen. 

Merchandise Present:

Right now, merchandise is everywhere. YouTube channels, meme makers, and even that one funny guy you see on your Instagram feed has a merch line. Print-on-demand and dropshipping like Printify and companies like Bonfire have made it very easy for brands to create and sell a merchandise line. Are they always good? No, but it is easy. Merch has made its way from music and film to cultural moments. 

One of the most recent examples of cultural merchandise-making waves comes from Vanderpump Rules, a popular reality show. Fans of the show have latched onto specific catchphrases and moments from the series, but none have gained quite as much traction as the infamous "Send it to Darrell”. When one of the largest reality TV scandals ever broke out a few years ago, Scandoval, and star Lala Kent made some merchandise bank about it. When the drama broke and lawyers were serving papers to castmates all over the place, Lala told one of her co-stars to “send it to Darrell”, her attorney,  over a funny social media post. It went viral. Not long after, Lala took advantage of this catchphrase by adding it to merch in a very trendy 70s-style font. She sold so much merchandise she was able to pay the deposit for a Los Angeles home, and then some. The rest is reality TV history.

Merchandise future: 

The future of merch is conscious. Instead of slapping a logo on anything and everything, merchandise will be well-thought out, designed by humans, community-oriented, and better for the planet. 

An example of this is Chappell Roan’s merch. Chappell Roan is a pop star who blasted into superstardom in 2024. Recently, Chappell made a conscious effort to make sure her merchandise is made with 100% reclaimed cotton. It is more expensive, but it works as more than a t-shirt, it is a statement about the future. 

Taylor Swift may have the most wanted merch on the planet. One of the most recognizable pieces of Taylor merch doesn’t have to be bought at the merch table, it can be made at home. It’s the friendship bracelet. A symbol of Swiftie connection and community, the friendship bracelet is a DIY dream and a way for people to be a fan on a budget. Fans share them at school, at events, and especially at concerts. Merchandise doesn’t always have to be about selling and making money, it can also be a powerful way for fans to take their passions into their own hands. 

Kel Lauren is one of the most sought-after merch designers today. There are a couple of reasons for this. The obvious one is that they’re extremely talented. The other one is that they’re public with their art, graphic strategy, and creative process. Kel is the face of their work, and in a world flooded with AI art, the presence of the artist will become even more important to the future of design.