The definitive return to brand activation.
A few days ago we saw how a well-known transport and logistics company made its entrance at New York Fashion Week with its brand merchandising. Yes, merchandising.
A game of contradictions that begins the moment you pay a considerable amount for something traditionally free. And it’s not the first time we see that hype around a brand’s merchandising. We all remember the furor over DHL T-shirts, LIDL sneakers or even Deliveroo jackets, all of which fetched inordinate amounts on the second-hand market.
But is it just a question of aesthetics and nostalgia or is there more to it? Why does merchandising connect so much with young audiences? Perhaps it has something to do with the consumer’s tendency to engage with brands that truly align with their values, that share their concerns. Brands that represent them in some way.
And when it comes to expressing our attachment to a brand, merchandising is a very direct way of doing so. Objects that, from the perspective of brands, represent an opportunity to be present in the life of their consumers, interacting with them and making their value proposition tangible. A way of activating the brand that should be coherent and help us to build the desired brand image.
The truth is that, in any case, making our merchandising an object of desire is a masterstroke.