WHAT’S HOT🔥
Hi merch divas,
Welcome to the very first DRIP DROP, a place of worship for the crème de la crème of merch, goods, collab products, and whatever else is just really fucking cool.
It’s never too late to up your merch game. If we were going to start planning merch today we’d be looking 3 months in advance to find events, cultural touch points, or seasonal inspo.
3 months from today is late July, so think:
Thursday July 30 is International Day of Friendship, how could you produce a friendship themed merch line that ties back to your company or product?
Like sports? In July take your pick from the Commonwealth Games (starts July 23), Tour de France (July 4 - 26), or FIFA World Cup (concludes July 19) for sports themed tie-ins.
And since seasons are localised, here’s local inspo:
⬆️Northern Hemisphere
Peak Summer, take inspo from poolside leisure or zag when others zig and look to areas of the world with monsoon seasons. Think umbrellas, microfibre towels for drying off, or reusable travel mugs for cold drinks.
⬇️Southern Hemisphere
DRIP DROP’s home base, it’s always nice to have localised merch in the right season. It’s the height of winter, so think cosy and chic items like blankets or scarves, branded slippers, or partner with a local roaster for a coffee bean gift.
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We practice what we preach for merch
That’s right, we’re sponsoring ourselves. Need to rustle up a community-driven event, gain visibility, or get your founder-led messaging out there? Gaz is ya guy.
KAYLA’S DR⚡️P
Redhead matches
The iconic matches company has a whole merch store, spanning cooking, camping, art prints, apparel, and more.
Matches might not be an item you buy a lot of anymore, but everyone’s got a pack for emergency situations. Redheads have a surprisingly wide range of merch, and they’ve chosen several category pillars and situational contexts to link their brand to:
Grilling/camping gear like cups, stubby holders, tongs, aprons, and cooler bags
Kitchen basics, like tea towels, oven gloves, mugs, and storage tins
Apparel and art prints that both look great without too in-your-face branding and can easily be gifted
What’s surprising is they haven’t gone for anything candle or smoking related.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN
Custom matchbooks are a really cool keepsake for private and work events. Customise the cover with your own design, whether that’s your wedding date or your cowboy themed legal conference (true story on that one.)
Prefer lighters? Custom lighter holders also exist.
GAZ’S DR💧P
7-Eleven ‘7Collection’
The home of slurpees dropped something delicious with their ‘7Collection’ - a range of summer inspired wear and some exceptionally good retro vibes that remind me that I have been a purchaser of slurpees for a few decades now, and they’ve made a vintage knit that just won’t quit 😍
Big fan of this. Yes, I get that this is a big global brand investing in a range that fans of the brand/nostalgia will seek to snap up as it appears extremely limited and FOMO makes me want to purchase from this capsule ASAP so it doesn’t disappear forever, but I’m a fan. Excellent design, plenty of inspo for plenty of companies to borrow/steal.
They’re dropping a bunch of collabs with various pop culture brands/licenses such as Jurassic Park on their store, but it’s the retro gear for me (rugby top ftw)
And, if you’re a nav bar nerd like me who likes cruising to see what other merch options are on offer, there’s also a ‘sex toy range’ in there, but I am yet to identify a Big Gulp shaped butt plug in there. I shall report back, however. Lots of upsell options for the cart is my take!
Overall, that retro range is good design in my mind, and I’d purchase.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN
I’d probably lean into the knit/rugby top wear here, seems like a great first step to curating some clothing pieces for a team that actually look good, to help them stand right out, especially in those places where Autumn/Winter hit a bit harder (like my hometown of Melbourne).
Less is more, people will always remember your brand if you’re wearing merch made with pride, rather than handing out a bunch of disposable t-shirts printed on low quality with a canva design generated in the time it takes to say “whatever.”
GET INTO IT
Hungry for more merch content?