TRENDS … a branding consultant’s blog newsletter
Incredible! A tee shirt has raised over a quarter of a million dollars and is still bringing in tons of cash almost as fast as they can be printed.
Here is the story from the April 15, 2025 New York Times:
“In the week leading up to Conner Ives’s late February runway show at London Fashion Week, amid a seemingly never-ending to-do list of model fittings and adding finishing touches to each look, the 28-year-old designer wrote himself a reminder in his phone’s Notes app: ‘make a T-shirt that says something.’”
The night before the show, that was the one thing he still had on his list. He grabbed a white T-shirt from a pile of deadstock and used heat-transfer paper to print a slogan that described what he was feeling at the moment: “Protect the Dolls.” The whole process took two or three minutes.
He then wore that shirt — which uses an affectionate term for trans women — down the runway when closing out his show. The shirt went on to steal the spotlight.”
Selling at $99 (don’t you wish you can make that margin), celebrity power made it work. Proceeds go to a non-profit.
The Times article says it all.
“Slogans on clothing, particularly on T-shirts, have been a growing trend, creating a perfect opportunity for the ‘Protect the Dolls’ shirts to thrive. In the modern day, what is more ubiquitous than the graphic T-shirt?” Mr. Ives said.
Yes, finally, there is recognition that branded apparel, and with it branded merchandise, has arrived. All too often, the press and politicians have seen it as a waste of money and cheap “stuff”. In fact, history showcases branding. Even in my retirement community, I see concert shirts, political shirts and, of course, political baseball hats. If nothing else, President Trump has exploited the power of promotional products and promotional branding. He has even added variety of new product we currently do not bring to market. The question is, how to bring this fact to your clients and capitalize on this now recognized trend?
Therein lies the answer: “trends”. As an industry, we have been about a year behind the latest craze. When companies like Yeti and Stanley made retail headlines, we followed suit, often fulfilling a customer’s request for the latest and greatest. As consultants and brand marketers we owe it to our clients to monitor TRENDS and that would make a great newsletter. Now, you all know how to graphically compose a newsletter in a wide range of desk top programs such as Microsoft Publisher. That is the easy part. Putting the content together is more difficult. With AI you can get the data you need for content. By working with other non-competitive distributors, you may have met at shows or meetings, a few of you can share the workload and co-publish your newsletter/blog
We all realize it is a poison pill for any enterprise to overtly support, one cause, one issue, one political party or philosophy over another. However, more than ever, businesses are bolder and aligning with strange bedfellows.
TRENDS can tell your client just how “up” your agency is on fresh and new marketing ideas and products. TRENDS can show your leadership and your marketing excellence.
When I asked AI for the “color of the year”, this is what I was told:
The Pantone Color Institute has selected PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse as the Color of the Year for 2025. It's a warm, rich brown hue inspired by the comforting qualities of chocolate and coffee. This color reflects a global mood of connection, comfort, and harmony, offering a sense of indulgence and everyday luxury.
Drinkware trends for 2025 are all about sustainability, personalization, and innovation.
The CES had a favorite new charging station and the design makes it perfect for imprinting. The Swippitt Instant Power System – A modular smartphone battery system that swaps out depleted batteries in seconds, eliminating the need for charging downtime.
Caps are not just caps. The latest trend in baseball caps are evolving with fresh trends in 2025. There is great demand for luxury materials such as suede, leather, and even cashmere. On the retail side, oversized logos are popular, as is retro. There is a cool trend in overlapping or stacked logos.
You are a marketer. You bring trends to your clients, consider different methods to achieve that goal.
Joel D. Schaffer, MAS is CEO and Founder of Soundline, LLC, the pioneering supplier to the promotional products industry of audio products. Joel has 48 years of promotional product industry experience and proudly heralds “I was a distributor.” He has been on the advisory panel of the business and marketing department of St. John’s University in New York and is a frequent speaker at Rutgers Graduate School of Business. He is an industry Advocate and has appeared before the American Bankers Association, American Marketing Association, National Premium Sales Executives, American Booksellers Association and several other major groups. He has been a management consultant to organizations such as The College Board and helped many suppliers enter this industry. He is a frequent contributor to PPB and Counselor magazines. He has facilitated over 200 classes sharing his industry knowledge nationwide. He is known for his cutting humor and enthusiasm in presenting provocative and motivating programs. He is the only person to have received both the Marvin Spike Industry Lifetime Achievement Award (2002) and PPAI’s Distinguished Service Award (2011). He is a past director of PPAI and has chaired several PPAI committees and task forces. He is a past Chair of the SAAGNY Foundation, Past President of SAAGNY and a SAAGNY Hall of Fame member. He was cited by ASI as one of the 50 most influential people in the industry.