The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the most famous buildings in the world, and it’s not just because of the priceless art inside from the likes of Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, and so many more. It’s because a very famous fictional boxer used the building’s steps as the end of a very famous training montage. And ever since Rocky jumped around on top of those steps and looked out onto the Philadelphia skyline, tourists and locals alike have been scaling the steps to feel a little bit of that motivational energy.
The “Rocky Steps” as they are colloquially known, draws in tourists who might not even be interested in the art. They come to take a photo next to the Rocky statue next to the steps, and then snap a photo from the top with their arms raised over their head. Finally, Sylvester Stallone himself and the city of Philadelphia teamed up to create a pop-up merchandise store that lives right next to the statue and sells all sorts of “Rocky,” Stallone, and Philadelphia-themed promotional products.
Apparently it was all Sly’s idea, too.
“[Sylvester Stallone] went to visit the statue, as he often does when he’s in town, and thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could sell the Sly Shop merchandise right here at the center of it all?’” Kathryn Ott Lovell, president and CEO of Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation, told Billy Penn. “So he then reached out to the mayor, and the rest is history.”
Now, I happen to live just a few blocks from those famous steps, so my journalistic integrity dictated that I go there and check out what the “Rocky Store” had to offer.
It was a beautiful fall Sunday, so the statue and the stairs were predictably full of tourists. Personally, I like the steps best on a weekday morning when it’s just me and the other local runners, or after a heavy snowfall when they become the city’s de facto sledding hill. But, it’s fun to live in such an exciting area, and it was a good chance to see what products excited the tourists the most.
It’s a small little shop, so they have to selectively choose what types of products are available. Immediately walking in the door, you see a few different T-shirts and sweatshirts, including one of Stallone’s “Rambo” character John Rambo’s mugshot, as well as some Rocky-themed sandals with a silhouette matching the statue outside.
Making my way through the store, the products ventured away from apparel. I noticed things like a pan that would emboss a Rocky silhouette into your pancakes, license plates that parodied the old “You’ve Got a Friend in Pennsylvania” license plate, hats that looked like the one Rocky wore, and other collectibles.
Once I got through that area, things ventured back to apparel, and they were a far cry from the basic T-shirts and sweatshirts at the front. Here you’d find much louder items like boxing warm-up gear that looked more like a costume than an outfit choice. They were like replica pieces from the movies.
Finally, I got to the end of the store, which reminded me that this was, on paper, a co-branding partnership with the city itself, and a lot of the collectibles skewed toward neutral celebration of the city and its landmarks (apart from one famous set of stairs).
What did this all have to do with Philadelphia? On the surface, just one movie from decades ago has almost no real bearing on a city as old and famous as Philadelphia. But, there’s a reason that there’s a statue of Rocky outside of one of the nation’s premier museums. People love pop culture and they love an American story. They love to recognize things from their favorite movies in real places. There’s a reason people visit New York City and go on themed tours for shows like “Sex and the City.”
This was smart on the city’s part to team up with Stallone to tap into the tourists who clearly want to visit a landmark like this, and turn it into a branding and merchandising opportunity. According to Billy Penn, an estimated 4 million tourists go to the museum specifically to visit the statue each year, and typically their only souvenir is a photo.
This is a good lesson for distributors to look at a customer’s past and identity to find themes to draw inspiration from. It doesn’t have to be the biggest thing they’re known for. It can be something small that can be magnetized by the power of a good promotional product.
