In the early days of our music immersion, MTV played an invaluable role, with certain videos and songs proving unforgettable. “Whip It,” the 1980 Top 20 tune from Devo, was among the goofiest tracks, and yielded an on-brand music video that’s now iconic. The Ohio rockers have cashed in on their weirdness over the years, and they are now using their singular identity to sell branded PPE items, with a face shield incorporating Devo’s famous “Energy Dome” headwear earning our vote as the most creative promotional product meant to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
They've whipped up their own PPE products in response to the coronavirus pandemic https://t.co/4msATC2Yb4
— NME (@NME) May 16, 2020
Through the band’s website, Devo is adding the item and face masks to its merch offerings, charging between $19.98 and $90 for the products. The branded PPE options promise to protect wearers from “invisible microbes and unwanted bodily fluids” and find the musicians joining their peers in issuing goods they hope will provide some sort of solace in these uncertain times.
Since Devo recently, according to member Gerald Casale, began selling merch again, the new items are on pre-order, but, sadly, our inspection of the site did not reveal when shipping will occur. We trust that the wait will not be long for Devo devotees because COVID-19 has, to recall the lyrics from the group’s most famous song, meant that a problem has definitely come along and we need all the assistance we can find in whipping it.
Newly launched Official DEVO Online Store OPEN NOW! Personal Protection Equipment & more! https://t.co/UEx2olS2wq pic.twitter.com/it6aK3fmLg
— DEVO (@DEVO) May 15, 2020
We don’t know when said fans of Devo or any other act, for that matter, will have the chance to see their favorite performers in person, so moves like this branded PPE initiative are pulling double duty. In granting admirers the chance to show off their admiration for artists, the Energy Dome face shield and other health-centric goods are showing that although times are bleak, there still exists a need among many end-users to make their preferences—in this case, their musical ones—known. From a musician’s point of view, too, branded PPE helps to show a connection to supporters and keep bottom lines from looking too intimidating as the music industry wonders when it can reacquaint songs and artists with their bases.
