There are few, if any, more marketable people on the world than Taylor Swift. Her fans are devoted to a point that anything she does, sells, or even associates with, becomes incredibly popular.
And, with an artist who reinvents her aesthetic with each release, to the point of being able to have a tour devoted to those “Eras,” her new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” comes with a whole assortment of apparel, music, print products, jewelry, and much more.
So, it seems right for even those who aren’t working with Taylor Swift herself on branded merchandise to take a glimpse at one of the biggest names in branding does it.
While the “Midnights” merchandise collection played on a color palette heavy on purples and other sort of pastel shades. The “TTPD” merchandise is much more of a grayscale.
On the apparel side, there are sweatshirts (both hooded and crewneck) with the TTPD logo that Swift has been using for this. The logo on the beige hoodie is embossed, using texture rather than color to make the logo pop (literally), which creates a subtle look fitting of the black-and-beige color scheme.
There’s also a hoodie with a picture of Swift on it, and a crewneck sweater that has sort of a vintage look with striped collar and cuffs.
A lot of the apparel is very comfort-focused, with things like sweatpants and shorts, too.
One item comes in a cool package with some DIY influence for fans. It’s a jacket with “The Tortured Poets Department” on the left chest, and it comes with two patches, one with a typewriter and one with the TTPD logo, which fans can either customize the jacket with or add to another item of their own choosing.
On the accessories side, there is a TTPD signet ring, a bracelet, a necklace, and earrings.
And, on the print side, there are of course the vinyl sleeves themselves, with various versions including booklets, posters, or even a display case to show the album off as a decoration itself.
Oh, and, to no one’s surprise, all of the items except for the earrings and bracelet are sold out. We’re still waiting to hear if the products are of a better quality than “Eras” tour merchandise, which disappointed quite a few fans.
Much of it matched the color scheme of a Spotify pop-up event held in LA, similar to the one Olivia Rodrigo did before her album “GUTS” was released. The Swift pop-up was very print-focused, with lots of vintage photographs, books, and QR codes for customers to scan.
Swift also took some of the branding efforts into her own hands, too, sending specialty kits to some of her friends in the NFL orbit.
According to People, Swift sent packages containing a vinyl copy of the album and items like sweatpants and sweatshirts Chariah Gordon, girlfriend of Kansas City Chiefs player Mecole Hardman Jr.; and Kristin Juszcyk, wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
Juszczyk was the one responsible for Swift’s now-famous Kansas City Chiefs puffer jacket, so it was only right that she sent some swag of her own.
Again, most distributors will not work with someone of Taylor Swift’s stature – mostly because there are so few businesses, let alone people, with her reach and devoted fanbase. But, there are still lessons you can take in branding from someone who does it so well and with such a strong tie to her current aesthetic.
