We didn’t plan it, but this week’s edition of the Fave 5 really captures everything about spring. Maybe it’s because we’ve had consecutive days where the sun is shining and the temperature is over 60. This batch of products covers everything we love about spring: blossoming trees and flowers, eating outside without needing to sit under a heat lamp, playing games with friends, and sports.
Hopefully these products give you the same boost that you get from a sunny day after a long winter.
1. LA Kings x ‘Hot Ones’ Apparel
Have you guys watched “Hot Ones,” where celebrities answer interview questions as they eat increasingly spicy hot wings? It’s one of the most interesting takes on the traditional Q&A format we’ve ever seen, and has revolutionized the talk show. Maybe this collaboration between the LA Kings and “Hot Ones” parent brand First We Feast is hinting at a new hockey format where players have to eat insanely spicy hot sauce during every play stoppage.
2. Sonic’s Location-Specific Merchandise
Sonic is a nationwide chain, but people still have their local pride and swear the restaurant around the corner is better than the one in the next state over. For Sonic fans who want to celebrate their neighborhood restaurant, the company made a line of T-shirts with 46 unique designs to represent the 46 states it covers.
3. Starbucks Cherry Blossoms Merchandise
https://twitter.com/twinkystar11/status/1369908881242025986
One of the most beautiful ways spring manifests itself is the cherry blossom bloom. We in the States can thank our friends in Japan, who gifted us the trees that line the D.C. tidal basin. Starbucks in Japan and Korea reflected on the seasonal beauty with a gorgeous line of drinkware and accessories.
4. UNO Redesign
The last 50 years have been WILD. Introducing the 50th Anniversary edition of UNO.
— UNO (@realUNOgame) March 4, 2021
You’ll notice scaled down and simplified designs on everything from consumer product brands to software development. Beloved card games aren’t immune to aesthetic trends, either, as the packaging and design for UNO got a serious facelift.
5. Austin FC ‘Verde Van’
Beautiful day yesterday with the Verde Van out at Austin Eastciders🙌🙌
Go to https://t.co/ugZLi9U19R to see where we will be next! 🤙 #austinfc #VERDE pic.twitter.com/nsWI808zih— Samantha Gonzalez (@sgonzyy) March 8, 2021
Austin F.C. is the latest addition to the MLS, bringing more soccer to the Lone Star State. To celebrate the city and state’s Hispanic population, the Austin F.C. marketing team chose to use “verde” as the team’s primary color, rather than its English equivalent. That branding carried over to the “Verde Van” mobile store, which pops up around Austin in the lead-up to the team’s inaugural match.