Cities and states across the U.S. are starting to ease up face mask restrictions as vaccination rates increase and infection rates decline. But, the TSA just announced that its mask requirements will remain in place through Sept. 13, ensuring continued need for consumer-grade face masks…
Read MoreAuthor: Brendan Menapace
Instagram Expands Merchandising Platform With ‘Creator Shops’
Instagram is expanding its e-commerce platform for creators, making it easier for them to sell their branded merchandise and creating what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls a “creator middle class.” Certain users could sell products directly on Instagram for a little while now, but this expansion will bring full “creator shops” and…
Read MoreWhy Aren’t More Pro Sports Teams Giving Away Branded Masks as Game Promos?
A few teams, like the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets and Washington Capitals, gave out branded face masks for their first games with fans present. It’s such a no-brainer that we couldn’t help but ask why more professional sports teams haven’t done it. What’s going on here?…
Read MoreWhat’s In the Cleveland-Themed NFL Draft Gift Bag?
ESPN’s Adam Schefter, pretty much the most reliable guy when it comes to all things NFL, posted a picture of the NFL Draft gift bag for tonight’s draft, giving us a pretty good look at what’s inside. Since the draft is taking place in Cleveland, a lot of the gifts are from local companies. Here’s what’s in the bag…
Read MoreBAMKO Posts Q1 Sales of $58.9 Million, Net Sales Growth of 125%
BAMKO reported another quarter of growth, with the Los Angeles distributor posting net sales growth of 124.9% and total sales of $58.9 million for the first quarter of 2021. PPE represented $26.8 million of that total. The numbers are a continuation of BAMKO’s strong 2020, which saw the distributor increase full-year sales by 88% over 2019…
Read MoreUncertainty Over IOC Uniforms for Tokyo Could Continue for 2022 Games
Chinese sportswear company Anta is the official uniform supplier for the upcoming Tokyo Summer Olympics. When the company was asked if it sourced cotton for its uniforms from Xinjiang—China’s cotton hub and home to the ongoing alleged human rights abuse and forced labor of the Uighur people—Anta reportedly refused to answer…
Read MoreVF Corporation to Sell Occupational, Workwear Brands Amidst Retail-Focused Transition
VF Corporation, parent company of brands like Jansport, Eastpak, North Face, Vans, Supreme and more, announced that it plans to sell the occupational and workwear segment of its business as it transitions to focus on retail. Those brands include Red Kap, VF Solutions, Bulwark, Workrite, Walls, Terra, Kodiak, Work Authority and Horace Small…
Read MoreAldi Spoofs Big-Name Brands With Branded Apparel Capsule, Ends Up Doing It Better
The drop has everything of a modern sportswear/luxury apparel brand: hoodies, socks, boxers, T-shirts. All using the Aldi color scheme but without heavy-handed logo placement. Sure, the ads are spoofing big-name sports brands, but at the end of the day this is just really good merchandise design…
Read MoreYou Shouldn’t Laminate Your Vaccine Card (and That Means New Opportunities for Promo Sales)
The vaccination card is now an iconic little piece of paper. Thanks to widespread vaccine availability and the now-popular “Vaccine Selfie,” you don’t need to read a single word on the card to know what it is. The vaccine card is obviously worth more than the paper it’s printed on, and because of that, people…
Read MoreChanel’s Oscars ‘Party in a Box’ and the Official Oscars Swag Bag
The Oscars were last night, and the gift bags were back for nominees who attended in person. For nominees who chose to celebrate from home, Chanel took a temporary break from its usual pre-show party, instead sending “formally dressed couriers” to hand-deliver a box with “ingredients to toast fashion and film”…
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