Merch Made-to-Order?
Spread Group Launches On-Demand Merchandise Featuring IP From Universal Products & Experiences
Merchandise featuring characters from Universal Products & Experiences will be made available via the online marketplaces of fashion tech company, Spread Group. Fans will get a sense of belonging through customisation. They can choose from popular character images and quotes on clothing, accessories, home & living products, as well as stationery.
Spread Group’s ability to bring ideas to market quickly has resulted in collections of Universal Products & Experiences iconic brands being recently launched on the platform. Films, TV shows and cartoons, includizng 80s classics and 21st century favourites will all have merch made-to-order. Fans can customise The Big Lebowski ‘The Dude Abides’ T-shirts, Back to the Future sweatshirts, DreamWorks Animation Spirit ‘Stay Wild!’ stickers and cushions, and long-sleeved tops with ‘Amity Island Beach Instructions’ designs from JAWS.
Fans of Universal will benefit from Spread Group’s ability to allow variation and a nimble approach to getting designs online. Merch ideas can be created from scratch or Spread Group can adapt existing concepts and bring them to life on fashion and lifestyle products online.
In the summer of 2022, Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru designs were launched in time for the film’s release. These included yellow t-shirts with Minions and hanging-on-the-clothes-line stickers. Special Christmas designs were created and launched in time for the important Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping days.
Universal Products & Experiences’ brands now available at Spread Group include The Big Lebowski, Knight Rider, and from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment – Back to the Future, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, JAWS, and Jurassic World, as well as DreamWorks Animation’s Spirit, Trolls, and Dragons.
Sven Burscher, Spread Group’s Head of Licensing said: “This collaboration shows how customisation and made-to-order technology can deepen fans’ loyalty to the shows, films and cartoons they love. It increases a sense of ownership because they get a delight item in a style, size and colour that suits them. Brands can offer this service whilst still retaining the integrity of their merch guidelines”.
Tobias Schaugg, Spread Group CFO commented: “Spread Group’s Licensing Division has continued to grow rapidly, and we expect to exceed predictions in 2023. This international collaboration shows how digital fashion can support licence holders in offering their fans something new and exciting. Universal Products & Experiences are giving their worldwide followers the chance to be involved with the brand and show their enthusiasm in real life”.
Sustainability is an important element of this deal. Underpinning Spread Group’s delight items is print-on-demand technology. This reduces waste because no item is printed until it is ordered. So, there’s no over-stocking or discarded sizes.
