So your company has the license to make a product based on a big media property? Congratulations! Unfortunately, a lot of spin-off merchandise, particularly when it comes to the world of consumer goods, can have the reputation of being knocked out lazily and not actually being very good.
In a way, the branded item has more of a battle to fight then something without that label, because even though there may be more initial interest, that could fade away soon if things aren’t handled correctly.
Take wine labels. You may not think of wine as receiving the same kind of merchandising attention as action figures or breakfast cereals, but Slate’s Kara Newman recently wrote a piece that examined different kinds of “pop culture wines” that specifically try to bank on the success of different franchises like Star Trek, Downton Abbey and even Duck Dynasty.
Leaving aside whether the wines themselves were reported as being any good or not, the main concern for us is what these labels looked like in comparison to the logos tied to their parent properties. For the most part, these stickers used fonts, images, and flavor names that would remind any fan of all the other tie in media. The Downton Claret, for example, has an image of the famous manse from that much loved British show sketched on the front right above the title.
However, the Star Trek-themed “Trouble With Tribbles” wine not only cribs a name from one of the most infamous episodes of the original series from the 60’s, it sports a striking retro-logo with an image that, while stunning, might confuse or drive away those who are less familiar with the series.
There’s also the Duck Dynasty-themed “Duck Commander” wines, which include a “Miss Priss Pink Moscato” sporting a pink version of the camo-themed label used on all of this line of bottles. Fans of the show might buy it just because, but others might not get the seemingly bizarre contrast between the name, the label, and the brand.
In her Slate piece, Newman mentioned a brief quote from Ron Roy, the man behind a company that produces wines themed after legendary works of classic rock bands, like Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” and Rolling Stone’s “Forty Licks.”
While this sounds like it simply makes them the alcohol version of Ben & Jerry, Newman quotes Roy as being more enthusiastic about what this kind of merchandising does and where it places themed beverages like this in the greater scheme of cultural trends and fads.
“When I interviewed [Roy], I couldn’t help but ask: Why would anyone buy wine just because their favorite band was pictured on the label?” Newman writes. ” ‘Why do you buy New York Knicks T-shirts?’ Roy fired back. ‘Because you’re passionate about the team. We just happen to fall into the pop-culture box.'”
Passion might not be something you normally think about when making labels, but it could be a big part of why consumers gravitate to tie-in products like these wines, especially if they continue the feelings that the original brand stirs in them. It’s also another reason why a color label printer can make a big difference, especially with so many details to capture.
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