LOS ANGELES — On a recent Saturday afternoon, hundreds of Anora fans waited in line for hours on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, hoping to acquire exclusive merchandise inspired by Sean Baker’s latest film about a stripper who marries the son of a Russian oligarch.
Retailer Neon’s one-day-only pop-up follows the success of a similar event in New York, held at the strip club where this year’s Cannes Film Festival’s top prize winner was filmed.
Delighted moviegoers — many of whom were already wearing clothes inspired by films like fellow Cannes-goer “The Substance” and Nicolas Cage’s horror film “Longlegs” — savored the fruits of their labor at the front of the line, admiring their t- shirt and their thong. underwear shopping.
“Exclusive is a buzzword, but it really is. It’s an exclusive event because we all waited in line,” said Nathan Zakim, who arrived at 10 a.m. for the 3 p.m. pop-up. “We’ve all seen the movie. I think the movie merchandising craze should last as long as possible.
The rise of “film merch mania”
Movie-themed products are nothing new. Who can forget the iconic “Vote for Pedro” T-shirt from “Napoleon Dynamite” that was seemingly everywhere in the early days?
But in recent years, movie-inspired streetwear has exploded in popularity among movie fans, thanks in part to viral marketing campaigns launched by independent movie studios. The result is clothing, often made in collaboration with popular brands, presented as trendy and in limited quantities.
“Being a movie buff type, I buy Blu-rays, I buy 4Ks. And it’s not something you can just tell someone, ‘I have this standard,'” said Natanael Avilez, who traveled more than 50 miles for the “Anora” pop-up. “Merch is the second best option to say, ‘I love movies and this is the way to express it.'”
T-shirts are by far the most common form of merchandise, whether for Neon’s Oscar-winning “Parasite” (2019) or, more recently, A24’s “We Live in Time,” with the infamous carousel horse on the front.
However, some films lend themselves to a more thematic marketing approach.
“Early Reformed” fans flocked to the sold-out denim hat featured in Paul Schrader’s 2017 film about a pastor’s descent into despair over the environment. The J. Hannah Gold Locket inspired by Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” (2023) is still on the market for $1,480.
One of the catalysts for this trend dates back to 2018, when clothing brand Online Ceramics and A24 joined forces. The brand, founded by artists Elijah Funk and Alix Ross, began with the idea of making bootleg T-shirts inspired by the Grateful Dead. Ross recounted two serendipitous moments in the company’s history: One was watching Pete Davidson wear a “Good Time” T-shirt on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” in 2018.
“I was really jealous that we didn’t do that,” Ross recalls of Davidson’s shirt, which featured an image of Robert Pattinson and co-director Benny Safdie.
The other knew, after seeing the trailer, that Online Ceramics had to make “hereditary” T-shirts – with or without A24’s permission. Through a mutual friend, they managed to get in touch with the studio just before the film’s release and got approval from A24.
Hopeful online shoppers will be disappointed today when they browse dozens of Online Ceramics x A24 items, inspired by films like “MaXXXine,” “Midsommar” and “Love Lies Bleeding,” only to discover that each one is exhausted.
Why merchandising?
Watching movies – following a pandemic and the rise of streaming – has become less of a collective experience in recent years. For many fans, showing their favorite films in public is a way to combat this phenomenon.
“It’s so fun knowing that everyone loves the movie so much that you have to wait in line for several hours. I got here three hours before it even opened and there are probably about 30 people in front of me,” Sabrina Bratt said. “Physical memories are so cute and fun.”
For studios, the advantage is multifaceted. Not only is it an additional source of revenue in a time of slow production in Hollywood, but it’s also a way to engage with fans that helps them keep their films in the zeitgeist for a long time to come. after leaving the cinema.
“People, especially young people, want to be part of something. And wearing a shirt to a movie is no different than wearing a shirt to the band you just saw. There is a stamp in that. It has value. It’s a sign of who I am,” said Neon Marketing Director Christian Parkes.
Alex Ng is the co-founder and creative director of Los Angeles-based brand Brain Dead, which also has a movie theater on Fairfax Avenue. As the film industry continues to evolve out of necessity, Ng says this intersection of fashion and film will play an increasingly important role in Hollywood.
“What people want is like a token or a souvenir. They go to Disneyland and get a Mickey, right? So if you go to an arthouse movie theater, there’s not a lot of things or memories you could get from a movie you love,” he said. “I want to connect these pieces. And I think that’s the new era that we’re looking at as a cinematic experience.
Jump into action
As demand for merchandise has increased, studios and brands have sought to profit from films old and new.
Searchlight Pictures recently released a handful of products to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Alexander Payne’s oenophile buddy comedy, “Sideways,” including t-shirts, hats and, of course, wine keys.
Brain Dead has done a handful of film collaborations with studios like A24, Focus Features, and, most recently, MUBI and Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions.
Some products are odes to cult classics, like “Being John Malkovich” and “The Big Lebowski,” while others commemorate more recent releases. Days after announcing a limited-edition long-sleeve shirt for “The Substance” — along with a 30-day trial for MUBI — Brain Dead had sold out of its product online.
Although Ng bristles at the idea of ”hype,” arguing that it suggests a product’s popularity is insincere, he appreciates how demand for movie-related merchandise has increased: “I think that when we can talk about that to someone who loves movies, that’s really cool to me.
Ross is also ambivalent about the popularity of merchandise.
“I cringe at how many film companies are trying to rip off what we’ve done,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s just kind of like, ‘Damn. Like I can’t believe we’ve gotten to this point.
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