Spread Group says production-on-demand supports sustainability goals as well as allowing consumers to customise fashion and lifestyle products online.
Merchandise featuring characters from Universal Products & Experiences will be made available via the online marketplaces of fashion tech company, Spread Group, letting fans gain a sense of belonging through customisation. They can choose from popular character images and quotes on clothing, accessories and 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, including 80s classics and 21st century favourites will all have merchandise made-to-order.
Fans of Universal will benefit from Spread Group’s ability to allow variation and a nimble approach to getting designs online. Merchandise ideas can be created from scratch or Spread Group can adapt existing concepts and bring them to life on fashion and lifestyle products.
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 to capitalise on Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
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 commented: “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 an item in a style, size and colour that suits them. Brands can offer this service whilst still retaining the integrity of their merch guidelines”.
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.
Tobias Schaugg, Spread Group CFO added: “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 is giving its worldwide followers the chance to be involved with the brand and show their enthusiasm in real life”.
