MARKET introduces Guns N’ Roses x Smiley collaboration

LA-based brand MARKET has announced the release of a unisex capsule collection in collaboration with Guns N’ Roses, The Smiley Company and Bravado
As a Los Angeles-based brand, MARKET seized the opportunity to honour Guns N’ Roses nearly 40 years after the band had its debut performance at the storied Troubadour in Los Angeles.
In order to properly pay homage to the heritage of Guns N’ Roses, the MARKET team sourced vintage denim from the 1980s and 1990s for the hero pieces of the collection. The team upcycled denim jeans and jackets of the time with new custom patches and airbrushed-style graphics, referencing the bad boy aesthetic that defines Guns N’ Roses and their music.
In addition to the vintage denim pieces, the collection features five apparel styles and a trucker hat, which draw inspiration from the iconic ‘Appetite for Destruction’ album cover and the electricity that Guns N’ Roses brought to rock ’n’ roll.
“The way in which Guns N’ Roses relentlessly stood for freedom of expression and creativity – at all costs – has always been an inspiration to me and to people around the world,” says creative director and founder of MARKET, Mike Cherman.
“The no-holds-barred attitude of Guns N’ Roses resonates with our approach to collaborations and design, so we were extremely excited to have the opportunity to fuse the rebellious energy of Guns N’ Roses with the irreverent and wacky world of MARKET and the irresistible spirit of our longtime partner SMILEY.”
This limited-edition collection will be available worldwide through MARKET’s website, ranging in price from $45 – $200 USD, in sizing XS-XXL.

MARKET introduces Guns N’ Roses x Smiley collaboration

LA-based brand MARKET has announced the release of a unisex capsule collection in collaboration with Guns N’ Roses, The Smiley Company and Bravado
As a Los Angeles-based brand, MARKET seized the opportunity to honour Guns N’ Roses nearly 40 years after the band had its debut performance at the storied Troubadour in Los Angeles.
In order to properly pay homage to the heritage of Guns N’ Roses, the MARKET team sourced vintage denim from the 1980s and 1990s for the hero pieces of the collection. The team upcycled denim jeans and jackets of the time with new custom patches and airbrushed-style graphics, referencing the bad boy aesthetic that defines Guns N’ Roses and their music.
In addition to the vintage denim pieces, the collection features five apparel styles and a trucker hat, which draw inspiration from the iconic ‘Appetite for Destruction’ album cover and the electricity that Guns N’ Roses brought to rock ’n’ roll.
“The way in which Guns N’ Roses relentlessly stood for freedom of expression and creativity – at all costs – has always been an inspiration to me and to people around the world,” says creative director and founder of MARKET, Mike Cherman.
“The no-holds-barred attitude of Guns N’ Roses resonates with our approach to collaborations and design, so we were extremely excited to have the opportunity to fuse the rebellious energy of Guns N’ Roses with the irreverent and wacky world of MARKET and the irresistible spirit of our longtime partner SMILEY.”
This limited-edition collection will be available worldwide through MARKET’s website, ranging in price from $45 – $200 USD, in sizing XS-XXL.

The Smiley Company launches exclusive digital designs on Ready Games’ Icon app

Epik, a specialist in bridging the gap between real-world brands and digital ecosystems, has connected Ready Games, the leading distributed web3 gaming ecosystem on mobile, and Smiley Company, the lifestyle brand and original creator of the iconic smiling emoticon now celebrating its 50th anniversary.

In honour of Smiley’s half-century, the brands have launched a bespoke virtual fashion line of SmileyWorld branded merchandise for Ready Games’ app, ‘ICON Avatar Fashion Universe’. In the app, players can now choose up to 21 unique SmileyWorld pieces to add to their avatars’ virtual fashion closets. 

“Ready’s innovative NFT technology provides brands and creators with the opportunity to elevate fashion collections in the digital space,” says Christina Macedo, COO of Ready Games.” Our vision is for players to be able to express themselves through clothing and in-game accessories. Smiley’s iconic symbol of universal happiness is the perfect fit for our first animated and textured NFT fashion collection. The whole collection feels fresh, playful, and wonderfully iridescent – truly brilliant!”

“Launching a collection of SmileyWorld virtual fashions with Ready Games is an exciting leap into the metaverse for The Smiley Company,” says Lori Heiss-Tiplady SVP of Digital at The Smiley Company. “The ICON app is the perfect launching pad for digital fashions from our lifestyle brand born in the digital universe and built on self-expression. The animated patterns and avatars made possible by Ready’s ground-breaking technology will allow users to express their moods in a bold new way with SmileyWorld.”

 

Happy days: Smiley® teams with H&M for ’90s-inspired streetwear

Smiley® is launching a new streetwear collaboration with fashion giant H&M.

Designed for both men and women, the collection is infused with full-on retro vibes, and is supported by a 90s-influenced, upbeat and vibrant campaign that is “a youthful symbol of defiant optimism”.

The collection includes tie-dye hoodies, loose-fit denim and relaxed joggers, tees, rugby shirts and sport socks, as well as fun, flippant accessories and key pieces like the pile vest and the puffer jacket. The colour palette is light purple, off-white, soft beige and solid black. The vast majority of the collection is made using more sustainable materials.

The Smiley® is a symbol of positivity that has influenced people around the world for almost 50 years, and a cult-status symbol within music, dance and art. The new Smiley® x H&M collection offers “an exciting and playful mix of 1990s style and hyper-modern touches” and launches on November 30 in selected stores and at hm.com.

The Smiley Company taps Super RTL Licensing for German-speaking markets

The German licensing agency, Super RTL Licensing has plenty to smile about, having brought the world-renowned Smiley Company brand into its portfolio as it looks to further amplify its presence across the German-speaking markets.

First established in the early 1970s, the Smiley Company has developed from a cultural symbol for peace and activism into a lifestyle brand that – over the course of it 50 year history – has found itself a part of music and pop culture the world over.

Thanks to the digitalisation of communication from the 2000s, the Smiley has become part of a globally understood, universal language.

Building on this explosion, The Smiley Company has been recognised as a top 100 global Licensing Company, with over 420 licensees worldwide and collaborations that span fashion, accessories, home, food, and stationery, as well as entertainment sectors.

Super RTL Licensing will now be acting as the brand’s agent for the German-speaking market and the cross-generational appeal it is targeting with the likes of SmileyWorld and The Smileys, as well as Smiely originals and NewMoji.

“We are very excited to add the original Smiley icon to our brand portfolio. Smiley’s positive and optimistic message, which reminds us how powerful a smile can be, is a perfect fit for us. Smiley moves with the times and is constantly reinventing itself – with our expertise in content development and our marketing power, we will further increase brand appeal in the relevant target groups,” said Super RTL chief content and revenue officer, Thorsten Braun.

Nicolas Loufrani, CEO of The Smiley Company, added: “We have been building our brands in German-speaking countries directly for decades and managed to sign the best and biggest manufacturers and retailers, so I see it as a natural continuation to now sign with the biggest and best media group to take our brand portfolio to new heights and reach a wider audience with super positive contents that are much needed today.”

Various special promotions for Smiley’s 50th anniversary in 2022 will ensure even more visibility and attention.

The Smiley Company forges new partnership for Rubik’s Cube in Spin Master collaboration

Spin Master is teaming up with the world-famous Rubik’s Cube to launch a new range of Perplexus Puzzles with a twist, in a new deal brokered by The Smiley Company, the master licensee for Rubik’s.

Together the pair will develop a co-branded Rubik’s x Perplexus range, which will feature a 3D ball-in-a-maze puzzle and labyrinth toy. By twisting and turning the cube, players attempt to manoeuvre a small steel ball through an intricate maze made up of a number of steps along narrow tracks.

The result – according to Spin Master – creates the ultimate Rubik’s Cube puzzle and maze, ‘adding in another level of fun and making the Cube even more challenging than ever before.’

“Collaborating with such an iconic toy like Rubik’s Cube is a unique opportunity to expand the fun and challenge of the Perplexus play experience,” said Elizabeth LoVecchio, VP marketing for Spin Master Games.

“Perplexus is already captivating minds, both young and old, and we are excited to work together with The Smiley Company to expand the popular line and further push the boundaries of fun and innovation.”

Lori Heiss-Tiplady, VP brand strategy at The Smiley Company, added: “Perplexus has become famous for its ingenious sculptural designs and various levels of challenge. These values are perfectly aligned with those that have made the Rubik’s Cube the best-selling toy in history.

“We are committed to extending the brain-boosting credentials of the Rubik’s brand by partnering with world-class companies, like Spin Master, who share our goal of nurturing smarter future generations through products that help learning, boost intelligence and evolve Rubik’s STEM accreditation status.”

The range of new games is currently in development with the first product set for launch in summer 2020, and additional toys earmarked to roll out soon after.