Welcome to The Week in Direct-to-Consumer, a weekly roundup for marketers from Quad Insights that sums up the latest news in the DTC space. This special edition features this week’s news as well as news from the week of Thanksgiving.
Madhappy opens its first permanent brick-and-mortar store
Madhappy, a DTC apparel brand founded on “values of positivism and optimism,” just opened its first permanent brick-and-mortar store, Fashion Network’s Chenu Alexis reports. Located in West Hollywood, California, the space aims to provide Los Angeles–area consumers with more than a place to shop, as it will also feature a multimedia room dedicated to displaying works of art, a courtyard and a café called “Pantry by Madhappy.” Since its founding in 2017, Madhappy has launched over 20 pop-up shops across the U.S. and collaborated with numerous brands, including Ugg and Marc Jacobs.
Related coverage:
- “Madhappy opens first store” (Retail Dive)
Puma and Rihanna launch the Fenty x Puma Creeper Phatty
The Fenty x Puma Creeper Phatty sneaker launched on Puma’s website and at global retailers on Nov. 30, marking the latest collaboration between the athletics brand and Fenty founder Rihanna, Hypebeast’s Dylan Kelly reports. Having partnered to create the original Creeper in 2015, Rihanna once again provided creative direction for this updated version — dubbed “Phatty” due to its oversized gum sole.
In September, the two partnered to launch the Fenty x Puma Avanti, promising that their anticipated reunion would be long-term and yield additional future collaborations, as we noted in an earlier installment of The Week in Direct-to-Consumer.
Related coverage:
- Rihanna’s Fenty introduces the Puma Creeper Phatty (Sneaker News)
Secret Island Salmon unleashes the ‘F-word’ campaign
Secret Island Salmon is unleashing the ‘F-word’ to catch the attention of consumers and retailers as the DTC brand plans expansion efforts, Marketing Dive’s Christine Blank reports. With slogans including “F*** it,” “These f***ers raise some legendary salmon” and “Happy f***ing is healthy f***ing,” the campaign’s playful take on “farm” strikes a fun and edgy tone while increasing “awareness about how the farmed salmon industry raises fish in a healthy and sustainable manner,” Blank notes.
Ad Age explores how fake out-of-home ads are impacting DTC brands and the OOH industry
In a post titled, “Fake Out-of-Home ads — How they help and hurt brands and the OOH industry,” Ad Age’s Phoebe Bain explores the efficacy and impact of fake OOH ads, a trending advertising strategy on social platforms for DTC brands. With OOH ads such as billboards proving to capture consumer attention, DTC brands including Glossier, Graza and Canopy have turned to posting fake OOH ads on social media. While advocates for the tactic praise its cost effectiveness relative to real OOH and its room for experimentation, others “argue that fake OOH ads could erode brand trust,” Bain notes. Read the full story here.
Flamingo Estate and Mytheresa team up for a holiday pop-up experience in LA
Hot DTC luxury lifestyle brand Flamingo Estate and DTC luxury ecommerce platform Mytheresa have teamed up to launch the Mytheresa x Flamingo Estate Holiday House in partnership with Google. Running Dec. 1-24 in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, the 1,500-square-foot holiday pop-up shopping experience recreates Flamingo Estate’s interiors with rooms made from gingerbread. The two companies previously partnered on the Summer Body Shop, a summer-themed pop-up shopping experience in East Hampton, New York last July.
The move comes as Flamingo Estate continues to raise consumer awareness. Born from a pandemic-era passion project, the growing brand has had an interesting journey thus far, as we noted in an earlier installment of The Week in Direct-to-Consumer.
Related coverage:
- “Mytheresa and Flamingo Estate open holiday pop-up” (Fashion Network)
Further Reading
- “Kim Kardashian is investing in the maker of truffle-infused condiments” (CNN)
- “Having achieved profitability, Boll & Branch plots retail expansion” (Modern Retail)
- “Adore Me launches sustainability accelerator” (Retail Dive)
- “First Look: Wilson opens new store at Mall of America” (Chain Store Age)
- “Salt Life continues to expand retail footprint in the U.S.” (Fashion United)
- “Tonal Eyes New Consumers With Best Buy Deal” (Athletech News)
- “Allbirds begins selling on Amazon” (Retail Dive)
- “No, Snoop Dogg isn’t quitting cannabis. Here’s why he’s ‘giving up smoke’” (USA Today)
- “Foxtrot will merge with Dom’s in specialty grocer deal” (Chicago Tribune)
- “How Stanley is responding to viral TikTok video showing its tumbler surviving a car fire” (Ad Age)
- “Parachute to host in-person holiday market with over 40 brands” (Retail Dive)
