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Commentary

Kicking Off the Holiday Season With Branded Merch

Limited-edition snow globes, boxy sweaters and cookie-scented lotions are among the many delights on offer this year.

'Tis the season when brands roll out all their extravagant holiday-themed merch, and we get to judge it. If you’ve been following along over the years, we’ve seen some truly ugly sweaters, settled the debate over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie and discovered the utility of specialty beer-holding mittens.

This year, there’s truly something for everyone, whether it’s snack cake earrings, a fast food snow globe or lotion that makes you smell like fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies. Journey with me through this veritable winter wonderland of kitschy merch.

1. Wrapped Up on a Hip Hop Milestone

Grand Marnier

Grand Marnier is celebrating 50 years of hip hop with limited-edition (w)rapping paper.

It’s hard to believe that hip hop is half a century old, but the calendar doesn’t lie. Liqueur brand Grand Marnier is celebrating the milestone with its (W)rapping Paper program. In collaboration with rock and rap artist Teezo Touchdown and luxury Black-owned gifting company UNWRP, Grand Marnier is releasing limited-edition wrapping paper and custom cocktail kits. The brand is also making a donation to the Hip Hop Museum and releasing social media content featuring Teezo Touchdown.

The cocktail kits include all the ingredients to make a “Grand Margarita,” along with garnishes and the custom gift wrap.

“Grand Marnier is once again honoring our storied history of blending unexpected elements to create something extraordinary,” said Andrea Sengara, vice president of marketing for Campari U.S. “Just like the unexpected encounter of orange liqueur and cognac coming together to create something grand, this collaboration with UNWRP and Teezo Touchdown to create an item that blends hip hop, the holidays and cocktails demonstrates the fun you can have when you bring together the unexpected.”

Verdict: I appreciate the commitment to a good pun – the rap/wrap combo is fun – but taking the idea one step further to work with a Black-owned wrapping paper business and include the donation to the Hip Hop Museum elevates this holiday promotion.

2. Dreaming of a White (Castle) Christmas

White Castle snow globe

White Castle is offering this limited-edition snow globe for the holiday season.

Can I make a confession? I’ve never actually eaten at White Castle, though I have seen this 2004 cinematic classic. Still, I appreciate the fast-food brand’s stab at holiday branded merch, particularly the limited-edition snow globe, which features a miniature, vintage White Castle scene.

Also part of the “Ultimate Craver’s Gift Guide” are a set of four collectible mugs featuring a different seasonal image on each, a knit scarf and winter hat, a Cheese Slider tree ornament, and a royal blue stocking featuring the White Castle logo and images of snowflakes and fast food forming a background pattern. A decorated crewneck sweatshirt, trucker hat, and glass and bamboo water bottle are also part of the collection.

“As a family-owned business for 102 years, we cherish creating memorable moments year-round, and especially during the holiday season,” said Jamie Richardson, vice president at White Castle and fourth-generation family member.

Verdict: White Castle has put together a cohesive collection of holiday merch that showcases its signature items in a fun way.

3. Some Out-of-the-Box Merch

Wine swirl scarf

Boxed wine brand Franzia is offering a holiday sweater that includes battery-powered lights and an attached “wine swirl scarf.”

Franzia is a wine brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Remember a few years ago when the company released a wine-dispensing backpack shaped like one of its signature boxes of wine? So, it doesn’t surprise me that Franzia was able to put a fun twist on the now ubiquitous ugly holiday sweater.

The company recently released a limited-edition holiday-themed Cabernet Sauvignon box with a matching sweater, complete with battery-powered holiday lights and an attached “wine swirl scarf” for extra flair. Other items in its holiday merch collection include inflatable snow globe lawn ornaments and Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay tree ornaments.

“We’re thrilled to release our holiday merch collection that gets our Franz feeling festive and also allows them to showcase their holiday spirit in a uniquely Franzia way,” said Amy Navor, brand manager for Franzia.

Verdict: Ugly holiday sweaters seem to be part of every merch collection these days, so a brand has to do something special to stand out. The attached scarf on Franzia’s version gives the sweater just enough extra personality to stand out, without turning it into something utterly unwearable.

4. Let Them Wear Cake

Christmas tree snack cakes

Little Debbie is selling earrings based on its iconic Christmas tree snack cakes.

Snack food brand Little Debbie is going all out this holiday season, releasing an array of merch all based on its Christmas Tree snack cakes. There’s a red-and-white Hawaiian shirt featuring images flowers and Christmas trees, a fringed white scarf featuring red stripes and green sprinkles, a hat-and-scarf combo featuring the phrase “tree cake hugger,” a Christmas tree cake-scented candle, an inflatable Christmas tree cake-shaped decoration and a “Cakes for Santa” plate. There are also dainty Christmas tree cake earrings.

Plus, you can wrap up any of these tasty gifts with some custom Little Debbie wrapping paper.

Verdict: The cute tree-shaped earrings make my nice list.

5. Wash Your Hands With Cookies and Milk

Cookie-scented body care collection

Beekman 1802 and Nestlé Toll House collaborated on this chocolate chip cookie-scented body care collection.

There’s nothing better than milk and cookies. So, pairing goat milk soaps and lotions with a sweet, fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie aroma makes perfect sense.

Enter the limited-edition holiday collaboration between body care brand Beekman 1802 and Nestlé Toll House: The fresh-baked cookies and milk body care collection includes bar soap, hand cream, hand and body wash, whipped body cream and lip balm.

The two companies said they worked together to replicate the nostalgic childhood aroma of freshly baked cookies, and that it took seven iterations to nail the formulation that they wanted. The scent recipe includes the “warmth of real vanilla, richness of butterscotch, depth of cocoa, wrapped up in the perfect sweetness of toasted brown sugar,” according to the brands. It was also formulated with fragrance technology suitable for sensitive skin.

Verdict: All I can say is that this is a pretty sweet collaboration. Also, now I want some cookies.

Theresa Hegel

Executive Editor, Digital Content

Theresa Hegel covers strategy for ASI Media, with a focus on apparel, digital technology and business operations and management. She's won multiple regional and national awards for her writing and reporting.