This week in branding news, Trump’s new MAGA hat inspired some analysis, Wendy’s Krabby Patty came under fire, and Nike released dumbbells made from recycled shoes. Here’s everything you need to know about the branding world this week.
Trump’s meta MAGA hat
The news: As if all the existing MAGA hats out in the world weren’t already enough, the Trump campaign has recently debuted a new, rather meta, piece of merch: a MAGA hat on a MAGA hat.
Big picture: The merch is a white hat with a picture of a red MAGA hat on the front, as well as the campaign’s “Never Surrender” slogan emblazoned on the side. The release comes on the tail of another wacky merch release from the Trump campaign: a controversial T-shirt inspired by Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour merch. It seems that MAGA 2024 is going for a looser branding approach that has also included selling imagery related to the former president’s mugshot and the assassination attempt against him.
Why it matters: Merch has always been part and parcel of presidential campaigns, but it seems to be increasingly serving as a battleground for the upcoming election. While Trump is looking to reassert the visual dominance of his 2016 campaign (that year, the campaign sold $80,000 worth of hats in one day), Harris is looking to attract Gen Z voters and establish a connection to “Midwestern ideals” through items like a Chappell Roan-inspired camo hat.
A Spongebob snafu
The news: Apparently Mr. Krabs’ super-extra-top-secret Krabby Patty recipe wasn’t so secret after all, because the SpongeBob Squarepants-themed burger is now available at Wendy’s—and fans are not happy.
Big picture: There are a few different reasons for the patty-fueled ire. First of all, fans have pointed out that the late SpongeBob series creator, Stephen Hillenburg, was staunchly anti-fast food. And, second, many customers are claiming that their Krabby Patty meal didn’t come in the “kollab”’s special packaging—instead, it’s just a plain ‘ol Wendy’s burger with a slightly different sauce.
“Just had my first Krabby Patty Meal and I’ve got to say that this meal would make Mr Krabs proud with how cheap it is,” One Redditor opined in the r/Wendy’s subreddit. “An over priced basic double/triple burger with thousand island dressing labeled as a Krabby Patty, no special SpongeBob wrapping for the burger or SpongeBob bags, no exclusive toy, no collectors items to buy along with it like collectors cups or plates.”
Why it matters: As the above commenter so aptly points out, if the backlash against the Krabby Patty meal is to be believed, this is a marketing fumble of epic proportions. The Krabby Patty is one of the most iconic TV foods of all time, so beloved and coveted by fans that many within the show’s target age range would’ve given just about anything to try a bite. If executed well, this could’ve been a slam dunk for Wendy’s—instead, it feels like they missed a lay-up.
Nike’s new use for old shoes
The news: Nike is a company known for its innovation, from the very first waffle sneakers to the see-through soles of the Air Max shoe. This week, the company debuted a new environment-focused innovation: weights made from recycled footwear.
Big picture: Nike already has a sneaker recycling program, an emissions initiative (called Move to Zero), and a primarily-recycled apparel material called Nike Forward. Its newest foray into sustainable product design are the Nike Grind dumbbells, a series of weights that incorporates synthetic rubber byproducts from discarded footwear.
Why it matters: Nike Grind material comes from manufacturing scrap, unused materials, and end-of-life shoes. The material can be used for a variety of different products—in this case, weights—and prevents the toxic chemicals in materials like synthetic rubber from entering landfills. The added beauty of this sustainability initiative is that Nike Grind is also aesthetically pleasing, with each unique product studded with colorful, pebble-like reminders of the material’s past lives.
Benefit’s delectable packaging
The news: Benefit just released a new series of makeup packaging, and it’s an aesthetically pleasing ode to retro food packaging.
Big picture: The packaging includes a soup can filled with makeup minis, fish tins full of eyelashes, and blush inside a chocolate bar wrapper. Benefit is no newcomer to inventive packaging designs, with a slew of past products including nods to comic book art and mid century retrofuturism.
Why it matters: Nostalgic food packaging, designed for a modern audience, is on the rise. Brands like Fishwife and Matty Matheson’s Matheson Food Co. exemplify the trend: bright colors, evocative fonts, and cozy vibes. Benefit’s line seems like a fun riff on the concept (though, we must admit, it’s perhaps not the most sustainable of brand statements).