It's been another weird week in retail. Busch pokes fun at a fall favorite, Disney unveils a fishy, new fragrance and Off-White aims to win the back-to-school shopping season.
This, and more, in this week's retail therapy.
Busch welcomes fall with its latest campaign
The beer maker submitted its bid to become the drink of the season by unveiling a limited-edition brew, dubbed Busch Latte, alongside a short commercial, that pokes fun at coffee ad spots from the '80s and '90s.
It's truly a cinematic masterpiece.
The timing couldn't be more perfect with social media already buzzing about when Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte will make its big return. Last year, Busch took a direct swing at the coffee giant with its #BuschLatte campaign, which included billboards of the beer company's tweets saying things like "We call our baristas 'bartenders'" and "Why get a Venti when you can get a 6-pack?"
With the pumpkin spice trend taking over nearly every aspect of our lives, from bagels to cereals to coffee creamers, it's a breath of fresh air knowing we can also celebrate the season by drinking one of the worst beers imaginable (seriously, drop us a line to convince us otherwise). Happy fall, y'all.
Disney bottles childhood nostalgia
It's no secret that the recent Disney formula is simply repackaging old classics as new films to entice the next generation of viewers. We saw this most recently with The Lion King, Aladdin and soon, The Little Mermaid.
And in an attempt to squeeze every last penny out of its creative works, Disney announced it teamed up with indie beauty brand DefineMe to release a Little Mermaid perfume. For adults.
The perfume has a beach-inspired scent with ingredients like neroli, bergamot, jasmine and lilac, according to Women's Wear Daily. And no, you don't need to sell your voice to Ursula to get your hands on a bottle. The product will be available at Ulta Beauty, Disney stores and website and online at DefineMe later this fall.
Why someone would spend $88 to smell like a sea creature is beyond us, but to each their own.
Off-White's attempt to rake in those back-to-school dollars
Back-to-school shopping season is in full swing for retailers and consumers alike. But for those of you too posh for classic yellow pencils and pink erasers, Off-White has you covered.
The designer unveiled a slew of products to help consumers complete their back-to-school shopping lists:
- Binder clips:
Why would you spend $2 for a pack of 12 when you could spend $95 for a single "Binder clip-style pin." To be honest, we're not entirely sure what that even means. Is it a binder clip? Is it an accessory? It is a magical device to make all of our work-related worries disappear? Who knows?
- Keychain bottle openers:
For those of age, Off-White unveiled the perfect product. On first glance, you see the perfect tool to open those ice-cold brewskies, but upon further inspection you see this product is so much more. With a keyring attached, it offers users convenience, versatility and fashionability if they so choose to attach it to their belt loop and show it off at parties. Essentially it's a $125 version of something nearly every apartment complex gives out for free at university off-campus housing fairs.
- "Laundry" pouch:
Starting college for some also is synonymous with starting to do your own laundry. But don't fret, the designer created a $115 product that makes the dreaded chore a bit more chic. Although it likely will be less efficient than a standard laundry basket because it can fit one, maybe two, socks total, what it lacks in size, it makes up for in pure class.
Dior wants you to be more sustainable ... but it'll cost you
Sustainability is top of mind for many retailers these days, and for good reason. A study from OC&C Strategy Consultants found that 15% of Gen Z respondents said they're dedicated to "reducing the amount of waste I create," 14% to "reducing my carbon footprint" and 13% to "reducing use of single-use plastic."
So Dior had the right idea in mind when it unveiled this 6-pack of reusable straws. However, what it missed the mark on was the 120 euro price tag (a conversion of about $134 at the time of publication). It's like Dior is trying to get people to just reach for the free plastic straws instead.
These pricey, yet reusable, straws are sure to make up for the other useless products designers are rolling out lately. How environmentally friendly of them.