Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Laika eingestellt!

(Sorry, couldn’t resist the German pun—and now you’ve got an Ohrwurm. You’re welcome.)

But hey, it’s true: we do wear Laika from head to toe. Just the other day, over a beer (or three) with our board member Felix, he once again said: You really love your merch, huh?

Yes, Felix. Yes, I do.

Because when done right, merch isn’t just stuff. It’s brand love in textile form. It's an identity you can wear, use, or eat (more on that later). In a world where most of our brand interactions happen on screens, good merch is physical, personal—and powerful.

Take the folks at Notion. Every cup, sticker, or jacket screams Notion—thoughtful, useful, clean, unmistakably them. The same goes for our friends at LUSH. You know it when you see it—and you keep it because it feels right.

And then there’s the other side: swag graveyards. Plastic-y, pointless, disposable. Stress balls no one asked for. T-shirts no one wants to be seen in. You know the type.

And yes for some of us merch needs to be pretty! When writing this post one of my fellow pack members commented: “For me it’s important that the merch is pretty. As in well-designed. I have beef with the Taylor Swift merch, because she is rich enough to have the best designers in the world make her merch, and yet somehow she chooses to give us crappy designs that I refuse to be seen with in public.”

So what separates the “omg I love this” from the “why did they bother”?

Your go-to merch checklist:

🧠 Merch strategy:
It starts here. Ask: What’s the role of merch in your brand experience? Is it just giveaways or a real extension of your message? The best pieces tell your story—without needing a tagline.

🎨 Make it wearable (aka: no one dreams of being a human billboard):
Let’s be real—good merch isn’t just branded, it’s wearable. Whether your crowd loves it sleek, cheeky or low-key cool, the magic happens when it doesn’t scream “corporate freebie.” Think less logo dump, more “I’d actually wear this.” ( (e.g. look at the examples of  Kurtis Conner and Julien Solomita) Design for your audience, not your ego. (And yup, we’ve got your back on that front too.)

🌱  Sustainability times 2:
Not just organic cotton lip service. Think long-lasting, low-travel products people won’t throw out after day one. Longevity and pride to wear and use = sustainability too.

🍿 Solve real problems:
At big events like IFA (hungry, hangry crowds, anyone?), merch that feeds the belly or saves the day will always win. Portable snacks, handy tools, even eye masks are gold. (read our other 2025 survival tips here)

📦 Storage & fulfillment:
You love your 500 mugs ... until they fill your entire meeting room. Know your space. Plan your logistics. Don't let the boxes eat your office alive.

💸 Merch as revenue? Yes:
People will pay for great stuff (if you establish a strong brand identity). Sell limited editions, add value by giving key clients or business partners vouchers to redeem what they want from your swag, or donate the profits. Just giving things away isn’t the only route. And often, when you put a price tag on things, people value them more. 

🎁 Creative distribution wins:
Don’t let your merch gather dust in a storage room. Be bold. Be fun. Think: a branded claw machine, filled with your swag. (the arcade addicts will never leave your booth again.) The point is: make people remember also HOW they got it. Or make them work for it —it’s ironic that we value more what didn’t come all too easy to us.

🕰 Lead time is your friend:
Good merch takes time. You’ll need it for design, sampling, shipping—and for the inevitable last-minute rethink. Start early. Thank yourself later.

🎯 Be thoughtful with who gets what:
Not everyone gets the golden, sparkly hoodie, and that’s fine. But don’t forget the magic of spontaneous generosity. A clever mini gift, a surprise helpful moment? Literally, the giant pricey umbrella that gets handed to anyone when it’s really pouring? That builds emotional equity.

What started as our own love for beautiful, useful things has grown into a full-fledged offering. From strategy to sourcing, from pricing to quality control—we’ve helped brands (including ourselves) deliver merch that makes sense, makes people smile, and makes a statement.

We work with trusted partners like Sunday and others to bring it all to life—and yep, we can do it for you too.

Last but not least, we still get a little emotional when we see someone wearing Laika “in the wild.” It’s not just branding. It’s community. It’s recognition. It’s pride in fabric form. 🚀🐶