Covid’s comfort kitsch
It all started with this Hidden Valley Ranch sweater.
Who buys an ugly holiday sweater featuring salad dressing?
This post explores the quirky world of food-branded ugly holiday sweaters and answers these questions:
• Why is the COVID-19 pandemic the right time for food-branded ugly holiday sweaters?
• How did the tradition of ugly holiday sweaters start?
• What non-fashion, food brands sell ugly holiday sweaters?
• What brands sell the weirdest food-branded merchandise?
• Why do consumers buy food-branded ugly holiday sweaters?
• Why do food brands sell ugly holiday sweaters?
• What’s the takeaway?
Why is the pandemic the right time for food-branded ugly holiday sweaters?
During uncertain times, we seek the familiarity comfort food provides, the physical comfort of comfy clothing, and the solace of connection with others. Ugly holiday sweaters uniquely fill a need right now.
We’re eating more comfort foods
According to Harvard Business Review, “in a pandemic, we buy what we know.”
What we know is the food we grew up with. Nielsen data tracking Americans’ grocery buying from March to May 2020 showed a trend to the familiar. Campbell’s reaped a 93 percent increase in sales of its canned soup before settling back to a still-impressive 32 percent growth. Deep into the pandemic, we were still buying 51 percent more frozen waffles, pancakes and French toast from Kellogg’s. Mondelez, the maker of Oreos, reported that cookie and cracker sales had shot up by nearly 30 percent.
Growth in McDonald’s stock price has outpaced the S&P 500 since March, reversing an almost 7-year decline. The reason why? McDonald’s concentrated on the products consumers loved most, limiting their menu to traditional best sellers.
Comfort foods help consumers restore a sense of control by providing solace that everything will be okay.
We’re wearing more comfortable clothing
Working from home has shifted how we dress. The National Cleaners Association reports that one in six US dry cleaners have already closed or gone bankrupt. Workout wear has replaced work wear, with sales of leggings up 61 percent in the United Kingdom and 21 percent in the United States during the same period compared to last year, according to WGSN, a trend forecasting agency in London.
Major brick & mortar fashion retailers have shuttered and overall, apparel sales are down by as much as 30-40% in the US.
Emotions influence consumer choice
The possibility of contracting a contagious disease elicits fear and a sense of loss of control, pushing us to seek the familiar and avoid the foreign. A recent Kellogg School of Management study found that right now, “people are more likely to put traditional Oreos in their cart, rather than the trying out the latest new flavor. In the face of so much constant fear, an unfamiliar Oreo seems to be a risk that many consumers are simply unwilling to take.”
And as the holidays approach, people also tend to get nostalgic and turn toward tradition.
Which leads us to…
How did the tradition of ugly holiday sweaters start?
Alpine knit sweaters have long featured patterned designs, but the 1950’s put a name to holiday themed designs. “Jingle Bell Sweaters” were popularized by crooners like Andy Williams who wore them on early tv appearances.
The 1980’s saw Christmas sweater sales reach an all-time high, fueled by Chevy Chase’s National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and The Cosby Show’s Cliff Huxtable.
In the 2000’s, Bridget Jones Diary, Love Actually and other holiday movies romanticized the tradition. Young people threw ironic “ugly sweater parties,” to make fun of their parents who un-ironically loved the festive gear. Ugly Christmas sweater-themed parties, runs and pub crawls became a “thing,” and we haven’t looked back.
Since 2011, National Ugly Sweater Day has been celebrated internationally on third Friday of December.
What non-fashion, food brands sell ugly holiday sweaters?
From left to right: Taco Bell, Utz, Hidden Valley Ranch, Whataburger, Heinz, Popeye’s, IHOP, Cheetos, Waffle House, Planters, White Castle, Krispy Kreme, Tostitos, Franzia, Papa Ginos. Not pictured, but selling holiday swag: McDonald’s, Chik-fil-a, Dunkin’, Little Caesars, Dairy Queen, Jimmy John’s, In-N-Out, Wawa, Dairy Queen.
QSR Magazine’s 2020 QSR 50 list of top fast food brands by US sales, and Morning Consult’s 2020 Most Loved Brands in the Food & Beverage categories were the starting point for my research. Only branded merchandise sold from official corporate online stores is included in this analysis.
Fast Food / QSRs
• 72% of the top 25 QSR brands by US sales have online, consumer-facing branded merchandise stores.
• 50% of those brands sell holiday sweaters.
• Burger King, Wendy’s, and Domino’s were notably missing this year, but have sold branded clothing in the past.
Food & Beverage
• All of Morning Consult’s 2020 Top 20 Most Loved Food & Beverage brand websites featured seasonal holiday products, but few had full-fledged, non-food merchandise store like the QSRs.
• Snack foods (Frito Lay, Planters, Utz) were the majority of the sweater sellers. Heinz, Hidden Valley, and Franzia boxed wine rounded out the mix.
• While they don’t sell holiday sweaters, M&M’s gets credit for offering an Ugly Holiday Sweater cookie recipe.
2020’s branded COVID-19 masks
• 10% of the top 50 QSR brands sell masks/ face coverings. They include Whataburger, Panda Express, Qdoba, Del Taco, and Marco’s Pizza.
• Though fewer consumer food brands offered online merchandise, many more of them sold branded masks. They include Heinz, Smucker’s, Frito Lay, Hershey, Kelloggs, and Utz Snacks.
What brands sell the weirdest food-branded merchandise?
Weirdest wearables:
• In-N-Out Nail Decal Set,
• Taco Bell sauce packet wedding garter
Weirdest non-wearable:
• Pizza Hut’s weighted Gravity blanket
• Dunkin’s tandem bike,
• Arby’s curly fry golf head
Why do consumers buy food-branded holiday sweaters?
We buy because we want to feel something or change something.
Purchasing something is the quickest way to do so.
• We shop so we can feel some agency over the uncontrollable.
• Shopping makes us feel good. Snagging a limited edition or a great deal releases endorphins.
• We like (and miss) novelty.
• We like to be cool and in-the-know.
When you have something that no one or few others have, you may feel special. Even on Zoom, an ugly sweater is an instant conversation starter.
• We feel we deserve this, and it will make us feel better.
Wearing any type of branded clothing provide consumers with a feeling of belonging . Food-branded merchandise reminds us of when we could dine out. Many of the most popular food-branded offerings are from brands such as Whataburger (Texas), Dunkin’ (Massachusetts), and In-N-Out (California) which have strong regional ties and remind us of where we are from.
Why do food brands sell ugly holiday sweaters?
Branding. Consumers need novelty and fun right now. Brands need to stay top of mind. During the monotony of quarantine, fun merch keeps the brand relevant, gives us something to talk about, and may even generate incremental revenue.
Branded merchandise makes consumers walking billboards for the brand, and may compliment the “lifestyle” associated with the brand.
PR. Crazy merchandise like ugly holiday sweaters offer a public relations, social media, and brand awareness opportunity.
“Limited edition drops” create buzz and scarcity, co-branded collaborations up the ante, and broaden the potential fan base of consumers who might consider the brand. Brands drive and expand their relevance and indirectly boost sales as they stay top-of-mind.
Memorable past collaborations include:
• Taco Bell x Doritos,
• Dunkin x Saucony,
• Taco Bell x Forever 21, and Cheetos x Forever 21,
• Reese’s x Krispy Kreme,
• Cheetos x KFC,
• Shake Shack x Bombas,
• Wendy’s x Pringles (Baconator)
• Peeps x Crocs and KFC x Crocs.
This winter, Walmart is the exclusive distributor for KFC’s “11 herbs and spices” scented fire logs. Some of 2020’s coolest collabs include:
• Dunkin’ x Snoop Dogg x Beyond Meat
• Whataburger x Justin Boots,
• Top Ramen / Cup Noodles x Sanrio / Hello Kitty,
• Ritz Crackers x Coolhaus ice cream.
Customer Loyalty. With competitive pricing and consistent special offers, you can develop customer loyalty. Brand loyalty is achieved through the customer's perception of a brand. Purchasing and wearing a branded item is a true expression of a customer’s brand loyalty.
What’s the takeaway?
Even during Covid, we can still enjoy the irony of an ugly Christmas sweater.
Ugly sweaters have been on the menu for marketers looking to connect with consumers in a playful way during the holidays for years. This tradition will continue to offer brands a chance to authentically connect with consumers and offer the gift of humor for the holiday season!
