Hallmark’s Holiday Touchdown & Conscious Consumerism

Hi friends, Today’s post isn’t the post I intended to write. I’m holding on to a deep-dive story looking at the trend of brands cozying up to the art world, and it’s not ready for primetime. So in the meantime, I wanted to offer a few things I’ve been chewing on since we last connected. Yes, it’s been a minute!

Have we reached peak consumption? Emma Chamberlain has spoken. In a recent YouTube video, she purged her closet for the last time after years of clothing hauls to keep up with the fashion trend cycle. This, along with all the online chatter about the Netflix doc Buy Now - (about the tactics marketers use to court consumers and the resulting tide of discarded fast fashion) - and the “deinfluencing” and “underconsumptioncore” TikTok trends we’ve been seeing for the last year or so, I think we’re going to see more consumers consider conscious consumption as a lifestyle. But what do I know - Black Friday sales were up nearly 15% this year over last, which could be a sign that people aren’t, in fact, tightening their budgets amidst a cost-of-living crisis. Regardless, this is a trend to watch. Case in point: The Cut’s latest piece, “The Year of the Underconsumer,” cites a Credit Karma study finding that nearly half of Gen-Z and millennial respondents said they felt financially irresponsible. (H/T to brand strategy consultant Audrey Dahman for inspiring this post). Related note: Last week, I wrote a LinkedIn post about the excessive marketing and endless collaborations behind the Wicked movie, asking the question: “How much marketing is too much?” Needless to say, it stirred up a lot of interesting debate. Do check it out and let me know what you think.

Image via Nike.

A collab I can get behind: The weird and wonderful makeup guru Isamaya Ffrench - known for her boundary-pushing approach to beauty and creative design - partnered with Nike on a sneaker inspired by female athletes. The Isamaya Ffrench x Nike Air Max Dn will be available in beige and chocolate brown December 20. I’m feeling the multi-textural vibe and mix of matte and metallic finishes and the chocolate brown color, which, according to Gen Z whisperer

Casey Lewis

, is having a moment with the youngs. I also think it’s smart that Nike is widening the scope of its collabs to focus on beauty and the boundary-breakers/creatives working in the space. Ffrench is aspirational - she’s someone I admire for her taste and aesthetic, so getting a piece of that through a sneaker is right up my alley. No official word yet on whether there will be a corresponding makeup collection, but a post on Ffrench’s IG showing red lipstick emblazoned with the Nike logo suggests that there will be.

hallmarkchannel

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Is Hallmark the new Disney? Maybe that’s a stretch, but no other brand has single-handedly owned the feel-good vibes of the holidays like the famed greeting-card company. Following the release of the Taylor x Travis Christmas movie, Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story (check out that merch!), and a new lineup of sappy-season films, the brand is setting sail for its third Christmas Cruise, scheduled for November 2025. The cruise will feature an “immersive winter wonderland” experience inspired by its festive films. And don’t forget about Christmas Con in December, which is dominated by Hallmark’s roster of '90s-nostalgia stars like Lacey Chabert and Jodie Sweetin. I continue to be amazed by how Hallmark has successfully leveraged its brand name recognition and developed an entirely new revenue stream through branded content and experiences. If you haven’t already, check out this amazing deep dive from The New Yorker about how the brand developed its meet-cute holiday rom-com format that’s now been copied by everyone from Lifetime to Netflix. It’s an oldie but a goodie.

Why are all the brands launching coffee table books? By my last count, I’ve heard of at least four brands launching coffee table books: YSL, Merit, Flamingo Estate and Stone Island. Like all things Flamingo Estate, The Guide to Becoming Alive (great title) is stunning and is described as part memoir/part manifesto, with words from many of founder/author Richard Christiansen’s friends and heroes, including the Janes (Goodall and Fonda), Chrissy Teigen and Martha Stewart. The food/lifestyle brand isn’t new to publishing; they previously released a monster six-book collection about home and garden written by the founder’s heroes, such as Alice Waters (this guy is in good company). *These look like books you would want to own for the star power alone.* As for the other brands mentioned above, I’m not sure who the consumer is. You would have to be a major fan of Zoe Kravitz and Jeremy Allen White to justify the $175 price of YSL’s photo book shot by Purienne. The Merit book (described as a limited edition paperback), explores the art of fragrance through a series of essays, and was created in collaboration with The Gentlewoman to promote the brand’s fragrance Retrospect. Stone Island’s Rizzoli book Storia is for the fans; it tells the story of the outerwear brand’s rise from ‘80s cult status to luxury streetwear brand beloved by the likes of Drake, Travis Scott and Liam Gallagher. All this to say, these brands are trying to further insert themselves into the lives of their consumers and position themselves as tastemakers. Also the “printaissance” is very real.

burberry

A post shared by @burberry

Lastly, I’m delighted by Burberry’s holiday campaign “Wrapped in Burberry” featuring superfans of the brand. Herschel and Lilly Stoller, both doctors based in Omaha, Nebraska, aren’t affiliated with Burberry but wear the Brit company’s signature checks every day. “Clothing is a necessity, but wearing Burberry is a privilege,” the Stollers told Cultured. Mic. Drop.