Movie merch is even cooler if it's from A24

When one thinks of a "waiting list" for any wearable item, luxury items like Hermès bags or Rolex watches usually come to mind. Expensive and rare. But what about a cotton hoodie with "Priscilla" embroidered on the chest? Even for that, you have to wait, not in front of a boutique, but on the website of a film production house, A24, where items like an eyeliner and mascara set dedicated to the latest film by Sofia Coppola are already sold out. On the same site, there's a waitlist for an incense burner and an embroidered patch honoring the cult film Midsommar, as well as T-shirts and hoodies, all sold out, dedicated to almost every film in A24's portfolio, including Talk To Me, Spring Breakers, Pearl, Hereditary, and Uncut Gems. Available are only a series of basics adorned with the company logo – a testament that merchandising is no longer just about the product but the producer itself, evolving over time into a true brand. Not surprising given that in a mainstream film industry dominated by giants like Disney and Universal, sacrificing quality for quantity, disconnected from audience desires, and unable to create content with real depth, A24 has been a savior for many film enthusiasts in recent years. When the A24 logo appears, it promises originality, innovation, intelligence (and a certain indie film pretentiousness in some cases), and it was only a matter of time before it started producing its own merch.

For many years, film merch or cinema-related merch has been rather disappointing, if it even existed. Often limited to T-shirts with prints of posters, collaborations with fast-fashion brands (numerous with Zara and H&M, for example), or questionable taste items, film merch also had the major problem of only focusing on mega-blockbusters and youth film sagas like Harry Potter, for example. The reason is clear: to generate substantial profits, you have to appeal to the audience willing to wear a Gryffindor T-shirt or buy a mug with the Hogwarts emblem. Selling T-shirts and various trinkets dedicated to The Wolf of Wall Street, for instance, or No Country for Old Men is more complex – assuming the film's producer is willing to produce merch or someone else to acquire the license. Until now, enthusiasts wishing to wear a T-shirt of their favorite, even niche, film had to resort to various dubiously legal and quality bootlegs. But not with A24, which had the insight to bring thematic film items to the public, including apparel, pins, artistic posters, playing cards, well-bound scripts, soundtracks on vinyl, and all the different "pieces" of the film. It also helps that the creative approach of the indie production house has turned it into a cult factory: wearing A24 merch means, just like with fashion brands, testifying to the superiority of one's taste rather than a childish affiliation with a franchise – which is almost always cringe.

So, has A24 made film merch cool again? Let's say it has proposed a very valid model of merch production, complete with streetwear-inspired drops, waiting lists, and sold-out products. This not only entices fans (wearing a Talk to Me or Saint Maude T-shirt is a great conversation starter for indie film enthusiasts) but also shakes off that strange sense of infantilism one might feel seeing a thirty-year-old in a Rick & Morty hoodie or a Harry Potter hat. It's not all perfect: it's easy to switch from being an enjoyer to a poser, and when you see someone wearing A24 merch, there's an immediate sense of encountering a quite pleased film bro – but that depends on the individual. The interesting point is that A24's case shows that with the right creative direction and maintaining internal consistency not tied to pure commercial metrics, even a film studio can become a more profitable brand than those that parade, destined to fail within two years.