10 brands that won ComplexCon 2021
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ComplexCon 2021 is officially a wrap!
The two-day shopping, music, technology and food extravaganza once again descended upon Long Beach, Calif., over the weekend, bringing together the best in the biz. With exclusive merch drops all weekend long, brands competed for attendees’ attention, with some more successful in breaking out of the pack than others.
Thanks to our partners at Complex, In The Know by Yahoo was on the ground in Long Beach to cut through the noise and pinpoint which brands really made an impact, caught the attention of fans and proved they knew what people really wanted. See below for the 10 brands that won ComplexCon 2021:
Vandy The Pink
No booth at this year’s ComplexCon had a consistently longer line than Vandy The Pink‘s. The playful, diner-inspired booth featured dining tables adorned with stuffed burgers and fries, with an order-at-the-counter setup to cop pieces from the brand’s ComplexCon exclusive drop, including burger shoes, trucker hats and a pink tote that was unavoidable by the end of the weekend.
Billionaire Boys Club
The BBC Ice Cream Booth was one of the first things visitors laid eyes on when they entered ComplexCon this year, and for good reason: It was clearly one of the main attractions. Attendees looking to cop something from Billionaire Boys Club‘s ComplexCon exclusive drops — one with adidas and one in honor of the 20th anniversary of N*E*R*D’s album In Search Of… — had to wait in long lines, but the payoff was worth it.
Saucony
Sure, the classic athletic shoe brand‘s collab with Trinidad James (officially called Saucony x Hommewrk by Trinidad James Jazz 81 “Sorrel Red”) was notable in and of itself. But the giant red reusable shopping bag, which came with purchase, was the real winner here. It was the “it” accessory of the weekend, and it seemed as though heavy shoppers at the convention bought the shoes just so they could get the bag. It was the perfect catch-all for attendees’ many purchases, making the statement that they were putting their money where their mouths were.
Free & Easy
This California-inspired brand brought laidback surfer vibes to ComplexCon — and people couldn’t resist. With a branded mail truck, turf, Adirondack chairs and racks of clothing holding its colorful tees and sweats, Free & Easy was a breath of fresh air at the event. The booth was always busy, and the brand’s Don’t Trip hats were especially popular purchases.
Kids of Immigrants
In lieu of selling its own merch, Kids of Immigrants opted to create a marketplace for brands started by others in their community at their booth under the theme of “Support Your Friends.” The space had a fun potluck theme and had a line around the corner almost the entire weekend, with attendees eager to checkout the awesome variety of goods from small, up-and-coming brands for sale inside the space.
Tommy Hilfiger x Timberland
These two massive American brands came together for a collab, and it got prominent placement at ComplexCon. While their dual-branded merch was notable in and of itself, the real attraction here was a long rack of vintage clothing from both brands that everyone noted. The catch? It wasn’t for sale. Only savvy attendees who were quick enough to nab appointments at the booth’s customization bar could cop one of the vintage pieces for free. While some people were able to get walk-in appointments when others didn’t show up, most people left empty-handed — but buzz is buzz.
Netflix and Prime Video
Non-apparel brands have to walk a fine line at ComplexCon, but these two streamers garnered consistently long lines all weekend by offering up the chance to walk away with free merch tied to a few of their original series. At the Netflix space dedicated to new series Cowboy Bebop, attendees received a token to put into a vending machine for their chance to win anything from a T-shirt to an expensive pair of headphones. Over at the Prime Video activation, which was divided into two sides dedicated to The Boys and Fairfax, people could pull down huge levers to receive socks, hats, bags and more. People may have been at ComplexCon to spend money, but nothing gets people’s attention faster than free stuff.
If you enjoyed this article, check out In The Know’s series with Complex’s Pigeons and Planes, Making It!
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