Good Practice

Preloved Merch with Milky Chance

MTM
28
Nov

Milky Chance Mind the Moon Tour 2020

Merchandising without new textile production

Merchandise without new textile production was available from Milky Chance on the Mind The Moon European Tour 2020 – it couldn’t be more resource-efficient. Because Milky Chance thinks just as sustainably as we do at Sustain, we worked together to develop a unique merch concept and put it into practice. The textiles brought by the fans were printed live on site This way, everyone was able to take home their own individual souvenir of the concert – sustainable and guaranteed to fit! For those who didn’t have anything to print on with them, there were blank shirts, hoodies and other textiles for sale at the merchandise stand. These were subsequently screen-printed with the “Mind The Moon” tour design using water-based inks. The assortment consisted mainly of preloved individual items and leftovers – so that resources were saved with this as well.

Preloved Merch with Milky Chance 1

Challenges and difficulties

In terms of the process, of course, the action posed its own challenges. The slots for merchandise sales are usually before the concert starts, but mainly after. This meant that it had to be ensured that a large number of items could be printed and also reassigned to their owners in the shortest time possible. A simple, well-functioning system was found for this. Via number displays, one could see at any time whether the printed favorite item was ready for pickup. 

Another challenge was the timing of the printing slots. Since we relied on water-based inks, once we started printing, we couldn’t take breaks. Water-based ink dries in the screen within minutes, making it unusable. Therefore, it was necessary to estimate exactly when to start printing. 

Preloved Merch with Milky Chance 2

It’s especially exciting when you print on someones favorite jacket, t-shirt or other pieces that someone is very attached to. This is where mistakes particularly hurt – but our screen printing professionals were very confident even under time pressure. There were only two misprints on the tour. Both times an adequate replacement was found in the second hand inventory and everyone was happy at the end of the day.

Obviously, this concept is much more effortful than selling pre-made goods, but it worked perfectly and the effort was more than worth it! 

Preloved Merch with Milky Chance 3

Happy faces at the merchandise stand

We were overwhelmed by the consistently positive feedback from all over the world and the gratitude of the fans at the concerts. It was great to print so many different textiles and see so many happy faces eagerly waiting for their finished item. From regular tees and denim jackets to tie-dye sweaters. The variety of choices was as diverse as the people themselves, and the results far more personal and individual than off-the-shelf tour shirts could ever be.

Ready for new specials

The tour went almost directly into the first lockdown – now, after almost two years of forced break, we are looking forward to great actions again to make the culture and event industry more sustainable!

True sustainability and a fundamental rethinking of our consumer behavior have now become essential. Especially in industries where sustainability is difficult to achieve, it is important to develop new concepts. Merchandise without new textile production – Milky Chance and Sustain have shown that this is possible! Whether it’s intangible merch, upcycling or DIY merch, there are many options for sustainable merchandising. Let’s rethink and strike out on new paths together!

Preloved Merch with Milky Chance 4

Pictures: Jens Madl, Yvonne Grünwald, René Plichta