KFC and Crocs have entered into a collaboration to create a fried chicken-themed ‘Bucket Clog’, complete with chicken-scented charms. As young people engage with fashion in a more playful, tongue-in-cheek way, iconic brands are luring fans with lighthearted and ironic merch.

Branded merchandise was once solely found at business conventions and in the wardrobes of fervent fans, but it’s enjoying a renaissance as Gen Yers and Zers seek new ways of expressing their identity. What does this resurgence reveal of the shifting nature of consumer-brand relationships?

Following Cardi B’s record-breaking and much-talked-about single ‘WAP’, the singer has launched a line of tongue-in-cheek waterproof merch. The collection gives Gen Zers the chance to nab unique products while also allowing fans to signal their support for Cardi B amid contentious backlash.

Though most of them weren’t alive to experience it first-hand, American Gen Zers are obsessed with ‘90s pop culture. Dumbgood is tapping into this ‘fauxstalgia’ with officially licensed streetwear featuring TV and film stills, turning its young customers into walking, talking, retro memes.