We followed up with Volcom CMO Ryan Immegart to find out more about the brand’s upcoming collaboration with the Netflix series “Outer Banks.”
Season 2 of the teen romance and adventure drama debuts July 30 and Volcom’s collection launches July 6.
In Season 1, which was a massive hit last summer, several industry brands had product in the show, most of which happened organically. Now, Volcom has an exclusive in our space and it sounds like retailers have embraced the collection.
The men’s assortment includes a “Pogue Life” tee, boardshorts, trunks, wovens, tees, fleeces and a bucket hat. The women’s collection includes a tie-dye sweatshirt with a quote “You love being seen with me, but you don’t love me,” “Kook Princess” T-shirt and a “P4L (Pogues 4 Life)” sweatshirt. The collection also includes a gender-neutral button-up called “Your BF’s Shirt” inspired by the piece worn by John B and by Sarah in Season 2. Other items include a beach blanket, backpack, hats and John B handkerchiefs in Volcom fabrics.
How did this collaboration with Outer Banks come about?
Volcom CMO Ryan Immegart: For Season 1, Netflix had selected some of our inline product for the wardrobe. It ended up being predominantly featured throughout the series which was totally organic. Once the series debuted it became super popular and quickly climbed up the show rankings at Netflix all around the world.
Simultaneously, I was becoming a fan of the series as were my own Gen Z kids and many of their friends which helped inspire me to reach back out to Netflix. Once we got in touch and had access to the OBX demographics there was no doubt in my mind this made sense.
One thing led to another, and by late Aug 2020 we were locking in a deal for Season 2. That said, the timeline was very tight and on top of COVID and everything else happening at that time, I’m proud of how the Volcom team came together to bring this collaboration to life during those hectic times.
Is there any sort of exclusivity tied to the deal? Meaning, is Volcom the only brand from our space that has this type of collaboration with the show?
Ryan Immegart: Yes, we are the exclusive apparel partner in our space. We know there was a lot of interest according to Netflix, so it was very exciting that they picked us.
Where will the collection be sold?
Ryan Immegart: The collection is a broad offering of men’s, women’s and gender-neutral styles that brought the series to life through the Volcom lens and resonated on a level that even we couldn’t anticipate.
We’ve had amazing support globally from a wide variety of core retailers, major specialty accounts and department stores. We will also be selling it through Volcom e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores in select locations.
How will the collection be marketed?
Ryan Immegart: Oh wow, that is a loaded question! Ha-ha – We will of course be checking all the traditional boxes from paid, earned, and owned media, along with a robust in-store presentation.
We are also doing a cool OBX themed pop-up shop at Kitty Hawk in Nags Head that is inspired by a bespoke surf shop from Season 2. In addition, we have a couple big things cooking that I can’t speak about publicly yet but let’s just say we are working extremely close with all the key stakeholders to surprise and delight the fanbase in truly unique ways.
Did ABG’s connections help secure or arrange this collaboration?
Ryan Immegart: ABG continues to be a great partner and did help us get to the right people, but ultimately, we got it across the line. They will be playing a supporting role in our marketing and PR efforts which is awesome to have another passionate team of people behind the execution.
On another note, did Volcom make any lasting changes to its seasonal line cadence from the pandemic or were the adjustments last year temporary?
Ryan Immegart: We adjusted our seasonal calendar a few years ago to better align with consumer demand as well as creating a cadence that allowed us to place production purchase orders with a more complete sales order file and far better visibility.
We are definitely continuing to evolve our seasonal delivery cadence to better match the ever-changing consumer, retail demand patterns and supply chain challenges as well as bridging the gaps we see in regional weather-related needs.
Lastly, how is business overall for Volcom right now? What are you guys seeing in your stores and online?
Ryan Immegart: Globally, Volcom is in a strong position right now. Generally speaking, we are currently exceeding our expectations but at the same time we believe that the long-term impacts from 2020 will continue to be a challenge into the future. It may be cliché to say, but overall, we continue to be cautiously optimistic while we ramp up our offense.
