CEO of San Antonio-based distributorship You Name It Specialties, Josh King, has a lot to celebrate...
2024 has been a jam-packed year, to say the least. From the Super Bowl and Summer Olympics to Brat Summer, Wicked, and everything in between. In this installment of Promo Hunters, we’re taking a trip down memory lane and checking out the latest pop culture trends that dominated 2024. Were you working late because you’re a singer? How many times did you try the “Defying Gravity” riff? Let’s see what was H-O-T this year.
Owala Freesip / ETS Express
But first, we can’t talk about 2024 without talking about one of the trendiest water bottles that swept the world. The Owala Freesip is unlike any water bottle we’ve seen on the market; The iconic FreeSip spout is equipped with a built-in straw, letting the drinker either sip or swig from their Owala. If you’re looking to gift these viral bottles to your clients, ETS Express has you covered. Now, let’s head back to our pop culture recap.
Wicked Mania
“Popular! You’re going to be POPULAR!” Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you couldn’t enter a department store or watch a commercial without seeing Wicked being promoted. The beloved Broadway musical has finally made its big screen debut this November and, just like Barbie the year prior, the merch for this movie has been insane. Looking for Glinda and Elphaba singing Barbie dolls? Yep, they have it. Need the Wicked Funko Pops to add to your collection? Right here! Wicked-mania has seeped into the makeup industry, drinkware, shoes, and so much more. Like Dune Part 2, Deadpool and Wolverine, and Alien: Romulus before, Wicked also has a commemorative popcorn tin and tumbler. Feel like you stepped out of Oz and mix and match these buckets. Didn’t you know? Pink goes good with green.
Brat Summer
Sticking with the green theme, let’s take it back to the summer of 2024. Essex-popstar, Charli xcx released her sixth studio album, Brat, this past June and it has taken the Internet and the world by storm! The electropop album is loud, bumping, and nonstop while also being vulnerable and sincere (highly recommend 360, Apple, and Club Classics). When she dropped the artwork for the album, the word “brat” in lowercase in front of a lime green backdrop, it took the album to new heights. After a "Brat generator" tool surfaced online, allowing users to make their own Brat-themed cover with custom words, Brat Summer was in full force.
Chappell Roan and the Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
H-O-T-T-O-G-O! 2024 has been a big year for your favorite artist’s favorite artist, Chappell Roan. In September of 2023, the Missouri native dropped her debut studio, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, to critical acclaim. The album is emotionally bold, brash, and full of heart touching themes of desire, relationships, and self-expression (highly recommend Femininomenon, Casual, Hot to Go!, and Pink Pony Club). Her performances drew in thousands thanks to her high-energy performance and pure raw talent. She also had one of the hottest pieces of merch this year: a camo baseball cap with “MIDWEST PRINCESS” embroidered on the front. An ode to her midwestern roots and her latest album, Chappell’s baseball cap was so popular, that even the Harris-Walz campaign put their own spin on the cap.
Challengers
2024 was the year of juggernaut movies, but no movie garnered more conversation than the tennis drama, Challengers, starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor. The movie follows the love triangle between injured tennis superstar-turned-coach (Zendaya), her low-circuit tennis player ex-boyfriend (Josh O'Connor), and her tennis champion husband (Mike Faist) across 13 years of their relationship, culminating in the latter two's match at the ATP Challenger Tour. The Internet couldn’t get enough of the steamy film, with people dressing up as the complicated trio for Halloween. While there were a ton of memorable moments from the film, none were as memorable as the “I Told Ya” t-shirt. In the film, Zendaya’s Tashi dons this iconic oversized gray t-shirt when she talks to Mike Faist’s Art. Josh O’Connor’s Patrick can be seen wearing the shirt later on in the film. The shirt was designed by the film’s costume designer and creative director for luxury fashion brand Loewe, Jonathan Anderson, inspired by a shirt worn originally by John F. Kennedy Jr. The shirt is a reference to JFK’s inauguration “I Told You So” buttons.
The Eras Tour
We couldn’t talk about 2024 pop culture moments and not bring up the highest-grossing tour of all time: The Eras Tour. Taylor Swift has to be one of the busiest women in showbiz, embarking on a worldwide tour all while dropping music, a concert film, and rooting for her football beau at the latest Kansas City Chiefs game. Swift’s Eras Tour has become the event of the year, nay, the event of the decade. Fans were encouraged to make and trade friendship bracelets with one another, wear themed outfits representing one of her eras, and theorize which songs she would perform. To commemorate such a historic tour, Swift is dropping the Official Taylor Swift Eras Tour Book just in time for the holidays. The new coffee table book gives fans an inside look at the legendary tour including set design, costumes, and more. Whether you’re reliving some of your favorite Eras Tour moments or want to see what all the hype is about, this book is for you.
