10 Baffling Pieces Of Official Merchandise

Content producers are well aware that people love to own items associated with their products. Whether it is a band, movie or television show, if it has a strong fan following then it is almost inevitable that a whole rafts of toys, merchandise and novelty items will be released simply because it will bring in so much revenue. In fact, merchandise can be so valuable that in some cases it will actually make more money than the thing it is based on. However, not everything that is released to support a TV series or film is a winner thanks to the truly bizarre nature of some of the items, and as marketing teams try to take advantage of their fans loyalty, they can create some baffling merchandise.

Darth Vader Toaster

For those who like their toast to be infused with the power of the dark side, there is an official Star Wars toaster in the shape of Darth Vader. While this is pretty strange by itself, the device also burns “Star Wars” into the side of the bread.

Gold Bart Simpson Pendant

If you love The Simpsons but also like to bling yourself out, then one company has created the perfect piece of merchandise in the form of this white gold Bart Simpson pendant. It costs a staggering $8,000 though so is a little out of most people’s price range.

KISS Coffin

KISS are well known for their extensive catalogue of official merchandise, arguably their strangest accessory is a coffin decorated with the band’s imagery. They even offer a deluxe version with additional flames.

James Bond Candles

The owners of the James Bond rights teamed up with manufacturer Tocca to create a series of scented candles themed around the fiction spy. The series sees a variety of different candles that take inspiration from each of the official movies.

The White Stripes Sewing Kit

The White Stripes Sewing Kit isn’t something that would be terribly useful for the vast majority of people, as there are very few pieces of clothing that actually use such distinctive buttons as part of their design.

Matrix Phone

Samsung created a replica of the mobile phone used in The Matrix films in 1999 to tie in with the release of the original movie. It featured the same distinctive shape and design as the prop, though this made it slightly bulky compared to other phones on the market.

Letters To E.T.

While it certainly isn’t unusual for a blockbuster movie to be accompanied by books, annuals or comics when they release, Steven Spielberg and the filmmakers decided to do something a little different with their offering. Letters To E.T. is simply a collection of letters written by real people expressing their admiration for the director and the alien character.

Jackie Chan Organic Skin Care

Although Jackie Chan is best known for his fighting ability and stunt skills in movies such as Rush Hour, someone obviously thought that he would be the perfect face for a series of skin care products aimed at women.

300 Leather Briefs

Many movies bring out branded clothing when they release and a popular choice is underwear. However, these leather briefs for the movie 300 aren’t exactly branded but rather are modeled to look like the underwear worn by the Spartans in the movie.

Daft Punk Condoms

Following the release of the highly successful song Get Lucky, French duo Daft Punk gave out themed condoms at a number of concerts and festivals while they were touring. You can’t buy them anymore though and they have become something of a collector’s item.