By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
The Anime brand Yu-Gi-Oh is leaning into the ugly holiday sweater trend in a big way, in partnership with BoxLunch.
The two companies are teaming up to launch an exclusive line of Yu-Gi-Oh apparel, which is now available in BoxLunch stores and at BoxLunch.com.
The announcement was made today by Jennifer Coleman, Vice President of Licensing and Marketing, Konami Cross Media NY, Inc.
BoxLunch is a fan oriented retail destination best known for its pop culture-inspired clothing and accessories.
For this Yuletide season, a highlight of the new Yu-Gi-Oh collection will be a themed ‘ugly holiday sweater, as well as some frosty hockey jerseys, said BoxLunch senior vice president of merchandising and marketing, Rick Vargas.
“We pride ourselves in consistently asking what fans will be most enthusiastic to own, and this Yu-Gi-Oh! collection stands out as one we are positive fans will be thrilled about, especially the new holiday sweater and hockey jersey,” Vargas said.
Coleman says the collection is geared primarily for fans known as ‘Zillenials’, who straddle the generational span between Millennials (typically born from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s) and Generation Z (born from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s). This group, often defined as those born roughly between 1995 and 2000, shares traits from both generations.
“To reach a Zillennial audience, the BoxLunch team offers one of the most effective routes,” Coleman said. “The retailer has built an impressive customer experience especially for Anime fans and we are so happy to be working with this fan-trusted and approved retail operation.”
Yu-Gi-Oh has been one of the oldest and most popular Anime brands for decades, now celebrating 25 years since the popular card game first hit the market. It is also the source of a popular Anime comic, TV series, and trading card collection, the latter of which has sold an astounding 25 billion cards.
BoxLunch is obviously thrilled to be working with the Anime powerhouse, says Winnie Jaing, the VP of Licensing at BoxLunch parent company Hot Topic, Inc.
“We are privileged to be working on such a powerful brand as Yu-Gi-Oh! with its scores of dedicated and loyal fans,” she said. “The first drop will be in stores in time for holiday shopping this year and we are confident that Yu-Gi-Oh! fans will be excited with the new apparel line.”
Vargas adds that BoxLunch is continuing its program to help local communities. For every $10 spent at BoxLunch, a meal is donated to a person in need. To date, the company estimates it has helped provide over 200 million meals in partnership with Feeding America.
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