By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
The online privacy company DuckDuckGo has entered into a series of brand licensing collaborations, producing a limited-edition collection of co-branded consumer goods centred on the company’s duck mascot, Dax.
Best known for its private search engine and browser, DuckDuckGo is partnering on branded merch available on its website duckduckgo.com/collaborations. Mind you, if you didn’t have the URL, you could just look it up on DuckDuckGo!
These three deals mark the company’s first foray into licensed merchandise and represents a deliberate partnership strategy targeting brands with aligned values, rather than mass-market retail channels.
“Protecting your personal information shouldn’t come with sacrifices. That’s why DuckDuckGo focuses on making simple, useful products that just work. Our private search engine, browser, and optional AI chat are designed for anyone to easily pick up and switch to, because everyone deserves privacy,” said Gabriel Weinberg, founder and CEO of DuckDuckGo. “We’re excited to partner with a few offline companies that similarly focus on putting users first, making well-crafted products we use ourselves.”
The inaugural drop features licensing partnerships integrating Dax branding through product-specific design treatments rather than prominent logo placement.
Atoms produced an all-black Model 000 sneaker featuring a small Dax logo on the heel and a duck-foot shield embroidered on the tongue. The footwear collaboration came together organically, according to Atoms co-founder and CEO Sidra Qasim.
“Gabriel was already a fan of the Model 000, and our team has long admired DuckDuckGo’s stand for privacy,” Qasim said. “When we sat down to collaborate, we didn’t want to create ‘merchandise’; we wanted to create something that becomes an essential part of a person’s life.
‘Like us, the DuckDuckGo team is obsessed with the details that most people ignore,” Qasim added. “This shoe is a reflection of our shared belief that a product should serve the user, respect their life, and quite simply, help them walk through the world a little better.”
Cotton Bureau produced a “Dark Mode” apparel line — a reference to the dark-screen display setting common in software products — featuring black-on-black graphics across short- and long-sleeve tees, a tank top and an infant onesie. The design originated as internal company swag before being licensed for public sale.
“It’s been a privilege working with our friends at DuckDuckGo on their new line of merch combining their core value of privacy, which is serious, with our core value of t-shirts, which are fun,” said Nathan Peretic, co-owner of Cotton Bureau. “Together, we hope they inspire people to spread the word about the importance of online security while upgrading their wardrobes at the same time.”
Yubico rounded out the launch with a co-branded version of its YubiKey hardware security key. The YubiKey is a hardware-backed passkey that allows people to secure their online accounts with just a touch. The YubiKey adds a physical layer of protection against hackers and account takeovers. Compatible with many popular social platforms, email services, password managers, and more. The licensed YubiKey covers feature a monochrome Dax logo on one side, and two different DuckDuckGo-inspired designs around the touchpad: a green duck-foot shield and a data-destroying Fire Button.
DuckDuckGo said additional licensed products will be released later this year as part of a broader, ongoing licensing program. Products are available while supplies last at duckduckgo.com/collaborations.
As well, any parties interested in licensing partnerships with DuckDuckGo can contact the company’s licensing department at collaborations@duckduckgo.com.
How Broad Street Licensing Group Drives Food & Beverage Licensing Success at Retail