Grindr gear

18 : 08 : 2016 Grindr : The XXX Factor : Marketing Campaign

Los Angeles – Gay social app Grindr launched its first clothing line with a highly sexual aesthetic in line with the platform’s tone.

  • The Varsity Collection is a collaboration with on-demand print retailer Print All Over Me
  • The 29-piece collection supports LGBTQ athletes, with proceeds going to Athlete Ally
The Varsity Collection by Grindr and Print All Over Me, Los Angeles The Varsity Collection by Grindr and Print All Over Me, Los Angeles
The Varsity Collection by Grindr and Print All Over Me, Los Angeles The Varsity Collection by Grindr and Print All Over Me, Los Angeles
The Varsity Collection by Grindr and Print All Over Me, Los Angeles The Varsity Collection by Grindr and Print All Over Me, Los Angeles
The Varsity Collection by Grindr and Print All Over Me, Los Angeles The Varsity Collection by Grindr and Print All Over Me, Los Angeles

Grindr is continuing its expansion beyond hook-up culture with a brash, 1990s-inspired campaign. Photographs of cropped t-shirts on taught torsos are shown with high saturation and crisp contrast, celebrating the muscular bodies seen in gay men's magazines. The collection ranges in price from £19 ($25, €22) to £100 ($130, €115) with proceeds going to Athlete Ally, a non-profit-making organisation dedicated to eliminating transphobia and homophobia from sports.

Diversifying its output has been a key recent focus of Grindr, beginning with live streaming JW Anderson’s autumn/winter 2016 show, and more recently launching Slumbr, a club night in association with Visionaire.

‘There is no reason we shouldn’t be a much broader thing,’ Landis Smithers, vice-president of marketing at Grindr, tells LS:N Global. Smithers proposes that the platform can ‘create a world where people feel comfortable accessing all sides of their personality’.

The Big Picture

The sexy 1990s are back, but with a strong dose of irony and humour. Read The XXX Factor for more on why brands aren’t shying away from bulging briefs and six-pack abs.

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