Sometimes the best way to know what's popular right now is to look at the latest gear to drop. Today we're checking in with Tay-Tay, whose new release "Lover" has been storming up the charts. Nobody could accuse the artist of being lacklustre at the branded merchandise game, so we're looking at her newest custom products to get a feel for what's in this season.

Branded Merchandise You Need Right Now

Like many popular artists operating today, Taylor Swift's "Lover" has an overall aesthetic theme and colour palette that's reflected across the entire related merchandise range in her store. By examining these products and their patterns, we can get a fair idea of what Taylor Swift fans (and indeed many other people) will be interested in buying during Spring and Summer this year.

Make Use of Pastels and Light Colours

A consistent theme across all of the "Lover" promotional products is an appreciation for pastel pinks, baby blues, and creamy whites. You'll want to refer to our handy PMS colour chart to find the perfect shade, but there's no doubt that these soft colours are everywhere right now. Pastel colours can also be used very effectively for your logo print on a standard black or white product, but you'll want to ensure your design is bold enough that it doesn't get lost on a large white space.

It's All About Useful Custom Swag

No doubt the marketing team behind Swift's new range of merchandise did a lot of research into what would be considered useful for young women because there's very little gear in her online store that could be considered superfluous or "extra." For the rest of us, that means items your audience will use = what you should be aiming for. Examples of these products from the "Lover" range include reusable drinking straws, smartphone cases with branding, and promotional phone grips.

Consider Fully Customised Promo Items

Perhaps the element of the "Lover" range that stood out to us most, as marketing merchandise professionals, was the number of products made in fully customised shapes and styles exclusively for this promotion. Swift has sunglasses cut into love heart shapes, a straw that spells "Lover", an assortment of stylish rings, keyrings boasting the "Lover" design and even some paper craft rings featuring her prints.

What is the message for the rest of us? Don't be afraid to try something completely new. Products like custom keyrings or paper items can be made in custom shapes and colours for a very low quantity and for a lot less than you might think. Treat your campaign to the special items it deserves -- after all, it seems to be working well for Taylor Swift!

Products available from here, details sourced from here: https://store.taylorswift.com/