The legendary flamboyant rockers of KISS might have been saying goodbye on a farewell tour recently, but the band’s renowned merchandise bandwagon has shown no signs of slowing down.
In the middle of June, sites including Blabbermouth revealed how the band has joined forces with Merge4 to release a new line of socks. Furthermore, that news came shortly after the band’s global licensing agent Epic Rights confirmed that the group has also collaborated with Marvel on a range of clothing, accessories and home goods.
A Major Legacy
Such steps are of course just the latest that KISS has taken in the world of merchandise, with the group famously putting its name to a huge number of items through the years. The band even chose to immortalize its efforts in KISS: The Hottest Brand in the Land, a coffee table book featuring photos of everything from lunchboxes and clothing, to trash cans and belt buckles.
However, while they have undoubtedly spread their net far and wide in terms of merchandising, the band perhaps does deserve some credit for being pretty forward-thinking at times. KISS has embraced technology on a number of occasions, and here we look at just four ways that the band has shown its more innovative side.
Marvel and Rock Legends KISS Join Forces on new co-branded collection, KISS x Marvel
Fifth Sun, accessories and drinkware from Bioworld, home goods from Jay Franco, and posters from Trends International to be released as part of the exciting co-brandpic.twitter.com/9oBzjwUGwD
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) February 17, 2020
1. Virtual Reality – The band is one of a handful of names from the rock world to take a step into virtual reality, with one of their shows at The O2 featuring on the MelodyVR service. Using a VR headset and the MelodyVR app, fans can watch the live concert in a whole new way by accessing eight different ‘jump spots’ and getting a fresh view of Gene Simmons and the group in action. The MelodyVR site explains how it has an entire set, so there are 16 songs to enjoy including classics such as Crazy Crazy Nights, Rock and Roll All Nite, and, of course, Detroit Rock City.
2. Augmented Reality – Not content with offering a virtual reality experience, KISS has embraced augmented reality in the past as well. Back in 2012, sites including Brave Words revealed how artwork from the band’s 20th studio album Monster could be brought to life using AR. More specifically, fans could download the uView app to see 3D ‘Bobble Head’ versions of the band play Hell Or Hallelujah. The content was created in partnership with Aurasma.
3. Gaming – KISS has also effectively embraced video gaming through the years, with the band featuring in titles such as Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child. They have even taken a step into the world of online slots too, with a creation from WMS being among the range of free slots available at sites like VegasSlots.
Mobile gaming is going from strength to strength at the moment, and KISS can be found in that domain as well. According to its Google Play listing, KISS Rock City gives players the chance to turn to the group for advice as they look to navigate their way to rock and roll stardom.
Ever dreamed of playing alongside #KISS on stage? In #KISSRockCity you can!#downloadnow#iOS : https://t.co/qeZOTBz2KZ#Android : https://t.co/XGq7k3P1eW@KISSOnline @PaulStanleyLive @genesimmons #KISSARMY #KISSArmyRocks #Rockstar #Rock #Music #RockMusic #BeARockstar #mobile pic.twitter.com/oGrqUJOkNK
— KISS Rock City (@KISSRCGame) May 14, 2018
4. Mobile – Sticking with the world of smartphones and tablets for a moment, it is also worth noting that KISS has made an impact in that area in other ways. The band features in several different mobile tools including an official photo app. Again, created in conjunction with Epic Rights, the software has allowed fans to personalize pictures by adding a range of iconography and make-up inspired by the band to them. KISS has also collaborated with Emoji as well, with the rock icons making it onto a brand keyboard available via app stores like Google Play.
A Whole New Dimension
There is no denying that KISS has enjoyed a huge amount of success in the music world through the decades, but the band’s interest in merchandise and other areas has certainly given them a whole new dimension as well.
They are clearly no strangers to trying new things and, as the projects above shows, they have effectively embraced technology on numerous occasions in recent times. While their touring days are apparently coming to an end, it will be fascinating to see whether the KISS name continues to live on in other digital innovations going forward.
