Branded merchandise has always been a powerful way for businesses and audiences to connect, but 2025 trends in branding reveal even higher stakes and greater opportunities.
Enter what we've identified as a key trend of 2025—Ethos: an approach to promotional products that's in line with consumer behaviors like prioritizing sustainability, ethical production, and community building. Our Ethos trend concept is about creating merchandise that resonates with consumers who value meaning and connection.
Today's buyers want companies to share their values. With millennials and Gen Z driving demand for environmental awareness and authenticity, purpose-driven merchandise is shaping the future. Eco-friendly materials, ethical practices, and meaningful stories help brands build trust, deepen loyalty, and stand out in a crowded market.
Ethos in Merchandising: Key Sub-Trends
These buzzwords describe products that support sustainability, longevity, and connection. Find the approach that best suits your brand.
#Underconsumption
Underconsumption core is one of the dominant 2025 trends. More isn't always better. Thoughtful minimalists focus on owning fewer, higher-quality items that last. Millennials and Gen Z are increasingly eco-conscious and aware of the environmental impact of overconsumption.
Prioritize products that stand the test of time. Lifetime-use goods combine functionality with sustainability and reinforce your brand as one that values meaningful choices over fleeting trends.
Pro Tips
- Highlight your products' durability and timeless design: Pick quality over quantity. Consumers and recipients want lasting goods that fit into a streamlined lifestyle.
- Provide for future wear and tear: Explore repair programs, extended warranties, or "refresh kits" that allow customers to restore your branded products.
Circular Lifestyles
A circular economy is a practical roadmap for making merchandise sustainable. This model strives to eliminate waste by keeping materials in use. Its trendsetters embrace recycling, upcycling, or reimagining waste as a resource. Product examples include reusable tote bags crafted from recycled plastic and apparel made from biodegradable fibers.
Make consumers feel good about supporting your brand with green messaging and manufacturing.
Pro Tips
- Embrace closed-loop supply chains: Closed-loop supply chains reintroduce materials from used products into the production and retail process. For example, Apple encourages customers to return used devices for resale or component reuse. Check out an example of giving new life to older promotional products with this creative story from Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) featuring upcycled pet blankets.
- Use sustainable packaging: Opt for sleek, minimalist designs, and choose recycled or biodegradable materials. Also seek out sustainable inks for your packaging, like water- or algae-based inks.
Community-Driven Designs
Branded merchandise can serve as a connection point — a way to bring people together through shared values and experiences.
Despite being the most digitally connected generations, Gen Z and millennials also feel profoundly disconnected. More than half of Gen Z report feelings of loneliness, with many struggling with their mental health.
Community-driven designs transform merchandise into a shared experience. Limited-edition drops tied to causes, events, or shared cultural "in-jokes" feel personal and exclusive — appealing to those seeking real-life bonds. It's IYKYK (If You Know You Know) branding, speaking directly to niche groups and fostering a sense of belonging.
"Funflation" is also key to 2025 trends. Gen Z and millennials often prioritize experiences that enhance their quality of life over saving money. They're investing in moments that matter and want products that remind them of those experiences — whether that's branded apparel tied to a favorite cause or unique merchandise from a live event.
Pro Tips
- Make your creative process inclusive: Poll your employees, clients, or social media audiences on designs or host contests to co-create items together.
- Link branded apparel to ongoing conversations: Use marketing channels to connect to trending topics, inside jokes, or common interests or values.
Highlighting Ethical Choices & Materials
Commit to your audience's values with sustainable promotions that include thoughtful sourcing and green innovations.
Ethical Production and Sourcing
Ethical production and sourcing have become non-negotiable. Customers want brands interested in the future of the planet — which is their future, too.
Pro Tips
- Use certified sources: Partner with ethical suppliers and look for certifications such as Fair Trade or GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) that add credibility. Items like:
- This Patagonia Micro Quarter-Zip, made in a Fair Trade certified factory
- This fanny pack, created with Bluesign and OKEO-TEX certified fabric
- Initiate give-back programs: Seventy-five percent of consumers demand that businesses give back to the world. Support social or environmental causes as part of your merchandise strategy. Try to link them to your sales or corporate giving.
- Like this water bottle, where every purchase contributes to the collection of 25 pounds of ocean-bound plastic
- Purchasing this tote helps provide 5 school meals to kids around the globe
Eco-Focused Materials
Eco-focused materials set new standards for creative sustainability. Some manufacturers now substitute materials like Piñatex, made from pineapple leaf fibers, in products once dominated by less eco-friendly options like leather. Similarly, non-toxic dyes and water-wise materials, such as hydroponically grown cotton, help brands minimize their environmental impact at every stage. For example, Allbirds is using sugarcane to create their SweetFoam shoe soles. By using a biomaterial like sugarcane, they're tapping into a extremelyself-sufficient production process; in fact, sugarcane's biomass is extracted to literally power the mill and fertilize the next year’s crop!
Pro Tips
- Lean into innovation: Add fun and novelty to products by exploring the hottest eco trends and materials.
- Tell good stories: Share details about your materials and packaging with consumers in purposeful promotions highlighting the manufacturing journey.
How To Incorporate Ethos Trends Into Merchandising
Embed your ethos into every aspect of your merchandise strategy. Here's how to get started.
1. Audit Your Current Sourcing and Production Methods
Conduct a thorough audit of your existing processes, from material sourcing to production and distribution. Gathering this baseline data will help identify opportunities for improvement.
2. Establish Priorities
Determine what matters most to your audience and focus your efforts accordingly. Start small with realistic goals, then build as you gain momentum.
3. Educate Your Team and Consumers Through Storytelling
Your team needs to understand why these changes matter. Host workshops or webinars to get everyone on board with sustainability initiatives. Share these efforts with your customers with behind-the-scenes updates.
4. Partner with Organizations Driving Impact
No brand can do it all alone. Build partnerships with groups and organizations that align with your goals, such as nonprofits addressing climate change. These collaborations add credibility and amplify your impact.
5. Regularly Evaluate and Adapt
Sustainability and ethics are moving targets. Both consumer expectations and technologies are rapidly evolving. Stay current with the latest developments, and check in with your audience. Incorporate their feedback into your strategy to stay ahead of the curve.
Shape Your Merchandise with Purpose and Impact
The future of branded merchandise is about creating products that reflect shared values and purpose. Adopting Ethos-driven 2025 trends helps you build trust and foster deeper loyalty with your values-driven audience.
At Boundless, we help you develop and execute your strategy. Whether you're looking to integrate eco-focused materials or design merchandise tied to community-driven initiatives, we have the necessary expertise, creativity, and resources. Together, we can craft purposeful, promotional products that make an impact. Contact us for more information.
Take the next step in building purpose-driven merchandise strategies. Browse our 2025 Ethos Idea Book to see how you can bring your vision to life.
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