'Spider-Man Effect'—Was It Really This Powerful? It Worked Outside Theaters, Too

[Financial News] The Spider-Man craze is spreading beyond theaters into the fashion market. As transactions of related fashion products surged around the film's release, 'IP fandom'—the consumption of favorite characters and content through fashion—is emerging as a new consumer trend.
KREAM said on the 11th that its monthly fashion trend report, 'What KREAM Wants to Know (KRAL),' highlighted 'IP fashion' and brand collaborations, which have recently emerged as major drivers of success in the fashion market.
KREAM's transaction data showed that demand for related IP products began rising ahead of the film's release. During July, the transaction value of Marvel- and Spider-Man-related products increased by approximately 30% year on year.
The increase accelerated further in August, immediately after the release of the film 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day.' Demand concentrated on products featuring colors symbolizing Peter Parker and web graphics, as well as collaboration items from Supreme and Spider-Man. As a result, the transaction value of related products rose approximately 76% year on year. KREAM expects interest in Marvel IP products to continue, fueled further by anticipation for the new The Avengers film scheduled for release at the end of the year.
It is not just films. Japanese animation IPs with global fan bases are also expanding their influence in the fashion market. A prime example is the 'UT BLEACH T-shirt,' released exclusively by Uniqlo in Japan to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Japanese publisher Shueisha. In South Korea, its scarcity—because it could be obtained only through overseas direct purchases and other channels—drove the number of products saved as favorites on KREAM to surge 223% from the previous day on the day of its release. The combination of a popular IP with cumulative circulation of 120 million copies and its limited-edition status also created a premium of 105% over the retail price.
Limited-edition collaborations that combine the fan bases of different brands are also attracting attention. The 'Gentle Monster × Prada' collection, which applied an inverted Prada logo to Gentle Monster's sculptural frames, sold out completely within 30 minutes of the opening of its pop-up store in Japan. In South Korea, transaction volume for the '1 01 Black Black' sunglasses on KREAM rose 666% from the previous week during the week after its official release, while the number of products saved as favorites increased 543%. Some models traded for as much as 1.5 million won, roughly twice their retail price.
The collaboration model introduced by New Balance and jjjound showed a similar trend. The '740 Paper White Stoneware,' which applied jjjound's distinctive colors and design to a 2000s running-shoe silhouette, saw the number of products saved as favorites rise 514% from the previous week ahead of its official release in South Korea last August. Its trading price also climbed to around 500,000 won, more than twice the retail price.
As fans' affection for content and brands translates into actual purchases, IP recognition, the scarcity of limited editions, and collaborations between brands are becoming key factors driving prices and transaction volumes in the fashion market.
A KREAM representative said, "We will quickly identify diversifying consumer trends and changes in preferences and continue exploring meaningful market insights."
[email protected] Hyerim Choi Reporter