Photo by Sandra Gabriel on Unsplash
Barbiemania’ continues into 2024, with merchandise standing out as the top choice in the US, averaging 152,053 searches a month.
South Park has the most sought-after TV show merchandise, averaging 23,868 monthly searches in the US.
A recent study has identified the film and TV series with the highest demand for merchandise, with Barbie and South Park securing the top positions.
The research, carried out by clothing brand Chummy Tees, analyzed online search volumes for the top 100 highest-grossing movies and Rolling Stone’s top 100 TV shows. By calculating average monthly figures in the US since January 2023, the study unveiled the merchandise audiences want to purchase the most.
The data indicated a significant interest in Barbie’s merchandise among the American public, with an average of 152,053 monthly searches. Barbie not only leads as the favorite in 48 states but surpasses the demand for franchises like Star Wars over seven times. After becoming the most successful release in Warner Brothers history, thousands of fans dressing in pink from head to toe brought out the “Barbiecore” fashion trend, which also accounted for an enormous boost in Barbie merchandise. From plastic dolls to pool floats, Barbie‘s merchandise spans a variety of items, with a ‘Barbie shirt’ accumulating up to 63,225 monthly searches.
The study also revealed South Park as the favorite TV show regarding merchandise, with an average of 23,868 monthly searches by the American public. Since its debut in August 1997, the show has maintained an average viewership of 2.4 million per episode and stands as one of Comedy Central’s longest-running programs. South Park’s merchandise ranges from tumblers to bum bags, with the search term ‘South Park shirt’ hitting up to 5,241 monthly searches. Not only does South Park hold the top spot as the favorite in 19 states, including Texas, Arizona, and Illinois, but it outstrips the demand for franchises like Game of Thrones by nearly four times.
Sources: The Numbers, Rolling Stone, Google Keyword Planner
Methodology: The research took the 100 highest-grossing films (excluding sequels and duplicates) and Rolling Stone’s The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. Over 3,000 keywords within Google Keyword Planner were applied to analyze which films and TV shows had the most in-demand merchandise in the US and individual states. Some examples of the keywords used included ‘Friends sweater’, ‘Harry Potter accessories’ and ‘Star Wars phone case’.
