Brands paid Norwegian soccer star Erling Haaland to rep Nike cleats, Beats headphones and an iconic Chinese herbal tea. But it was his favorite hair tie pinning his long blond hair into his signature man bun that stirred a different kind of consumer frenzy: fans reaching for a functional, affordable item that felt like a direct link to the star himself.
World Cup watchers first noticed Haaland matched his Norwegian-made KKNEKKI elastics to the colors of Norway’s national kits – red with the team’s home look, black with the away shirt, and a red-white-blue KKNEKKI bundle for fans who want to wear the national colors. Haaland’s limited edition collection sold out.
KKNEKKI parent company Bon Dep’s marketing director Hedda Engelhardt Davidsen told Fortune that the company saw a “significant increase” in web traffic, retailer inquiries and consumer demand after Haaland wore the hair ties publicly, though the company declined to provide specific numbers.
That dynamic is increasingly valuable because most fans can’t afford big-ticket items that their favorite celebrities wear and use. However, fans can buy Haaland’s hair elastic, Taylor Swift’s casual dress, Roger Federer’s shoes, Travis Scott’s meal order or any other trace of the person they admire.
