Olivia Rodrigo Taps Etsy Founders for Festival Merch

Pop star Olivia Rodrigo personally selected ten female founders from Etsy to design merchandise for her inaugural Daisy Chains Music Festival, an event dedicated to supporting women and girls. Among these selected entrepreneurs was Emma Mannino, founder of the temporary tattoo brand Saint Tattoos, based in Fort Collins, Colorado. Mannino initially received a vague direct message on Etsy in early May, which she suspected might be spam. After consulting with her mother, also an Etsy artist, Mannino participated in a Zoom call where she discovered the "talent" was Olivia Rodrigo. Rodrigo tasked Mannino's brand with creating a series of daisy-inspired temporary tattoo designs, a significant opportunity for Mannino's niche market business, which she launched in 2021 and has since expanded to approximately 700 retail stores. Mannino expressed astonishment at her shop being chosen from the vast number of sellers on Etsy.

The Daisy Chains Music Festival, announced in June, is a one-day event scheduled for August in Irvine, California. It features an all-female lineup, including Chappell Roan, Doechii, Katseye, and Rodrigo herself. The festival is positioned as a spiritual successor to Lilith Fair, the all-female music festival founded by Sarah McLachlan, which ran intermittently between 1997 and 2010. All proceeds from the festival and its associated merchandise will be donated to charities focused on advancing and advocating for women and girls. This initiative by Rodrigo highlights a commitment to supporting female artists and entrepreneurs while also contributing to charitable causes.

The collaboration with Etsy founders provided a substantial boost to their businesses. According to Etsy's reporting, the participating creators experienced an average sales increase of over 2,000% during the campaign period. This surge in sales underscores the significant impact that a high-profile endorsement and partnership can have on small businesses operating on e-commerce platforms. The creator codesign program, which facilitated this collaboration, aims to connect Etsy sellers with larger brands and public figures, offering them unique opportunities for exposure and growth. Mannino's experience exemplifies the potential for such programs to transform the trajectory of independent artists and small business owners. The success of this partnership is expected to encourage further collaborations between major artists and independent creators on platforms like Etsy.