Animoto Lifestyles Collection Shows Off Animoto’s Goofy Side

Popular video slideshow application Animoto announced the launch of their new gift shop earlier this week. Now Animoto fans can show their love for Animoto wherever they go with t-shirts, bags, mouse pads and…riding lawnmowers? That’s right; Animoto’s collection of swag and apparel includes a few products that you may find a little surprising – a riding lawnmower, an Animoto vintage guitar, Animoto body fragrance, guyliner and even a ‘Men Of Animoto’ calendar. When I saw Animoto’s Lifestyles Collection I just had to find out more. CEO Brad Jefferson answered a few questions for me.

Before we get to my interview with Brad, let’s take a look at a couple of Animoto’s strangest products. The lawnmower, valued at $2,990, is a one-of-a-kind and is described as being unrelenting, steadfast and trailblazing.

Then you’ve got the 2011 Men Of Animoto Calendar, “For the ladies or men who judge every book by its cover and know what really counts is on the outside.”

Going along with the Men of Animoto calendar is Animoto CFO Nate Meagher’s totally foxy promotional campaign. Nate took to the streets of New York City to do a photo shoot promoting the Lifestyles Collection, which you can watch in the video later on in the post.

So where did the idea for the Lifestyles Collection come from and can you really buy Animoto guyliner, or a riding lawnmower (strangely enough the only products that aren’t currently “sold out” are the t-shirts, hats, bags and “normal” gear)? Find out what Brad Jefferson had to say below.

ST: What inspired Animoto to start selling merch? Is the entire shop new (t-shirts, doggy shirts, bags, etc.) or just the new “collectibles”?

BJ: Like Google, we’ve simply reached a scale where we need to invest in new areas to begin diversifying our revenue. Plus, our fans have been stealing our clothes. The Animoto store was the perfect solution to kill two birds with one stone. In business, we call this “synergy.”

And yes, the entire shop is new.

ST: Who was the brains behind the Animoto Lifestyles Collection? Was it Nate Meagher’s brainchild, or is he only serving as the poster boy?

BJ: The collection required no brains. Only massive amounts of sugar and caffeine. For similar feelings of inspiration, we recommend a six-pack of Animoto Energy Drink.

Nate only models for Animoto part time, like three days a week. The rest of the time, he runs finance. With the popularity of our new store, his modeling time will likely drop to two days a week to keep up with the orders. To experience some of his earlier work check out his 5-word acceptance speech at last year’s Webby Awards.

ST: Where oh where did you ever come up with the ideas for the collectible products? A lawnmower? Guyliner? Energy drink?

BJ: That’s like asking why Axl Rose is so awesome. There are too many ways to answer that. In short, Animoto is a brand, a beast with a mind of its own that dictates to us what it demands. Not the other way around.

ST: I’ll admit that I may be one of the most gullible people in the world, so I have to ask – these products aren’t real, right? If there is enough demand will you really start producing lawnmowers and body wash?

BJ: Yes. And of course. We’re running a business, aren’t we? The only thing holding us up is the fact that the production cycle for many of our products is quite long. For example, each Animoto lawnmower is handcrafted in Germany by craftsman Mr. Gabriele Müller and requires about 18 months to produce. The good news is with Animoto Energy Drink, the turnaround has been reduced to about 11 months.

ST: My dog loves Animoto and he really wants a t-shirt. Do you accept doggie credit cards?

BJ: Unfortunately, we do not accept doggie credit cards at this time. We hear, however, that Facebook has been working on doggie FB currency. In fact, there are rumors we may be a launch partner. But alas, we’ve already said too much.

ST: Does Nate’s NYC photo shoot mean that you plan on making a Men of Animoto Calendar for real? If so, please ping me. I have the perfect spot for it on my wall.

BJ: If you happen to score a ‘Men of Animoto’ Calendar, we highly recommend not hanging it up in a public place. Sadly, people have already been writing in with crushing stories about how their calendars have gone missing.

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.