Military Branches License Branded Cologne, Hot Sauce

The military has marched into the retail sector armed with an arsenal of unorthodox products, ranging from cologne and walking canes to hot sauce. If you’d like to smell like a Marine, you can purchase a $45 bottle of Devil Dog cologne. You can also spice up your food with some drops from a $7 bottle of U.S. Marine Corps Hot Sauce, which its bottle declares “Will Make You Stand At Attention.”

The Washington Post reports that military-branded products sell for tens of million dollars each year, thanks to the brand recognition of the service branches and partnerships with the likes of Under Armour, Gillette and New Balance. The product assault is the result of a 2004 law, intended to boost military recruiting, that granted the military the right to keep funds it made from branding products.

Of the $50 million in Army-branded products expected to be sold this year, the service makes $1.2 million in royalties. The funds go toward operating the licensing program, and leftover money goes toward programs that boost morale.

Military branches have entered the retail market [Washington Post]

(Thanks, Shani!)

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