2XL earbuds are SUHWEET

I was at Best Buy today and got introduced to 2XL headphones. I'm not sure if it's a new brand or not, but it's new to me and I can't really find any information about it. I'm pretty sure it's a sub-brand from Skullcandy, who have been making huge waves with their explosive growth in the portable audio category. Much like Skullcandy, they're low-priced but good quality, and use design as the primary point of difference from their competitors. I can't find any images of the packaging, but it looks AWESOME at shelf despite being extremely simple. I am absolutely in love with the logo!

The earbuds themselves also look really distinctive, with a variety of really nice colorways. Also of note is their Nuevo Sonido collection, which is a Mexican-inspired colorway and identity. It's really well-done because it feels super authentic and subtle. You often see marketers try way too hard when reaching out to Latinos, which always comes off as phony and contrived. Nuevo Sonido, on the other hand, seems like a really nice execution to this white guy.

Check out their site at http://2xl.com


My take
1. Skullcandy is growing like a weed, stealing marketshare and shelf space from established brands because they're the only player in the category that knows how to use lifestyle marketing. 2XL should do more of the same. Hats off to them for shaking things up!

2. 2XL is proof that awesome design doesn't have to cost anything. The packaging is extremely minimal yet super impactful because of effective use of color and a brilliant logo. The products themselves are equally simple, but the bold, expressive colorways make them pop like crazy at shelf. If you're creative like this, you can use design to differentiate your product without adding a single penny to your cost of goods, so cost is never an excuse for bad design!