Kiss is one of the most successful bands when it comes to merchandising, with an extensive line of licensed products and partnerships with external brands such as Marvel and even Hello Kitty .
Gene Simmons is an avid businessman and has said on more than one occasion that he is "too rich to care" about those who criticize the band's commercial vision, with some of the public accusing Kiss of abandoning music to become just another brand in the market.
In a recent interview with The Sun , Simmons talked about the origins of his merchandise empire. “The idea of merchandising and licensing really came from Disney. I hated the idea that there were rules. If you were in a rock band, you shouldn’t sell out,” he said (via Brave Words ). “On the other hand, I thought the idea was that you should always try to sell out… every night [at shows]. The merchandise part started very early on, when we noticed fans showing up with homemade T-shirts. We started making our own before we had companies interested in what we were doing. The classic business model is to give the public what they want.”
