Move over Monster with your Beats by Dr Dre – there's another celebrity audio brand in the house.
Last month in the midst of so much CES hard plastic and neon lights, it was difficult to find anything remotely organic feeling. A few booths tried to bring in plants and soften it up, but one that stood out was House of Marley. The booth, filled with wood and earth tones, provided a mini-Bob Marley haven amidst an electric jungle. Damian Marley was there revealing a range of their eco-conscious audio accessories designed by the family of Bob Marley – well, actually produced by HoMedics (owner of Sharper Image brand), who has a licensing agreement with the Marley family. Â According to reports, the products will begin to ship to retailers in the second quarter of 2011 with a portion of proceeds going to 1Love.org, a not-for-profit business created with the Marley family to empower youth, protect our planet and encourage global peace.
In terms of products, House of Marley is comprised of three collections — Jammin', Freedom, and Destiny — and features passive noise canceling in-ear headphones, over-ear headphones, docking stations, speakers and boom boxes. Not exactly cutting edge technology, House of Marley is more about packaging to target a specific customer and lifestyle. Canvas, polished wood and designs that make you think of beach parties and relaxing to some Marley tunes. Bob Marley may be an older brand, but it's still hip and when you add in an eco-consciousness and words of world-love and tolerance, HoMedics might have a brand hit on it's hands.
House of Marley is also showcasing their products at this week's MAGIC event in Las Vegas (a large fashion tradeshow).
