Ryan Reynolds invests in Ohio company after Taylor Swift boosts sales
A central Ohio apparel company, whose viral hat was restocked four times after Taylor Swift was seen wearing it, has landed an investor known for Marvel’s “Deadpool” movies: Ryan Reynolds.
Columbus-based Homage is receiving a round of capital from the actor’s Maximum Effort Investments, a firm that “makes movies, TV series, content, ads, and cocktails for the personal amusement of [Reynolds],” the company’s site states. Maximum’s other projects include the “Deadpool” movies, a gin distillery and Welsh soccer team Wrexham AFC.
“We started very much as a regional company, very Ohio focused, but we’ve grown to be much more of a national brand,” said Ryan Vesler, Homage CEO and founder. “It demonstrates the potential that Maximum Effort sees in Homage and a belief in our ability to tell stories.”
A Maximum representative is joining the Homage board of directors, while the apparel brand is planning to use the investment to expand production capacity, grow its operating team and expand licensing partnerships. Homage’s existing collaborations include the NFL, the NBA and Ohio State University, among other brands and universities.
Ricky Engelberg, Maximum’s head of sports, said Homage “exists to tell stories that move people,” which aligns with the firm’s mission of “bringing people together in smart, fun, unexpected ways.” Engelberg said the investment “represents an exciting new avenue for us to execute on that mission.”
The announcement comes as Homage sales have risen after Swift attended the Coachella music festival sporting a baseball-style cap that read “New Heights,” the name of a podcast hosted by her boyfriend and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother Jason, former center for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Homage is the official apparel partner of the podcast, selling the hat in black or green for $36. A spokesperson said the brand has ramped up manufacturing of the hat and is now delivering orders ahead of schedule, meaning fans who ordered a “New Heights” cap are likely to get it sooner than expected.
“‘New Heights’ took a chance on us to produce its merchandise,” Vesler said. “Everybody in the ‘New Heights’ orbit, including Taylor, it’s an honor for our company just to play a small part of that overall story.”
