Sunday and BDA both deliver branded merchandise at scale, but they're built differently. BDA calls itself The Merchandise Agency — a large US agency serving iconic brands with custom merchandise programs, sports and entertainment licensing, and bespoke retail-quality product, delivered through account teams. Sunday is a managed European branded-merch platform — you design self-serve in about thirty seconds, and Sunday manufactures, warehouses, ships and measures the program. The honest short version: if you're a large brand wanting an agency to build bespoke, licensed or retail-grade merchandise programs, BDA is a strong fit; if you want a European platform with transparent minimums, self-serve design and merch ROI, Sunday fits better.
Sunday vs BDA at a glance
| Sunday | BDA | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Managed branded-merch platform: design, manufacture, store, ship, measure | Large US merchandise agency for enterprise brands |
| How you engage | Free account, self-serve design, plus a managed program | Contact an account team; agency-led engagement |
| Best use case | Ongoing branded-merch programs across teams | Enterprise merchandise programs, licensed and retail-grade product |
| Design | Self-serve mockups in ~30 seconds, free, plus 2,000+ templates | Agency creative, lookbooks and bespoke product development |
| Specialisms | Corporate merch for marketing, HR and events | Sports and entertainment licensing, fan and retail merchandise |
| Minimum order | Transparent: from ~10 pieces ready-to-wear, ~100–150 fully custom | Not publicly disclosed; geared to enterprise volume |
| Pricing | Transparent product pricing, visible before ordering | Quote-based per program |
| Program tools | Warehousing, reordering and swag stores; ROI reporting | Full-service agency support and fulfillment at scale |
| Geography | Made in Europe, multi-country production | US-based, global reach |
This is less a "which is better" table than a "what size and shape is your program" table — an enterprise agency versus a platform you can start using today.
What Sunday is
Sunday is a platform that helps marketing, event and HR teams manage, order and measure the ROI of branded merchandise, all produced in Europe. The catalog runs to 550+ base products and 490+ decoration options with 2,000+ ready templates. Drop a logo on a product in the catalog and preview it in your colors in about thirty seconds, free. Minimums are low and transparent — from around 10 pieces ready-to-wear and around 100–150 for fully custom, Pantone-dyed production — and Sunday warehouses and ships for teams. Over ten years it has become the merch partner to 200+ brands including Google, HubSpot, Deel, Zalando and Booking.com. Explore the platform or read how it works.
What BDA is
BDA is one of the largest merchandise agencies in the US, positioning itself as "The Merchandise Agency" trusted by iconic brands — its public work features names such as Starbucks, Popeyes and Peterbilt. Its scope goes well beyond corporate swag: custom product development, lookbooks, large-scale fulfillment and a notable business in sports and entertainment merchandise, where licensing and fan product demand specialist expertise. BDA is also the parent of SwagUp, the US custom-swag platform. For large organisations that want an experienced agency to build a merchandise program end to end, at volume and with retail-quality product, it's a heavyweight partner.
Where Sunday wins
- Start today, self-serve. Free account and mockups in about 30 seconds, rather than waiting on an agency engagement to begin.
- Transparent minimums and pricing. Published minimums from ~10 pieces with costs visible before you order, which suits teams below enterprise volume.
- European production. Made in Europe with shorter supply chains, avoiding transatlantic shipping and customs for EU recipients.
- Merch as a measurable channel. Sunday ties merch spend to marketing, HR and event ROI.
- Program tooling built in. Warehousing, reordering and swag stores run the program without agency overhead.
Where BDA wins
Credit where it's due. BDA's scale and experience are hard to match — decades of work with iconic brands, and the capacity to run very large merchandise programs. Its licensed sports and entertainment expertise is a genuine specialism most merch platforms simply don't offer, and its bespoke product development can create retail-quality items well beyond a standard catalog. Its full-service agency model suits organisations that want the work taken off their plate entirely. If you're a large US brand with licensing needs or retail-grade ambitions, BDA belongs on your shortlist.
Which is right for you
| If you… | Lean toward |
|---|---|
| Run a company or team merch program at normal volumes | Sunday |
| Want to design and order yourself, quickly | Sunday |
| Need transparent minimums from ~10 pieces and visible pricing | Sunday |
| Ship mostly to Europe and want EU production | Sunday |
| Need licensed sports or entertainment merchandise | BDA |
| Want a full-service agency for an enterprise program | BDA |
About this article
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Sunday vs BDA: questions answered
Is Sunday a BDA alternative?
For a branded-merch program, yes. Sunday gives you free self-serve design, custom manufacturing in Europe, warehousing and merch-ROI reporting with transparent minimums from around 10 pieces. BDA is better suited to enterprise-scale agency programs and licensed merchandise.
What's the main difference between Sunday and BDA?
Agency versus platform, and scale. BDA is a full-service US merchandise agency built around enterprise programs, bespoke product and licensing. Sunday is a European platform you can start using immediately, with published minimums and pricing plus built-in program tools.
Is BDA the same as SwagUp?
They're related: BDA is the parent company of SwagUp, the US custom-swag platform. BDA operates as the enterprise merchandise agency, while SwagUp addresses more self-serve swag needs.
Is there a European alternative to BDA?
Sunday is a European option built for branded-merch programs, made in Europe with transparent low minimums, self-serve design, warehousing and merch-ROI reporting. BDA is US-based with global reach.
See Sunday for yourself
Create a free account, drop in your logo and design branded merch in your colors in about 30 seconds. Made in Europe, from 10 pieces, with ROI reporting built in.
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