T-shirts to start-ups are kind of like business cards to the characters in American Psycho: Everyone is furiously proud of their own and they try to show them off as often as possible.
Here at Printsome we understand the importance of marketing and advertising your brand. There are several ways to do this, but the one we swear by is the branded tee (shocker). A customised T-shirt does not only advertise your business by turning whoever wears it into a walking hoarding, but also gives employees a sense of pride and team loyalty.
Top 22 start-up T-shirts
On this post we’ve collected some of the best start-up T-shirts we’ve seen out there. In order to add them to the list, we’ve judged them based on creativity and overall appeal. So here they are in no particular order:
Dropbox
I don’t have to explain what Dropbox if for, now do I? I mean, we’ve all been using it for a while now. Their T-shirt is pretty straightforward in terms of design, but it works. What’s worth noting is the fact that the garment is in the colour of the company and not the other way around which is usually the case.
Splunk
I had to read twice before I realised what the actual name of this startup was. That aside, the San Francisco based startup Splunk, offers big data analysing software to other companies. Their T-shirt doesn’t feature groundbreaking typography or beautiful colours, but instead a witty quote that relates to the products they offer. This is a good example of how smart copywriting can make design unnecessary.
Phishme
Or maybe this copy is better?
Sorry, @splunk, but this @PhishMe shirt is my new favorite IT t-shirt. pic.twitter.com/uotmLNEAu7
— James Arndt (@jcarndt) September 28, 2016
Note: Ever wanted to know what it’s like being the office manager of a start-up? We sat down with our very own Marc to talk about the best (and the worst) parts of the job. Read it here.
Cloudera
Interestingly enough, Cloudera (a data centralising startup) offers merchandise with the slogan “I like big data and I cannot lie” which coincides with Splunk’s garments. If this is a case of copying or mere coincidence I wouldn’t be able to say, but when one creates merchandise it is important to make sure it’s not a repeat of what someone else already did. Still, Cloudera offers well designed tees with different slogans and badges carrying the same messages.
Evernote
The app that has revolutionised the note-taking-memo-writing-clipping world, is represented by an elephant logo. The design, aside from being cleverly achieved is very versatile for merchandising. Currently, they only sell note books on their store, but at some point they produced T-shirts with great results.
CityFalcon
As one of this year’s top 16 London-based startups from 2016 according to Forbes magazine, CityFalcon is a company that works to make financial news more available to everyone. In a recent Master Investor Show, its employees wore a T-shirt that’s reminiscent of Superman because (it may be difficult to see in the picture) it features two hands that open up a virtual garment to reveal the company’s logo.
Squirl
Personally speaking, I don’t know what I like more in this case, if the T-shirt or the squirrel costume. Either way, this book-finding app managed to draw attention effectively during this marketing action thanks to the T-shirt wearing critter.
[content_band bg_color=”#E8F6D2″ border=”all”] [container]By the way, did you know that T-shirts are also a great way to introduce yourself and your business?? Printsome’s T-shirts are perfect for souvenirs, merchandise and staff uniforms, among many other possibilities. Visit our website to find out what we can do for you.[/container] [/content_band]Pagoda Box
To be completely honest, after spending a good ten minutes going back and forth on their website I still don’t understand what Pagoda Box does. What I gather is that they offer tools to build apps. All of this programming stuff goes way over my head, but what I do know is that their T-shirts look good and reflect a sense of humour that seems to be a trademark of the company.
Take Eat Easy
Take Eat Easy is (was?) one of the food delivery platforms that have been sprouting across Europe in recent years. Their branded garments are not really merchandise, but the uniform of its bikers that travel all around the city delivering meals. The mint green makes them stand out and the elegant graphics appeal to a different type of costumer that might be turned off by a more “common” type of delivery service.
Lyft
Not unlike Uber, Lyft is an app that offers driving services by local riders. The merchandise offered is not jaw-dropping creative, but it stands out by how it is presented. It is a good example of how to create merchandise for your brand and how to sell it. Sometimes it is not about what you do, but how you do it.
MailChimp
If you’ve been working for the past ten years then at some point you must have run into MailChimp. Aside from featuring a good looking, easy-to-use interface, every once in a while the newsletter platform will design special T-shirts for their customers. What we can take from MailChimp’s merchandise is that you don’t need a lot of design if you have an endearing mascot.
Github
Github offers software to developers so they can create their projects. Like Lyft, this startup offers a modern e-shop where clients can purchase their official T-shirts. What makes it standout from the rest is the customisable URL on the back.
Pop’Stache
In an online world saturated with music blogs and magazines, Pop’Stache stands out for their sense of humour and no-nonsense approach to content. To promote their platform, Pop’Stache has designed a bright-red T-shirt that features an old-fashioned illustration of a man with his eyes blind-folded by the title of the website. It is cool, creative and commands attention.
Improbable
Improbable is a British start-up that’s revolutionising the industry of simulation games. Their minimalistic T-shirts are a sharp contrast from the complex work they have to do to create those virtual worlds.
MIST
MIST is an acronym that’s stands for Mekong innovative startup tourism. What we like about this garment is how the print seems to tell a story with the water dragon and the fireworks in the background.
Sup
Sup it’s an app that allows you to find people you already know nearby. What we like about the T-shirt it’s the bubble enveloping the logo that gives you the feeling of a cute character speaking.
Wonderush
Wondersush allows to explore activities and sports you’d never thought you’d try. Unlike most start-ups, they are not using the logo, but a message that communicates their brand philosophy. Bravo!
LDNM
LDNM started as a fitness blog run by four friends and eventually became a £1.2 million fitness company. As for the T-shirt, we appreciate the cartoon of the Mr. Big Ben flexing his muscles.
NetDuma
Netduma is every online gamer’s dream, a router that promises no lag. Sticking to the theme of speed, they’ve chosen a wild feline as the background of their Tee. May this be a lesson to all designers, the world won’t explode if you ad a figurative image behind your logo.
Cocoba
Cocoba chocolate offers over a 130 products of real Belgian chocolate. This garment obviously was inspired by the famous book Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, but with it’s own sweet twist.
Housekeep
Housekeep is an online platform that allows you to hire and manage a housekeeper from the confort of your own home. What we like about this print it’s how it shows the rating and a review of the service.
Perkbox
Perkbox is a platform that allows you to create perks and special prizes for your employees and/or customers. In this design, the logo takes a second place to the icons that represent the service the company offers.
Yelp
Is Yelp still considered a startup? I’d guess not, but let’s just pretend it is still one for the sake of it. Yes, we’re biased because we produced these T-shirts, but can you blame us? I mean, look at them! They’re 3D! If you want to know how they work, check out the post we wrote about it.
If you didn’t see your favourite start-up tee, please let us know int he comments below and we’ll make sure to add it to the list. In the meantime keep reading the Printsome blog for more awesome content!
T-shirt Printing for Start-Ups
Thanks to our five years of experience in the apparel-printing industry, we are able to offer a service catered towards the needs of modern start-ups. Printsome’s apparel-printing services are perfect for making souvenirs, merchandise and staff uniforms, among many other possibilities.
From the moment you get in touch, one of our ‘printing experts’ will answer all of your questions and find efficient solutions to your needs. It is our mission to help you reach your goals. We deliver all over the UK with flexible delivery services that can adapt to most deadlines. Printing T-shirts has never been this easy.
Why worry about inventory or logistics when we can take care of that? We deal with the boring stuff so you have more time to do what matters. To find out more, simply visit our website.
