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Parents for Ethical Marketing
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What will someday be known as the great PEM t-shirt debate of 2008

Now that Parents for Ethical Marketing is a bona fide nonprofit I can move ahead with all plans fundraising. First stop: t-shirts.

Ever since I settled on the name “Parents for Ethical Marketing” I’ve been thinking about the t-shirts. Because you’re not a real organization without them.

tshirt.jpg

I was so sure that there would be t-shirts that I promised them to everyone who helped me get started in this endeavor.

The only question was: What would be on the t-shirt? A straightforward PARENTS FOR ETHICAL MARKETING? Or a PARENTSforETHICALMARKETING.org? Looking back in my notes, I found several brainstormed ideas for shirt slogans: CORPORATE SHILL, BRAND-FREE,  ENOUGH PLASTIC TOYS! (among others).

I knew that design was important. I went so far as to contact my Facebook friends at the Groundswell Collective to see how I could finagle some discounted design work.

But at the same time I’d been reading critiques of selling-product-for-a-cause (the Red Project to fight AIDS in Africa or anything pink for breast cancer, for example). And at home we’d been talking more and more about who was sewing our clothes. We had stopped shopping at Target (and all other big boxers) altogether. We decided to buy second-hand whenever possible.

See my problem? How could I create a brand-new product — a t-shirt — promoting ethical marketing?

It was all over after I read about unconsumption on Rob Walker’s blog. That’s where I found this response to the Red/AIDS campaign:

So the decision’s been made: No PEM t-shirts.

You won’t get a t-shirt for donating. And you won’t be able to buy one.

Probably not the most savvy marketing decision. But it’s the one I can live with.

P.S. If I promised you a t-shirt? I’m headed to your house with a black Sharpie.

photo courtesy andynahman

This entry was posted on Monday, August 18, 2008 at 12:16 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “What will someday be known as the great PEM t-shirt debate of 2008”

  1. James David Says:
    August 18th, 2008 at 2:14 pm

    I think that’s great news! We’re abstaining (or at least refraining the best we can) from making Groundswell commodities, too. Do let me know if you have any ideas about earned revenue that doesn’t resort to materialism and unnecessary consumption, because we’re certainly still deliberating!

  2. Ariah Fine Says:
    August 18th, 2008 at 2:57 pm

    I was just going to suggest that, and then I saw the video. Doing the thrift store shirt idea might not be bad for you either. Great video to see though, thanks for sharing.

  3. Lisa @ Corporate Babysitter Says:
    August 18th, 2008 at 3:37 pm

    Thanks to both of you. I do like the idea of screenprinting on the existing shirt, but there’s no way I can fit that into my big picture plan right now, time-wise. Perhaps a job for an intern down the road?

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