September 23, 2020
Demand for RBG-Themed Merch Soars
Consumers who admire the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg are flocking to online shops to purchase merchandise featuring her likeness.
For many, the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a groundbreaking cultural icon.
The late Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Following her passing on Friday, Sept. 18 from metastatic pancreatic cancer, there’s been demand for merchandise branded with Ginsburg’s likeness and/or messaging that represents values for which she stood, such as equality, women’s rights and much more.
Online retailers that include Redbubble, Etsy, Amazon, Teespring and others are featuring an array of RBG-branded products from third-party creators. Items range from T-shirts, sweatshirts, socks and jewelry to stickers, mugs, headwear and, this being the age of COVID-19, face masks.
This Ruth Bader Ginsburg face mask was available on Etsy from PeterThiessenShop.
Some have criticized the merch creators of profiting off Ginsburg’s death. Still, consumer demand appears to be spurring the merch creation – with many wanting to celebrate a leader they respected and admired. Etsy seller Jane E. Palmer commented on Twitter that demand for Ginsburg masks was soaring.
I put my Etsy shop “on vacation” again. I got 30 (mostly) RBG mask orders in 36 hours 👀 whew. That’s on top of the ~100 masks in the queue from past orders. I still love this hobby but wow the demand was unexpected! 😅
— Jane E. Palmer (@jane_e_palmer) September 20, 2020
Some of the merch on offer had a playful aspect. Known for her toughness in support of issues she cared about, Ginsburg acquired the affectionate nickname of “Notorious RBG” in the pop culture lexicon. It references rapper Notorious B.I.G., known for his toughness. Merch abounded with references to “Notorious RBG.”
Available on Teespring, this T-shirt references the pop culture nickname Ginsburg earned in her later years – the “Notorious RBG.”
Ginsburg is viewed by many as a feminist icon, in particular. There was merch that referenced that legacy.
This feminist-themed T-shirt was available on Etsy.
Ginsburg was also known for standing strong for values/issues that she supported, even if she was in the minority opinion. There was merch, like the mug below, that celebrated that.
This ‘I Dissent’ mug celebrating Ginsburg was on Redbubble.
Beyond merch, artists were also creating artworks in honor of Ginsburg.