September 09, 2019
University of Tennessee Turns Bullied Boy’s Hand-Drawn Design Into Official T-Shirt
The heartwarming story highlights the powerful emotional connection promo products can create between brands and their supporters.
The University of Tennessee Volunteers football team probably isn’t going to capture a long-desired national championship this year, but when it comes to kindness, Vols Nation is in first place.
It’s all down to an altruistic act of compassion and support that centered on using branded merchandise/promotional products to help a young boy who was bullied.
The story starts at an elementary school in Florida. The boy, a Tennessee fan, wanted to show his support for the Vols at the elementary school’s college colors day. Still, the boy didn’t have any Tennessee gear, so he made a hand-drawn “UT” sign and attached it to a shirt that was orange – the Vols’ primary color.
In a social media post, his teacher, Laura Snyder, says that “when the day finally arrived, he was SO EXCITED to show me his shirt. I was impressed that he took it one step further to make his own label.”
But things went downhill at lunch.
“Some girls at the lunch table next to his (who didn’t even participate in college colors day) had made fun of his sign,” Synder wrote. “He was DEVASTATED. I know kids can be cruel, I am aware that it’s not the fanciest sign, BUT this kid used the resources he had available to him to participate in a spirit day.”
Snyder’s Facebook post showing a picture of the boy in the shirt and explaining the situation went viral. And before long, UT’s alumni association, athletics department and Vol Shop swooped in to get the back of their fan in Florida. Indeed, the UT folks overnighted the boy a 35-pound box full of Tennessee-branded merchandise. The promo product windfall included jerseys, shirts, hats, foam fingers, drinkware, totes, notebooks, pom poms, pens, socks and more. The package also came with handwritten letters of support and encouragement from Vols Nation.
“I’m not even sure I can put into words his reaction,” Snyder wrote in a Facebook post. “It was so heartwarming. My student was so amazed at all the goodies in the box. He proudly put on the jersey and one of the many hats in the box. All who saw had either goosebumps or tears while we explained that he had inspired and touched the lives of so many people.”
If all that weren’t enough, the Vol Shop – UT’s campus store – turned the boy’s homemade design into a print for an official Tennessee T-shirt. A portion of proceeds from the tee sales will go to benefit Stomp Out Bullying, a nonprofit organization that combats bullying. Demand for the shirt was so great that the Vol Shop site temporarily crashed as people flocked there to buy the tee.
Share in a Florida elementary student's Volunteer pride by wearing his design on your shirt too! Pre-order today for a late September expected delivery. A portion of proceeds from every shirt sold will be donated to @STOMPOutBullyng .https://t.co/NdnTtYREFL pic.twitter.com/OeTZvgC09Y
— VolShop (@UTVolShop) September 6, 2019
About a week after the boy’s story caught wildfire, the University of Tennessee announced that it had sold about 50,000 T-shirts. To really ratchet up the “feels” factor, UT offered the boy a scholarship.
The tear-jerker of a story with the happy ending drew national media attention. It also demonstrated that, far from being simply “tchotchkes, trinkets and trash,” promo products/branded merchandise can be instrumental in creating a powerful emotional connection between a brand and its fans. Kudos to the UT community for brightening this little boy’s world. Take it away, Osborne Brothers:
Product Hub
Find the latest in quality products, must-know trends and fresh ideas for upcoming end-buyer campaigns.