The city of Pittsburgh is launching its first officially licensed merchandise line, in collaboration with local printer CommonWealth Press.
According to Pittsburgh Magazine, the “Printed in Pittsburgh” merchandise is co-branded with both the city and CommonWealth Press; includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, stickers, pennants, and drinkware; and will contribute a percentage of revenue to the city’s general operating fund.
CommonWealth Press was started by Dan Rugh and his wife, Shannon, in their basement in the South Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
“We built our entire brand on loving Pittsburgh,” Dan Rugh told Pittsburgh magazine. “So being chosen by the city to create official merchandise has been surreal, and I am beyond proud.”
The line debuted this week alongside the 4th of July holiday, going on sale first at the Point Park State Fourth of July celebration. However, the line had been in the works since 2021, and the partnership with CommonWealth Press started in spring of 2022.
“We were given access to the entire archive of Pittsburgh’s history,” Dan Rugh said. “The main icon that we’re using was pulled from the original city merchant flag that was flown from vessels in the 1800s.”
The Rughs also got access to the city of Pittsburgh’s sign shop and other archives to create their designs.
Other city-owned entities have created branded collaborations before. There was the MTA/New Balance sneakers, there was Toronto raising funds or its Transit Commission through branded merchandise, and the not-great DC Metro Network shop.
So far, it seems like Pittsburgh did everything right with this one. Through partnering with a local business, it shows that it really does care about the people of the city beyond their money. It allowed the Rughs to come in and do their homework to create designs that really reflect the city’s history and identity, and it created enough variety of products to give people plenty of options without overwhelming them.
