Last night’s Super Bowl was … something.
Full disclosure: I’m writing this from Philadelphia, a city that is now eerily quiet after weeks of electricity and excitement, with nary a pole climbed in celebration.
But, life goes on, and it’s my responsibility to discuss the branding side of the Super Bowl. With the countless licensed items and decorated products on the ground in Arizona and available online, you could say that the Super Bowl is the Super Bowl for promotional products distributors.
What Happens to all of the Eagles Gear?
I’m not going to lie to you. I had my wallet ready for the moment the final whistle blew to get my hands on another batch of Super Bowl Champion merchandise. I was prepared to spend.
Obviously, that didn’t happen. But, the apparel manufacturers and decorators had the Eagles gear ready to go. So, what happened to it all this year?
The NFL has a partnership with the organization Good360, which ensures that the leftover merchandise proclaiming the Eagles the World Champions of Football end up in the hands of people who need clothes.
It also works with retail companies putting together programs that keeps apparel out of landfills.
https://twitter.com/Good360/status/1582725131298025472
Specifically, Good360 takes measures to make sure that the products don’t end up with re-sellers trying to make a buck on some novelty items (the way they often do with now-defunct businesses). It also works to make sure that the products aren’t sent somewhere that could disrupt the local economy.
“Good360 will work closely with international NGOs to ensure that the apparel goes directly into the hands of the right communities — and not some place where someone might be able to profit from it,” Shari Rudolph, chief development officer and chief marketing officer for Good360, wrote on Good360’s website. “We also take pains to avoid sending the apparel to a location where a flood of donated clothing could disrupt the local economy.”
This is the ninth season that Good360 has worked with the NFL to send apparel to those in need across Europe, Africa and Asia. The NFL strictly controls it to make sure that no one in America will ever see it or buy it.
So, between Good360’s quick work and the initiative to keep it away from American fans who don’t actually need it, the apparel goes to those who might not care that it says “Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl LVII Champions.”
“And for the fortunate few who do end up with this unique attire, it’s a much appreciated donation of clothes that they didn’t need to buy,” Rudolph wrote. “They may not know what the logos on the T-shirts and hats mean, but they do know high-quality apparel when they see it. For the losing Super Bowl team, it’s a bittersweet consolation prize knowing that their loss is helping to support people in need and preventing waste.”
As a fan of the losing Super Bowl team, I can attest to this.
What You Will See
OK, credit where it’s (sort of) due. We can celebrate the Chiefs a little bit. We’re happy Paul Rudd is happy at least.
"I just want to thank Patrick Mahomes for existing… I cannot believe he is a real person." 🤣
Paul Rudd and his son Jack were giddy after the @Chiefs Super Bowl win ⬇️ @PSchrags pic.twitter.com/D2xrDUBDLX
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 13, 2023
For Chiefs fans looking to commemorate the win, there are some cool items for sale beyond just your run-of-the-mill T-shirts or jerseys.
This Fanatics kit is the kind of thing every fan would like. It has everything you need to celebrate the win in one convenient package: A hat, a T-shirt, a can cooler, a two-sided towel, a lanyard, a decal, and a pennant. Ugh. This is so good. I would have bought this immediately if it were available in Midnight Green last night.
There’s also this tie-dye T-shirt, which admittedly looks good in the Chiefs colors, but would also look even better in green and black. Tie-dye is coming back in a big way, and it’s cool to see it cross over into mainstream sports merchandise, especially for the biggest sporting event in the country.
There’s also this bomber jacket, which sort of looks like a NASCAR-style jacket. Bomber jackets have been in high demand over the last few years, so this is a good way to go with outerwear beyond your standard hoodie or quarter-zip.
I wish I could’ve seen this jacket around the city. I’d give the person wearing it a nice nod of acknowledgement. Maybe a “Go Birds” greeting as we passed each other.
Alas.
Congratulations to the Chiefs. Congratulations to former Eagles head coach Andy Reid for somehow learning how to manage a clock and change his strategy mid-game.
And, congratulations to those who get to celebrate their team’s win with some really cool branded merchandise.
And for those of us in Philadelphia, there’s always, always next year.
