That sounds fun. We'd want to use non-Burmese T-shirts from those American Apparel company people, which would be nice because they're higher quality anyway. It could be like cool band T-shirts only for a political candidate. People could collect them! As we saw with the Bush in 30 secs campaign, people will go to a lot of trouble for this kind of thing, so we could probably get a lot of designs.

Which points up that one of the important parts of doing this will be to get good publicity, which is related to getting good judges. Anyone know Milton Glaser and whether he’s a Dem? Andrea M?

If you are going to have a design contest, I'd suggest offering multiple categories (rather than just having one "best t-shirt." For example (just brainstorming):

Best Pro-Kerry T-Shirt
Best Anti-Bush T-Shirt
Best Issue T-Shirt (jobs)
Best Issue T-Shirt (foreign policy)
Best Issue T-Shirt (deficit)
Best Words-Only T-Shirt
Best Image-Only T-Shirt
Best in Show (for best overall shirt)
Best Serious T-Shirt
Best Shirt for Gen X
Best Shirt for Baby Boomers
Best Shirt for Gen Y
Best Get-Out-The-Vote Shirt
Best Shirt for (particular region/ battleground state)

Then you end up with a whole store of good stuff. Also, let people vote online and have the popular vote count for 25% of the final score.

And give 1st, 2nd and 3rd places.

And give a modest cash prize.

And ask John Stewart to wear the winner of the "Best T-Shirt to have John Stewart Wear on the Daily Show" on a broadcast of the Daily Show.

I got a million of 'em.

Oh, and one other thought (following up on Emily's comment): One of your first calls should be to MoveOn.Org. I bet they would let you crib from their contest rules and submission guidelines. Might even have some advice for you.

I'll help in any way you need me to. Just lemme know.

Wow, thanks for the suggestions and offers of help! (Jimpy, it's good to see you back.) I love the categories idea.

Emily, I was originally thinking cafepress because they do one-offs, and you don't have to worry about inventory or nuthin'. Plus they have a made-in-the-USA shirt. But I could cut a deal with a manufacturer or something. Gotta explore that one. (Hmmm -- there are these folks, but I'm not sure if they'll handle fulfillment for me...)

You also have to figure out where to blogroll this so that you get good suggestions. Actually, if you let MoveOn know, that should be pretty good. Otherwise, once one of the big names (Atrios, Calpundit, TPM, DeLong, etc) picks it up, it will meme all over!

What I want to know is what would a pro-Kerry thong look like?

And remember -- you're either with Ish or against him!

I'll help however I can.

For the url, how about: www.designsonthewhitehouse.org?

I'd definitely help out!

I've met Milton Glaser, I don't exactly know him, but I bet I know some other folks in the design community who'd be excited to help out, and I'd love to help get the word out to them. Sign me up!

I've met Milton Glaser, I don't exactly know him, but I bet I know some other folks in the design community who'd be excited to help out, and I'd love to help get the word out to them. Sign me up!

A question: Should the rules dictate anything (or prohibit anything) about the content on the shirts? Is this design challenge more about styling (a la the BushMerch, which is unembarrassing but also uncommunicative) or about the crafting of a message (a la MoveOn and Bush in 30 Seconds)?

I do PR for a living. Once the thing gets off the ground I can work up a news release for media coverage that would drive people to the site.

I've already e-mailed some of my more artsy friends to ask them to submit designs.
I'm imagining a line of shirts that capitalize on his vet experience (maybe written in M*A*S*H letters), maybe something in khaki. It makes me want to watch the movie version of Hair to get ideas. I realize that this is a t-shirt contest but how cool would it be to have a surplus army jacket with "Kerry" stenciled on it?

The thing about this is kinda like Andrea wrote and Jim alluded to: Is the goal to create a suite of product like that at the Bush store? To get some people energized and helping? To have a bunch of unconnected, yet cool-looking designs?*

One of the things that works both for and against the Bush store, IMHO, is the different thematic areas. To me, it says, “I’m trying to be everything.” But maybe to some it says, ”I am multi-faceted.” One of the things it looks to me like Kerry is going to need is focus.

* Speaking of which, I would suggest that people be given the ability to buy the product or to download an Illustrator file of the design so that they can put it on their own stuff as they please.

Well, if the Kerry campaign needs focus, our little project is certainly not going to provide it...

I, for one, would like to 1) raise some money for the campaign, 2) get some cool-looking designs, and 3) have people share their strengths for the cause. A little media attention wouldn't hurt, either, I guess. But this is a group project, so what do you all think?

Oh, and yes to your idea, Trip. We can have everyone submit under a Creative Commons license, as they did for Bushin30seconds. (See their rules.) Oh, and should we ask any of their judges to be on our panel?

Although I am entirely a-political -- seriously, I could care less and please don't shoot me -- I'd be willing to donate my design talents if you need them.

I'm not sure how, but of course I'll pitch in. At the very least, I can generate ideas, which I am probably not good enough a designer to execute.

Seems to me the hot T-shirt styles right now, which we'd want to emulate, are:

1. "Vintage," especially anything that looks like an early '80s metal shirt
2. Pre-worn fabric with felt letters
3. Long-sleeved with racing stripes, horizontal logo across the chest
4. Sean John/Roc-a-Wear hip-hop baggy with ghetto-fabulous logo (small, script, shiny)
5. Tight fitting (baby-T for women, 'Queer Eye'-snug for men) "signature" T with obscured imagery, a la Diesel
6. Anything with an iconic or ironic-looking logo

This last one is key: We need to put our heads together on what a Kerry logo should look like. His head, perhaps? (Some of you may have seen me in a N*E*R*D shirt that plays with this concept, interspresing the group's lettering with Pharrell Williams's and Chad Hugo's heads.)

Actually, a cooler logo, playing off Jessie's comment above, might be a Vietnam dog tag. We'd have to be careful not to make it look too Boomer-ish, lest it seem retro in the wrong way (i.e., late '80s, post-Oliver Stone Vietnam chic). But I'll bet a good designer could find a way to make it look hip and current.

There's my initial brain dump.

I would be more interested in making it a brainstorm frenzy than actually coming up with a coherent "line" of apparel. I think part of the attraction of the "30 secs" campaign was that people submitted, and you could peruse, ideas that were extreme or silly, and you knew they'd never win, but they were out there. I like Jimpy's multi-category idea because it would result in a non-coherent "line" of ten or fifteen presumably very different shirts without forcing anybody to commit to a particular concept.

And I love jp's "designsonthewhitehouse" idea.

on a similar note: would anyone be up for this-"Shock & Awe in New York: the Strategy & Symbolism of Bringing the Republican National Convention to NYC" Janeane Garafolo, Sam Waterson, Mark Green, Bill Perkins, 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows & others discuss the implications of the upcoming convention; Graduate Center, CUNY, 365 5th Ave. (34th St.), 646-452-5631; 7, free.
This happens to be 2 blocks from my office (and their is an exibition on the Subways to boot). I have the night off from parenthood so it could be a real party/t-shirt planning.

oops I mean "there is an exhibition"

Patrick, when is the thing? And if you're going, would you be willing to ask any celebs if they'd be judges for the competition?

Talk about sloppy posting: The event is tonight (thursday the 25th). If I go I'll try to ask one of them.

See if you can get Garafolo.

I've been Googling for some interesting Kerry T-shirts a few times. I'm sooo glad to have found this forum! Finally.

I agree with Jimpy's suggestions to have different categories for Kerry designs. I think many different groups have totally different reasons why they are supporting Kerry. You should make categories for those demographics - without seeming too cliche or labely. I also think that we should combine statements and general messages/concepts/design styles and then have graphic designers illustrate them. The text and the design are usually done by two separate teams. In advertising, it usually starts with a concept or scripted message and then is put into a design (usally they offer a few different designs to choose form) Should we first start with the possible messages/"target markets" and "copy" and then have the design challenge?

Here are some possible statement & design contest categories:
(each of these shirts could have a Kerry quote)
*Environmental message (some styles with lists of Enviro Org endorsements & statements)
*Veteran-style message
*Gen-X/Y style designs "Bush has forgotten my generation"
*Education message
*Equality/minorty/civil rights statment (a quote from John Kerry on the back)

I LOVE THIS ONE: *"Good Parents for Kerry" (I'm voting for John Kerry for my children's sake)- You could cleverly list in a block text way (rustic Courier font) streaming words like clean water, clean water, safer streets, renewable energy - save some energy & gas for my kids!, national security, restore our respect around the world, quality education, great jobs, better benefits, re-ban assult weapons, stop global warming, stop Terrorism, inner-city youth programs, affordable homes & healthcare, protect THEIR Social Security, unpolluted fish, clean-up toxic dumps, stop urban sprawl, protect our parks and endangered species, a better, peaceful quality-of-life....
- and in the middle have in bright letters "VOTE FOR YOUR KID'S FUTURE, VOTE FOR JOHN KERRY"

* National Security Message
here are some possible text ideas for the designs:

"'Ask What You Can Do For Your Country'... Vote For John Kerry"

"Soccor Moms for Kerry"

"Vote for Every American Child, Leave George Bush Behind."

"Love your Country, Vote for John Kerry"

You should also have bumper stickers
I have been looking for a green sticker that was modeled after the yard sign with the League of Conservation Voters endorsement (they are very hard to find) - and have not been able to find any.

The beauty of the people consisting of the Demcratic party is their diversity - all races, ages, cultures. But why represent all of them in a few very generic, boring Kerry designs that are currently on the Web site.

I hope this info is of any help. Let me know how else I can help. Should we create a mailing list for announcements or a Yahoo Group?

If you are looking for some better Kery tshirts, go to www.KerryTshirts.net for some thoughtful selections.

I would suggest we look at Kerry's Senate voting record and make up some slogan from that. Did you guys know that he actually voted to send our troops to Iraq? Did you also know that the vote took place before the President's State-of-the-Union address? Did you know that he has only voted about 5 times this session and he is not resigning from the Senate during the campaign? That gives me a great idea for a shirt:

John Kerry - I don't bother to vote for you so why should you bother to vote for me.

That would be awesome!!! Well let me know what you guys think.

I would suggest we look at Kerry's Senate voting record and make up some slogans from that. Did you guys know that he actually voted to send our troops to Iraq? Did you also know that the vote took place before the President's State-of-the-Union address? Did you know that he has only voted about 5 times this session and he is not resigning from the Senate during the campaign? That gives me a great idea for a shirt:

John Kerry - I don't bother to vote for you so why should you bother to vote for me.

That would be awesome!!! Well let me know what you guys think.

Before you guys flame me, I would suggest that you watch this video. It is only about 12 minutes long and it highlights Kerry's stance on a few things.

http://media1.stream2you.com/rnc/072304v2.wmv

keith = troll

my website has a cute Kerry T-shirt on it, with part of all profits going to the Kerry campaign.
click on that homepage link below or just type www.3purplehearts.com in your address bar. ;)