6 branded T-shirt ideas and how to use them

By Laurie Frees

More and more, businesses are using custom designed T-shirts to promote their brand, products and services. In fact, in 2020, the custom T-shirt printing market was valued at $3.64 billion. opens in new window

When staff and customers are given T-shirts imprinted with your organization’s logo and message, they’ll proudly wear your brand all over town. Promo T-shirts generate around 3,400 impressions opens in new window over their lifetime—that’s a lot of brand exposure. And there’s an endless array of options to choose from. Here are a few ideas to spark inspiration.

1. Typography

By minimizing graphics and mainly focusing on a word or phrase, typography gets your message across. From funny to serious to thought-provoking, typography can be anything—a single word, your brand name or tagline, or another simple message. Imprint this Comfort Colors^® Garment-Dyed Long-Sleeved T-shirt with your minimalist idea and distribute to staff, or hand them out free with a purchase. Spread your message even farther with a social media contest. To enter, people can snap a pic of themselves wearing their shirt and post it with the shirt’s word or phrase as the hashtag.

This type of contest not only extends your reach, but it builds brand exclusivity too. When customers see others posting pics with the same T-shirt and hashtag, it can make them feel like they’re part of a group. Randomly choose a winner and send them an imprinted prize to pair with their shirt, like a Yupoong^® Kryptek^® Retro Trucker Cap or a Carhartt^® Gilliam Jacket.

2. Hobbies

If your business sells products or services that relate to hobbies—from reading to knitting to cooking to biking—you can easily promote your offerings with an Electrify Coolcore T-Shirt or Gildan^® Cotton T-shirt. Include an image that represents your customers’ hobbies and use the T-shirts to boost your brand and customer engagement. Ask people to submit an image of them doing their favorite hobby and an explanation of how your brand helps them enjoy it. Reward each person who turns in a photo by giving them a shirt imprinted with their passion.

Or host a “Most Unusual Experience” contest. What’s the most surprising, exciting or unusual thing that’s happened while your audience was participating in a beloved hobby? Maybe a book lover discovered a rare gem at a book sale. Maybe a sports fan ran into an all-star at a sporting event. Choose a winner from each hobby category and reward with a prize, like a Luca Coffee Mug.

3. Seasonal

While December holidays probably take the cake for seasonal apparel (think ugly Christmas sweaters), your company can have fun and get creative with all seasons. Perhaps a candy store could imprint T-shirts, like the Chloe V-Neck Pocket Tee, with fun holidays, like National Chocolate Day or National Bubble Gum Day. Offer a free shirt to any customer who makes a purchase on that day. Or a garden store could ring in the spring with a fun imprinted T-shirt, like the Mystique V-Neck 3/4 Sleeve Shirt. Send the shirts to your regular customers to remind them you’re open for business—or offer them as a reward to the 1st, 10th and 100th customer of the planting season.

4. Profession

Printing professions on your T-shirt can be a fabulous way to reach your audience. Maybe you primarily serve people in healthcare. Or perhaps your audience consists of teachers. Using job-related phrases and graphics or popular memes are a great way to ensure you give them their next favorite T-shirt. Plus, it’s a personal way to show appreciation to your audience.

A Performance Long-sleeve Raglan T-shirt or Holt Long Sleeve T-shirt make a great welcome gift for new customers and staff or a memorable appreciation gift for those who have been with you for the long haul. Don’t forget to include a handwritten thank-you note that briefly describes the good their occupation does.

5. Audience-created

What better way to think of the perfect print than to have your audience create it? Host a contest where people enter their own original designs. This type of contest is a win-win—those who submit a design get to share their creation with a new audience, while your brand gets a boost in engagement plus a new T-shirt idea. Reward the creator of the chosen design with a memorable gift, like an “outfit package.” Include a Classic Ringer T-shirt, a Washed Heavy Stitch Cap and a pair of On The Fly Aviator Sunglasses imprinted with the new design.

6. Animals

Nothing tugs the heartstrings like a furry little friend. (Or even a scaly little friend—depending on your audience.) Give warm fuzzies with a fun animal-inspired T-shirt. Perhaps you’re a nonprofit that supports rescue animals, wildlife or pet adoption. Offer donors who contribute a certain amount a Gildan^® Dry Blend 50/50 Shirt imprinted with the face of your cause. If you’re a business whose audience is parents with young children, like a zoo or children’s museum, host a coloring contest and reward winners with a Hanes^® 50/50 ComfortBlend^® Youth T-Shirt imprinted with the animal that best represents your brand. You can reward participants with fun runner-up prizes, like a Little Buddy Sloth or an Animal Coloring Bookmark.

They’ll wear your brand all over town

With countless imprint options and multiple ways to use them—from appreciation gifts to contest prizes—your printed T-shirts are sure to be their next favorite apparel item.

Laurie Frees

Laurie Frees is a merchandising category manager at 4imprint who specializes in apparel. With over 25 years of experience in merchandising and product development—plus four years in the promotional products industry—she brings deep expertise in fabric construction and logo application. Laurie manages the product assortment across all apparel categories, including T-shirts, polos, outerwear, dress shirts, sweatshirts and more. Her role includes tracking trends, building supplier partnerships and analyzing data to guide decisions. With a strong focus on products made from sustainable materials, Laurie helps drive innovation in core apparel offerings that customers rely on to showcase their brands.

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