Novelty-item retailer RAYGUN is partnering with The Onion to produce quick-witted and timely apparel.
Key Details
- RAYGUN produces novelty items, including t-shirts and coasters with copy from trending memes before those memes fade from public attention.
- The company has been around since 2004 but came to national attention with its t-shirt that said, “This shirt was designed and printed faster than the caucus results were released,” referencing slow vote counts during the Iowa Democratic Caucus in 2020.
- The company made nearly $7.6 million in sales last year and expects to continue its success in 2023, Forbes reports.
- RAYGUN is now looking to grow its reach by partnering with satirical media company The Onion.
- Already RAYGUN has produced t-shirts with popular Onion headlines like “‘Midwest’ Discovered Between East And West Coast” and “Drugs Win Drug War.”
Why it’s news
The two companies working together increases the opportunity for potentially hilarious merchandise and a lucrative partnership. While The Onion provides RAYGUN with witty, culturally current content, RAYGUN can rapidly produce merchandise that can be available for sale before customers have moved on to the next topic.
“We’re hoping to use RAYGUN’s expertise to find what of our more timely, topical content is suited to be merchandised. Not all of our work belongs on bodies—or coasters, or whatever else—but we’re already seeing the benefits of their expertise and energy,” The Onion’s managing editor Jordan LaFlure says.
RAYGUN’s products focus on what the public is currently discussing, necessitating a quick turnaround time on the product—something RAYGUN has perfected. The t-shirt company’s partnership with The Onion will help it stay relevant and in the know about current social and political issues.
