Very few companies are as well known across the globe as Tesla, Elon Musk's pride and joy. Recognised for their pioneering work on bringing electric cars to the eager public, the company was keen to emulate this success with their "Cybertruck" launch late last year. Unfortunately, the event left Musk and his team red-faced when things didn't go to plan. How he reacted though, is what turned this blunder into a branded merchandise opportunity!

Embarrassing Mistake Becomes Promo Gold

During the Cybertruck's launch in November of 2019, one of the major selling points of the vehicle was just how durable and stable it was. To illustrate this point, the head designer on the project, Franz von Holzhausen, threw metal balls directly at the Cybertruck's windows. The "bulletproof" windows should have stayed intact, proving the truck's near-invulnerability but in reality? The windows smashed. Both of them. Musk then had to continue the presentation in front of these embarrassingly destroyed windows.

While the smashed windows had a reasonable explanation (before being hit with the metal balls, they'd been clobbered with hammers thus making them weak), the internet was quick to have a laugh at Tesla's expense and the memes flowed heavily until the end of the year. However, in 2020 it seems that Tesla is well and truly having the last laugh. Not only was the vehicle recently named the 2019 Concept Car of the Year, but Tesla has just launched a limited-edition promotional t-shirt commemorating the disastrous Cybertruck launch event.

Printed T-Shirts for Brand Fans

Rather than shy away from their very public failure, Tesla has opted instead to embrace the incident as marketing gold. Their Cybertruck logo printed t-shirt shows the brand is not afraid to acknowledge mistakes and Tesla's die-hard fans have already started ordering the shirts en masse. Turning failure into a marketing merchandise opportunity won't work for every company, but in Tesla's case, there's a lot of inspiration to be had here. There was a lot of publicity for the company at this moment and rather than letting the internet dictate that it be negative, they quickly turned the situation into a positive. Not only do these customised tees look awesomely futuristic, but they're also selling like hotcakes!

Why Choose Promotional T-Shirts?

T-shirts are the ultimate promotional product because who doesn't love a free bit of clothing? You can put anything you like on them, a company logo, slogan or even your own face if that's what floats your boat. They’re practical too and everyone needs to wear clothes so they're guaranteed to get some use, unless someone invents psychic t-shirt technology anytime soon! Plus - it’s not just about using t-shirts as giveaways but also an investment in a walking advertisement for your brand.

People wear clothes all year long whether going out for coffee, visiting concerts or simply doing grocery shopping – It creates maximum exposure over multiple places and occasions while being totally cost effective. T-Shirts keep giving after the initial cost fades away which is why it remains one of top choices among marketers when planning their next promotional campaign.

So don't let your mishaps shape your corporate narrative, even a difficult moment can still count as a win if you market your organisation just right using a smart piece of promotional clothing.

Details found here: https://shop.tesla.com/en_ca/product/men_s-cybertruck-bulletproof-tee