Gregory P. Demetriou: Success Soup - What is the recipe?
7 Tips You Must Know Before Buying Furniture
Advertisement
How to Make $500,000 a Year Wearing T-Shirts
Each year, hundreds of companies pay 28-year-old Jason Sadler to wear T-shirts with their logos -- and then promote his fashion statement through Facebook, Twitter and other social media. Consider it the modern-day sandwich board.
Posted 12/ 9 10 at 6:00 PM | The Next Big Idea?, Technology, Advertising & Marketing, Sales, Leadership, Starting a Business, Online Business, Business Products & Services, Media, Retail, Inventions & Innovations, The Next Big Idea?
Text Size:
A A A
Jason Sadler will earn more than $220,000 this year. Next year, he expects to bring in around half a million. All because the 28-year-old founder of IWearYourShirt.com wears T-shirts for a living. At first glance, it sounds like a dream come true for any slacker who wants to become an overnight millionaire. Except that wearing T-shirts for money takes a lot more work than you might think.
Every day, Sadler wears a different T-shirt with a different company logo. Plenty of people happily purchase T-shirts emblazoned with a brand name, but in this case, companies actually pay Sadler to wear their brands. In turn, Sadler promotes the heck out of what he is wearing. At any given moment, you can find him on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr or YouTube, sharing his wardrobe with the world -- and, in turn, providing viral marketing for his sponsors.
On Jan. 1, 2009, Sadler charged his first client, UStream.tv, $1 to wear a branded T-shirt. On Jan. 2, he charged the next company $2. On the 114th day of 2008, he charged a company $114 to wear their T-shirt, and so on, until Dec. 31, when he pocketed $365. At that point, he had accumulated $70,000.
As for how he finds his clients? "I've been incredibly fortunate to live off of word of mouth," Sadler says. "Obviously, the first group of clients in 2009 took a leap of faith, but at $1, $2 and even $365, it wasn't much of a gamble. We've continued to live off word of mouth and enjoy meeting new sponsors that find us on Twitter and in various press."
Because the prices went up in 2010, he's making more now, and he'll charge $5 on Jan. 1, 2011, $10 on Jan. 2, $15 on Jan. 3, etc. Sadler needs to raise his prices because he isn't the only one who will be sporting company T-shirts next year. He's in the midst of hiring four people to wear T-shirts.
As you would expect, Sadler used social media to find his new team. Potential employees had to create a video resume, which people then voted for on YouTube.
Each employee will make $35,000 in 2011, with bonuses set up so they can reach $50,000. They'll also receive a brand new computer, a digital video camera and free travel to Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 18, where they can meet their new boss and their fellow employees. They'll be contracted to work for a year.
Sadler says he is glad to be able to create jobs in this economy, and if the company's success continues, he will be able to offer more jobs in 2012. The first five months of 2011 are sold out, and as Sadler says, "If I can employ 50 people, I will. I just need to keep driving that value, and I'm very fortunate to be in the position I'm in when a lot of companies are cutting back on their advertising."
That said, what Sadler does is simply a natural progression in advertising, according to Kevin Dugan, director of social marketing at Empower Media Marketing in Cincinnati. "It's far from a new phenomenon," says Dugan, who points out that we've seen some pretty nutty marketing stunts over the years, from CBS advertising their TV shows on eggs in 2006 to companies posting ads over the urinals in men's bathrooms, starting back in the early 1990s.
In fact, what Sadler does -- wearing a company logo and message -- was pioneered in the 1800s, when people would walk up and down the sidewalks, wearing sandwich boards with messages.
But Dugan says he admires what Sadler is doing. "There's an art between accepted and novel advertising and novel but acceptable advertising, and I think I Wear Your Shirt is practicing that art pretty well," says Dugan, a 25-year industry veteran. "I always tell people that stunts, marketing stunts, are for Evel Knievel. You need strategy if your marketing is going to work."
Sadler intends for it to work. "I'm trying to build something great here," he says.
Geoff Williams is a frequent contributor to AOL Small Business. He is also the co-author of the book Living Well with Bad Credit and the author of C.C. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race: The True Story of the 1928 Coast-to-Coast Run Across America.
Getty Images
- 'Marriage Penalty' Could Make Costly Return - CNNMoney
- Oil Rises on Optimism for Cliff Deal - FOXBusiness
- Dow 2012: The Studs and Duds - InvestorPlace
- Turning the Corner: Why 2012 Wasn't as Bad as You Think - The Motley Fool
- World’s Longest High-Speed Rail Line Unveiled In China - IBTimes
- FORGET THE DEFICIT: Here's The Real Reason Liberals Want To Hike Taxes On The Rich - Business Insider
- CEOs to Fire in 2013 - 24/7 Wall St.
- DailyFinance Market Minute - DailyFinance
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jason said he's "trying to build something great" I think he's already succeeded at that! He's a marketing genius who's come up with one of the most creative, if not the most creative way to advetise using Web 2.0 Hats off to you Jason!
ONLINE STORE: Purchase Christmas gift, present Christmas gift!
--------W W W.M A C Y C N.C O M--------
-----If you think our website is good , you can put this website to your bookmarks or other places ,easy to find ...
(b..r..a..n..d.)s.h.o.e.s.(34u.s.d),,
==J. a .m .e )) shoes
< j o r d a n> (1-24) shoes
< j o r d a n> 2010 shoes
c.l.o.t.h.i.n.g,,j.e.a.n,,h.a.n.d.b.a.g(35u.s.d),,
==c .o. a .c .h )) handbag
Of course it helps that he's muscular, gorgeous and under 30...right?
Another great article Geoff! One person successes, esp in a down economy,
keep me in a positive business frame of mind. What impressive creativity
he had to attempt this venture.
This is so cool! What a great idea. How do I get my website promoted with you wearing a T Shirt forus. We are at www.thelittlepineconecompany.com Jason! It has to be a green tee! We are the first solar green mode of transportation! My best for continued success, Gigi
He is beautiful!
I still pefer the Austrailian Bikini girls that wear ads on their bikini bottoms rear and bikini top front, not asmuch ad space, but more time watched (They also go around putting change in parking metters and put little cards under windshield wiper letting driver know who saved them from expensive tickets. I heard their are some girls doing it in Key Westand South Beach Miami as well. I prefer that to junk mail, or to the morons who keep sticking their ads in this reader response colum)
Today is the first time I sow Small Businees oportunitieis .Whaoo! Look real, we came sow the opportunities is rigthtly , for people to have different ideas caming truh to create and to make working depending they are on migty. and skilled, I woking for 20 years in printing, embroidery and rhinestone, now a move to Las Vegas, I am self employe,I working in home, made alterations, costume made clothing, made rhinestone design on dresses, shows dresses and shirts, I love paintig, rigth now I have a lot beatiful wild animal design drawing. My family and freinds loved, I building my onw weedsite, offerting my skplls a have my dougthea a beauties youngster girl, she working traineing tigers ,she whant to be my model. My dream is to printing my job,and put those in my weedsise.For now that dream is imposible for my, because I no have the money to buy the equiment I need. For now I trust in God to open doors , por now I continue to drawing my sketchs.Tks. Aol Small Businees for this opportunity to continue learning how to bring my business into my home. ( Colombia comment.)
I wear a T shirt every day, I am ready, willing and able to work for Jason Sadler. I am out and about every day in Fresno, Ca. a city of near 1/2 million and total metropolitan area of over 1 million. I can also recruit a couple other people (female type) that will get plenty of advertising looks. He can e-mail me at chevman32@aol.com
I think people like this deserve all of the accolades they acquire. (Not because he is a good-looking guy under 30 either.) It's kind of like the people who win the lottery, you can't win if you don't play, and just because you're toothles doesn't make you any less worthy if you had the 'stones to go buy a ticket. Great idea, great concept, and greater that he is creating jobs. I am on FB, MySpace, and alll over the tri-state area constantly playing music gigs, both small and large. What about walking around NYC/Manhatten for a day in shirts? What about riding all of the trains and subways for a week with a shirt? How about one or two people in every major city, etc? Same concept and first hand exposure. Kudos to you my man. Oh, and I would be happy to be employed by such a creative mind. jarrettdean6@aol.com
This makes no sense. Who would pay this yutz to wear shirts? These million dollar companies they profile on AOL are a lesson in The Emperors New Clothes. Total nonsense. First of all, he can only where one Tshirt a day ...so the whole concept does not add up.
With most Americans walking around with some form of AADD (Adult Attention Deficit Disorder), and not knowing it, it makes sense, that a teeshirt with a message on it would get attention,from a target market, regardless of what age, color, gender, the teethirt was on! It's easy reading, a driveby commercial, which most of us have been conditioned to consume, thanks to TV, and all the latest portable electronics. Yes, the teeshirts with a message is definitely a good idea. I've never worn a teeshirt with a message, that didn't get everyone's attention, strangers and friends alike, and I am Black (African American), over 60, female, and not bad looking ... Teeshirt messages do get read, for sure!
If I am not mistaken I do not think that this is a new idea. But kudos to banking on it Mr. Jason Sadler! Thank you kindly.
Best Wishes,
Mr.R.Lott
P.S.-ARIZONA-TOP SECRET FAVORITE RESTAURANT TIP:If you are in the North Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona area. Eat at "THE BAD DONKEY" in CAREFREE, ARIZONA(On North Scottsdale Road). Try the "CRUSTY OLD ITALIAN" on WHEAT. Thank you kindly!-Mr.R.Lott
Iam a harley rider and a former u.s.marine special forces guy I only wear t shirts now i would be willing to make money by just wearing t shirts I live in daytona fl all raedy since I am retired I drive arond on my harley around the state and the country I am up for it please contact meat sgildow@yahoo.com I am in good shape, I am single and out and about
It's also done with cars/trucks, they pay people to drive around town with ads but with the price of gas, i assume it will cost more.
Great job Jason,Im happy for your success,Keep yourself humble and you will prosper.I will pray for Gods blessings of prosperity and favor for your business.