A staple of conference swag is the t-shirt, and some companies do it better than others. With Drupalcon Pittsburgh happening soon now¹, I thought I would shuffle through my t-shirt collection to rank some of the ones I've gotten at Drupalcons past.
Lullabot
- Fun, whimsical designs
- Probably won't be presumed as being a 'Bot while wearing these
- Limited quantities, so I missed out on them some years 😔
A Tier
Four Kitchens
- A fun play on the company name
- Theme (usually) tied to the conference location
- There was a good chance of both me and a former manager wearing the same one of these shirts on the same day
A Tier
Cheeky Monkey Media
- A handful of funny or nerdy options were available
- I'd wear the Drupal comm badge even through I'm not a Trekkie (though the graphic is a little too big), but the big slogan on the back takes this shirt out of something I'd wear in public
- The fabric of this shirt does not spark joy
- Not for me, but there's potential
B Tier
Acquia
- DC LA shirt has small, unobtrusive design and logo - wouldn't hesitate to wear going about a normal day.
- Slogans are not my thing, but I do like pink
- Sizing on the slogan shirt is very snug
B- Tier
Pantheon
- Multiple designs to choose from that change each year
- Wait watching a demo, then wait again to get the shirt
- I don't vibe with the "I Make The Internet" slogan myself, but you do you
- Some creative takes on the company logo, that feel less awkward to wear as someone who has never worked there or used their product
- The company's leadership has defended providing services to Alliance Defending Freedom, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated as a hate group for it's actions against LGBTQ+ rights
D Tier
The basic logo
- I'll save the individual companies from shame, cause there's a lot
- I resist wearing shirts with just the logo of companies I've actually worked for² - I'm not going to wear one of an agency I don't, or a product I don't use
- Your marketing dollars are better spent on a shirt that doesn't only get worn when I'm going to get dirty cleaning my bike
- Your company probably has a designer on the team - give them a day to make something fun that people will be excited to wear
D Tier
Twilio
- Simple illustration related to the company's product
B- Tier
Mandrill
- It's just a logo, but it's colourful and could just be mistaken for something I bought after visiting the zoo.
C+ Tier
Do you have a favourite swag shirt from a past conference? Is there a great shirt to get in Pittsburgh? Some other great swag item you've received at a conference? Tell me about it in the comments.
¹ I will not be there
² Most logos from any company, really
And if your team is looking for a Senior Drupal Developer with oddly specific opinions on some niche topics, send me a message.
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