Die-hard Ultras / Hardcore Supporters

swifteagle46 said:Just one little observation/question/critique here, and I don't mean any harm, especially now that people are talking about those shirts again. I honestly have no clue who handles the group's marketing or how this whole official fan shop setup works, but in my opinion, we are absolutely bottom-tier when it comes to this stuff. It's painful... Please don't come at me with the "we aren't models" or "do better if you can" excuses, but has whoever is designing these things ever actually heard the word design? Take those North Face style shirts, for example. They’ve put three "types" of shirts up for sale, each with five different motifs (which, by the way, have been used on a million other products), and they just threw them onto the shirt in different orders and positions, calling them three brand-new designs. I mean, seriously? You've got North Face branding, a Stone Island logo that says White boys, and then Chicago Blackhawks fans printed on the hoodie strings? 🙂 ...plus all these random colors splashed on the sleeves, some weird patterns, and extra lines under the text... Or look at the second one, it says White boys, then there's that edgy guy in a hoodie, then that shield with the "h," and once again, Chicago Blackhawks fans on the drawstrings. The next model is the exact same crap, just swapped to North Face, a 1950s era figure in a hoodie, and that same shield (which has already appeared on a billion other items)... Do you see what I'm getting at? It all looks cluttered, messy, and totally tasteless... It feels like they're just making stuff to dump on the masses who will buy whatever, because apparently, it's okay as long as it's loud, colorful, and covered in symbols... rather than making something for actual members of the fan group.

Don't get me wrong, it's not worth stressing over right now, and it isn't the end of the world, but hey, consider it some well-meaning feedback for future projects. And let's be clear, not everything produced has been terrible—there have been a few flashes of brilliance with some decent products. But personally, I'd much rather see three high-quality, meaningful shirts released a year than twenty mediocre ones that are all basically the same thing.

I'm going to buy them on purpose 🙂 😍

slylynx3 said:I’m going to buy them on purpose 🙂 😍

I won't lecture anyone here—honestly—but I agree with what he wrote. It’s just like what someone else mentioned: you don't want to end up wearing 90% of whatever they're offering. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but it feels like everything is designed for kids—you know, that 15-year-old crowd. Perhaps that's exactly who the "marketing" geniuses are targeting, assuming teenagers will grab Chicago Blackhawks fans gear faster than older folks. Most people my age would rather just walk into a regular shop—like an S. Oliver or Mustang, for heaven's sake—and pick up a decent t-shirt. If that's the goal, then I get the design, but personally? It looks a bit childish...

I'm with you on the merch.

Just take a look at the design of those velvetfalcon80 shirts—honestly, they’re killer because they’re so simple. We tend to overcomplicate things—adding all these crazy flare patterns or whatever—to the point where I wouldn't even wear it myself. It just looks a bit much, I guess.

I get that there's definitely a market for the loud stuff, but maybe we could use some more sophisticated designs that stay clean and minimal?

Just some friendly feedback here—I'm obviously no design expert, and I truly respect all the hard work everyone puts in. I'm not trying to knock anyone's hustle.

coastalangler16 said:I’m not trying to lecture anyone here, but honestly, I think the guy hit the nail on the head. It’s just like what someone else mentioned earlier—about 90% of this stuff is clearly geared toward kids. I don't know if I'm just being old-fashioned or what, but it feels like everything is designed specifically to catch the eye of some 15 or 16-year-old. Maybe that’s exactly who the "marketing" geniuses are aiming for; they probably assume teenagers will snap up the fan gear way faster than the older crowd, who’d much rather just walk into a regular store like S. Oliver or Mustang and buy a decent, normal t-shirt. If that's the strategy, then fine, I get why the designs look this way, but personally? It all seems a bit too childish for my taste...

If they actually started making gear for the older demographic, they’d actually have older customers. In my opinion, that should be the primary target audience, since the older crowd likely has more disposable income than the kids.😉

I honestly can't tell if everyone is just pretending to be clueless or what...:
Anyone who actually understands how a working group operates knows exactly how marketing functions and the value it brings to the team. If you're feeling lost, you should probably just grab someone's number and call them, or thank god, there's always someone available to chat with over the weekend.
You could also just shoot a DM to tablet100. He's a decent guy.
Or does everything really have to be spelled out in a public thread?
Just trying to help. Peace

Date: November 9, 2012
Time: 5:00 PM
Host: LA Galaxy
Away Team: Seattle Sounders
Competition: MLS Matchday 15
Location: Los Angeles, Kranjčević's Stadium area
Prices: $30 and $13
_____________________________
Does anyone happen to have one single ticket left? I'm in the VA/DC area—let me know if you're looking to offload one so we can work out the details.

Thomas Castillo11 said:I can't tell if you guys are playing dumb or what...:
Anyone with even a passing interest in how working groups operate should know how marketing works—and exactly what it brings to the table for the group. If you actually don't know, I assume you have someone's number to call and ask, or—thank God—you have somewhere to go every weekend to find out.
Or you could just message an admin privately. They're decent enough.
Or does everything really have to be hashed out right here?
Just being helpful. Cheers.

Nobody is posting anything weird or out of line here; people are just saying the new collection needs more variety—maybe someone reading this will take it to heart. 😍

Though, honestly, those polo shirt collections were freaking top-tier. 🙏

Thomas Castillo11 said:Are you guys playing dumb or what?
Anyone who actually understands how these working groups run knows exactly how marketing works and what it brings to the table. If you're lost, just use the contact info you should have and call someone, or thank God you can always find a spot to ask questions every weekend.
Or you could just shoot a DM to tablet100. He's a solid guy.
Does everything really have to be spelled out here?
Just being helpful. Peace.

Why do you always have to act like a know-it-all? 😛
We're having a perfectly good, constructive debate about t-shirts without any nonsense, and then you jump in with those "don't post that here" or "call this person, call that person" rules. Just let people talk. 😉

Dennis Davis97 said:here you go again, acting like you know everything😛
We were having a decent, constructive conversation about t-shirt designs without any nonsense. Then you jump in with those extreme, aggressive vibes. This isn't the place for that. Stop tagging people and calling names. Just let people write.😉

If I'm such an idiot compared to you all, why would I bother trying to enlighten you?😬

Basically, this discussion will just devolve into arguing about Thor Steinar and other nonsense. You won't change anything anyway. The person deciding what goes on the shirts probably won't even look at this thread, if they ever look at it at all.

@ola juve 😍

Does anyone have 2-3 spots available for the Warsaw trip on November 17th?

It’s 2013, and I can’t quite remember when the contract with the official team shop expires. Once that's up, I’m really hoping the higher-ups finally step up the marketing game. Thank God there are actually plenty of talented, creative people out there, so we'll just have to wait and see how it plays out. For the last few years, it feels like nobody really wanted to take the reins on this, but I’m feeling optimistic that they'll finally lean into it. I'm dreaming of getting back to those days where we had actual decent gear—you know, like those olive-colored filter shirts or high-quality polos and other solid stuff.
Long live the marketing team and the Rangers!

It’s 2013, and I can't quite remember exactly when our contract with the official team shop expires. Once that's up, I'm really hoping the higher-ups finally step up their marketing game. Thank God we actually have some talented, creative folks in the organization, so hopefully, things will shift soon. For the last few years, it feels like nobody has even bothered to touch that department, but I'm optimistic that they'll start focusing there. I'm just waiting for them to bring back the good stuff—you know, high-quality gear like those olive green filter coffee mugs, polo shirts, and other solid merch that doesn't feel cheap.
Long live the marketing team and the Rangers!

Since we’ve already opened the floor for me to weigh in on this debate, I might as well get my two cents in.😬
Honestly, it doesn't matter if it’s a long-sleeve tee or a short-sleeve one; what matters is that the design stays subtle and classy—something you can barely even notice at first glance. Look, I’m not saying don't offer those loud shirts with massive graphics plastered across the chest or back, but please, give us something a little less aggressive.
For instance: this one is great (though, if I’m being honest, I’d love to see some options with a zipper😬), whereas that is just way too much. This one hits the sweet spot for me (personally, I think a small silhouette of a guy in a hoodie on the left chest would be perfect), while this feels totally cluttered. I get that everyone has their own vibe and some people live for that loud style, but it feels like there's a real shortage of simple, minimalist gear. My absolute favorite piece of fan merch I own is this dark gray shirt with black lettering that just says "Ultras established 1950"—you can't even tell what it says unless you're really looking for it.
Don't take this as a jab, man; I'm just trying to be helpful.😍

The marketing was at its absolute peak back when torcida.org was actually active. Man, those t-shirts were something else...😍

Nicholas Parker6 said:Just slap Stipa Lekić's logo on every shirt. With how many people are obsessed with him, sales would skyrocket by 1000%.

🙂 I know you're joking, but honestly, that "Lekić merch" vibe was actually a massive hit. It was one of those things everyone actually wanted to wear.🙂

To hell with all that fancy marketing nonsense! Just give me the raw stuff!!! CASUAL 1950 ☕

mačak 1950

mezzomarinero said:The world is supposedly ending on December 21st, yet here you guys are obsessing over some 2013 collection or whatever. Just wild.
http://www.njuz.net/svi-projekti-got...ka-sveta-2012/

Come on, mezzomarinero, quit feeding us that nonsense. You lot are probably just busy cutting some massive deal for the ultimate hospitality gig right before the apocalypse hits.

p.s. Don't bother replying to this—either I won't be around, or I simply won't care.

Jeffrey Stewart5 said:Come on, mezzomarinero—stop playing us for fools. You guys basically lucked out by scoring the deal of the century—an agency-hospitality contract that’s pure gold.

🤣

I mean, yeah, I guess you could put it that way... It's a pretty sweet setup—kind of like how the Green Party handles their flagship platform. ☕