At Autumn Agora Budapest it took very little time until a large part of the participants got dressed in the same blue coloured sweatshirt. The new AEGEE-Europe sweatshirt designed by the Public Relations Committee was being sold like hot bread and this has ensured the Comité Directeur that there is a demand for AEGEE-Europe merchandise.
It is therefore not such a big surprise that the AEGEE-Europe sweatshirt is nominated for The AEGEEans Choice Awards 2013 and neither is it a surprise that there will be a new hoodie launched in Mannheim next week. The AEGEEan interviewed some of the masterminds behind the project.
The AEGEEan: What was the idea behind the design of the AEGEE-Europe sweatshirt? Why do you think it is important to design merchandise for AEGEE?
Zsofia Komaromi: The sweatshirts were the first elements of the merchandising program that was launched in the Autumn of 2012. Our main aim with the hoodies was to create a sense of a common identity for AEGEE members, in other words, a sense of belonging to the organisation. We thought: wouldn’t it be nice to create something that all AEGEEans could wear to show that they are part of this organisation, and also use it to stay warm during cold Agora nights? Additionally, by using merchandise like t-shirts or pins, AEGEE can also get some visibility when it comes to externals, including potential members. And as a last point, but nonetheless important, a merchandising program can also be a source of income. As for the sweatshirts, all the profits from the sales were used to support the Agora Budapest.
Some people are asking about the design itself, why did you use a hot air balloon?
Erman Berkay: Let me start my words by explaining the concept behind the design. As we all know, AEGEE people love travelling and they do great work around Europe at different events and in projects. They travel a lot, and sometimes it gets difficult to even follow their check-ins. That gave me an inspiration about the design, and I created not a hot air balloon, but a pin that shows the location where you are. Originally, the design concept was created for the cover of AEGEE-Europe’s Annual Review, the Key to Europe 2011/2012, and we made the decision to use the same design for our AEGEE-Europe hoodies in order to keep the same identity for these materials.
Are you planning to launch any new merchandise this year for AEGEE-Europe?
Pavel Zborník: Yes, for Agora Rhein-Neckar we will have a sweatshirt again as the demand for them at Agora Budapest was quite big, so we will print them again, this time in a different color. We will also have new merchandise: plastic cups. For the next Agora that will take place in Zaragoza we have some plans, but we will not reveal the secret yet.
Guess we just have to wait with being impressed once again by the creative AEGEE minds.
Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København