Photo by Caroline Tan
Two things Wisconsinites love to do are support local companies and showcase their state pride. The people behind one of the state’s most beloved festivals, Summerfest, are no exception. Harley-Davidson and Miller are huge supporters of the festival, but the state connection doesn’t stop at the stages or the beer. Even the souvenirs are sourced from two local companies: Express Promotions and Visual Impressions.
For the past 14 years Express Promotions and Visual Impressions have been stocking and running the well-oiled machines that are the Summerfest stores. Last week, despite the fest being just around the corner, the staffed joked their way through the final hours before Wednesday’s big kick-off.
But the work started much, much earlier. Back in January, graphic designers begin to produce the year’s line. Throughout the process, the design team meets with representatives from Summerfest to look over and revise the graphics. However, Jamie Berger of Express Promotions says they are given a lot of freedom over what the products will look like.
Aside from the design itself, Express Promotions is also in charge of deciding what exactly those designs will go on to. There are a few classics that stick around year after year: the standard T-shirt, men’s and women’s sweatshirts, and the “vintage” tee Berger says “feels like it’s been in your closet for 45 years.”
When choosing what other apparel to offer, previous sales, scheduled acts and yearly trends are all taken into consideration. For the past few years, a unisex cowboy hat has gained popularity as more country acts have been added to the line-up. This year, in order to highlight one of the biggest summer trends, two women’s tank tops are offered in neon.
Silicon, a material better known in the culinary industry, makes its way into a 45th anniversary shot glass. The glass is tough enough to handle whatever the festival brings.
–Lynsey Hart
