Link: Reactee announced today the launch of its line of interactive t-shirts at reactee.com. The service allows people to create unique, high-end t-shirts that “text back” by replying to anyone who sends a text message to the shirt’s customized keyword. The site combines a user-driven experience with the latest in fashion and SMS technology to create a first of its kind: custom apparel that interacts with the world around it.
At the Reactee web site users create shirts with their own personalized message (anything from “Stop Global Warming” to “Am I Hot?”) and choose a unique keyword, such as COOL or JOEG, that also appears on the shirt. People who see the shirt can then respond to it by texting the keyword to the SMS short code 41411, at which point they receive a custom text message response created by the user. (Users can update their SMS response as often as they want from their cell phone or at the Reactee web site).
US-only at the moment I’m afraid, but quite cool nonetheless. I’ve seen something similar from t-shirt stores in the UK, where you can have a phone number printed on the front (like these ones). This takes it to a whole new level though, with a one stop shop service.
Of course it remains to be seen how many people will take your number and text your t-shirt, but whatever happens it’s quite fun 🙂
that’s the kinda crazy plan I think up then give other people to impliment *grins evily*.
It could so easily be worked into a dating context – any dating vendors out there who want personalised tshirts and keywords out there for using at dating events? All you have to do is ask mommabear …
It’s a shame I only know tshirt printers. I’d love to see boxer shorts with “How’s my driving?” and a short and key on them …
Who pays for the messaging?
Anyone wearing one of these should be upset if i come up real close to read the fine print at the bottom!
iTAGG provided the texting and keywords for this concept for a little startup about 4 years ago whose name has sank into the far reaches of my brain. Terrible takeup of tshirts…and then terrible takeup of users texting it. But it was too early for it back then.
But still a fun concept and maybe the time is better now. It could be great for charities to use to garner support. e.g. t shirts promoting a petition against whaling – forget having to pay to put up big adverts on billboards; get your supporters to pay you to promote your cause.
But people can just make there own so for those in the UK you don’t need to wait til a company like this starts offering it. Simply use a company that sells you low cost keywords on a shared shortcode and then go to the many t-shirt printing companies who do one-off prints with your own design. And not just tshirts but baseball caps, umbrellas, etc, etc…
steve/itagg.com
Check out my site, I have been doing this for a while
Looks like good ideas come to us brits also!!
Did you ever see those ‘hug shirts’?
Y’know – the ones where you could text a hug to someone and the shirt would react accordingly?
Now THEY were good.
I didn’t see them sound good though, i am planning to give away to everyone a free keyword so that they can recieve messages to there monkeyzoo web page and also for free have them forwarded onto your mobile phone (and have the ability to turn that feature off) What you think?
Monkey man!!
Hug T-Shirt
http://www.cutecircuit.com/now/projects/wearables/fr-hugs/
I’ve always liked the concept of personalising a T-shirt/garment. I started playing around with concepts for this back in 2002 when I joined the industry. The obvious issue back then was the cost of dynamic printing, whereas todays advances in print technology make this less of a barrier. Cost-wise it would be easy enough to run keywords on a shortcode, or even dedicated long numbers, if you forward inbound SMS via email or to a web page then this is cost neural also. There would however be a cost associated with forwarding on the SMS to the recipient.. You could have these messages to the recipient be premium at say 25p, or you could perhaps bill them for tranches of messages..