An NFL Team Is Turning Recycled Stadium Banners Into Tote Bags

Credit: Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks, one of the most successful NFL franchises of the past decade, are famous—nay, infamous—for their fearsomely passionate fans, known collectively as the “12th Man.” You know, those fans who once registered, at 137.6 decibels, the loudest instance of crowd noise ever recorded. Yes, these are the same fans who once celebrated a touchdown by running back Marshawn Lynch so fervently that they produced a seismic reading equivalent to a minor earthquake. I think I’ve made my point here. The Seahawks have some legendary fans, fans that the team trusts not only to support them in games, but also in charitable and eco-friendly efforts.

Partnering with Alchemy Goods, the Seahawks will be turning recycled stadium event banners into sturdy and sustainable tote bags. The upcycled bags will be sold at the team’s four proshops for $22 apiece, with all proceeds going to the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV). Founded in 1990 by survivors of domestic violence and their allies, the WSCADV states as its mission to mobilize “member programs and allies to end domestic violence through advocacy and action for social change.”

The Seahawks and Alchemy Goods partnered to produce bag from recycled stadium banners to benefit WSCADV this week. https://t.co/BEMVrtzJOY

— Seattle Seahawks (@12thman_hawks) October 11, 2017

The tote bags will be produced by Alchemy Goods, a Seattle-based company that has gained an eco-friendly reputation for using recycled items such as bicycle inner tubes, billboards and seatbelts to craft useful and durable goods. In addition to tote bags, it makes messenger bags, backpacks, wallets and belts.

In partnering with these two groups, the Seattle Seahawks have developed a multi-pronged marketing campaign that is sure to garner interest from their passionate fans. The team is not only contributing to causes both charitable and environmentally conscious—a surefire way to engage with consumers—but also finding a use for promotional signage that would otherwise take up space in storage or simply become trash.

We’ve seen this recently, such as with the Kansas City Royals, who will be holding a “garage sale” in November to get rid of surplus promotional goods and apparel. These savvy marketing strategies are rooted in a similar problem—the question of what is to be done with leftover promotional items. Rather than let these items go to waste, these teams have turned their problems into complex campaigns that not only clear storage space, but also engage dedicated fans in creative and positive ways.

Where would the Seattle Seahawks be without the 12th Man? It’s tough to say, but one thing’s for sure: It’s much cheaper and safer to distract an opponent with crowd noise than by hiring a passenger jet to take off over the stadium—and apparently it’s almost as loud. Needless to say, it’s best to keep fans such as these engaged with the team both on and off the field, and it doesn’t hurt to tackle recycling and charity at the same time. Kudos to you Seattle. You’re tote-ally doing great work.

PS, I wonder if the collective cringe I just caused could’ve registered on the Richter Scale…