Is This My New Favorite Promotional T-shirt Campaign?

(Image via Adobe)

You have to give credit where credit is due. And, today, I’m giving major kudos to Adobe for its creative use of promotional products.

As an editor, stock imagery has been a source of much frustration—and much laughter. Images are often so ridiculous that, here in the office, we circulate them via email threads or hang them on our cubicle walls. But, we sort of dread having to actually use them.

Yet somehow, Adobe managed to balance these two unharmonious aspects.

In order to promote Adobe Stock—Adobe’s more modern, less “we’re laughing at you, not with you” stock images—the company teamed up with an ad agency to show just how much of an improvement the new images are over the old. What did they do?

They launched a limited-edition clothing line featuring some of the cubicle wall-worthy images imprinted front and center.

There’s an entire look-book full of short-sleeved T-shirts, long-sleeved tees and crewneck sweatshirts with some priceless art. Seriously, I can’t even begin to choose a favorite. There’s the “laughing woman eating healthy vegetable salad” shirt, “man at desk frustrated with technology” shirt, “happy senior couple piggybacking at the beach” sweatshirt, “smiling woman drawing red graph” shirt—and plenty more.

I’d absolutely wear one. And I know my friends would, my brother absolutely would and I’d bet at least some of my colleagues would. (I say this because they have told me that very fact.)

The collection is creative. It’s original. It’s sure to spark conversation. It delivers the “hey, these images are so out of touch, but we’re not!” message loud and clear. And it speaks to more than just those of us who are cursed/blessed to deal with stock images regularly. Because seriously, who couldn’t appreciate the humor in these images?

Sure, it can be difficult to achieve all of these targets in one campaign and one promotion. But it’s nice to be reminded that it’s possible.

* The apparel is only available for purchase by Adobe Stock members. But, if you’re like us and really want to rock these looks, you can sign up for a free trial.