Dialogue t-shirts

T-shirts have long been conversation starters, letting their wearers express bold political views, support their favourite artist or display their quirky sense of humour. Reactee takes the interaction to another level by harnessing the power of text messaging, creating t-shirts that “text back”. How it works? A customer picks a personal slogan and a unique keyword, which Reactee prints on an American Apparel t-shirt. The user gets the t-shirt and flaunts it. Anyone interested in knowing more about the slogan or its wearer can text the keyword to 41411, and will get an immediate response as set by the wearer, who also receives a copy of the message including the sender’s cellphone number. The response can be updated as often as the user likes, either at reactee.com or on the fly by cellphone. The shirts cost USD 20-27 depending on size and colour, and texting only works with US phones. Reactee users include individuals who want to connect others to a cause they’re passionate about, or who simply want to ignite a response from potential admirers (“Am I hot?”). On a broader scale, organizations like the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas and YouthNoise are using the t-shirts to connect to supporters, as does MC Hammer (who’s working on a comeback). Related, but more one-way: Italian Shyno, which launched two years ago and sells customized t-shirts (EUR 38) with a code that others can SMS to get in touch with the wearer: “All it takes is a simple t-shirt to find out, in complete anonymity, what others think of you.” One to set up locally? Or find other ways to combine text messaging with low-tech objects in order to initiate conversations, sales, romances and other human connections. Websites: www.reactee.com & www.shyno.com Spotted by: Channing Hancock & Giulia Cuccolini