Superbowl Promotional Apparel Donated to Haiti

For the big football fans out there whose team has had the distinguished honor of being crowned Superbowl champions, there's only one thing in mind: getting the gear. The minute the game ended last night, ads were running directing football fans to websites where they could go to purchase DVDs and of course, promotional apparel. Those championship t-shirts will be found on store shelves today and it makes one wonder, how can t-shirt manufacturers meet fan demands the very next day?

According to the Advertising Specialty Institute, the largest media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry, more than 50,000 championship t-shirts were produced over night. ASI took the time to chat with Jeff Henderson, executive vice president of Pony Xpress Printing, an officially licensed provider of Super Bowl XLIV apparel. Here's an inside peek at what goes on once the trophy is handed over:

“We start making T-shirts when the game ends and it’s all hands on deck with more than 50 staffers working split shifts, and that includes me. We start delivering shirts overnight to stores, so they are on shelves the next morning for fans. When things get really hectic, it’s not uncommon to have a mini traffic jam that requires employees to direct trucks in and out of the warehouse. They come in to pick up for their stores and, of course, everyone wants their tees first.”

The shirts that are being produced are the same ones that fans watched players put on on the field. But what about the shirts that were printed for the losing team?

Well, they're going to good use. According to USA Today, the organization World Vision will donate the losing teams apparel to earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

"For years, World Vision has helped us to ensure that no NFL apparel goes to waste," said David Krichavsky, the NFL director of community relations. "With the enormous needs in Haiti and World Vision's long-term presence there, we know that these goods will go to very good use."