jigfresh
Well-Known Member
I was watching English football on the TV today and saw something that reminded me of a very perplexing situation. There is a small college in Farmville, PA (not the real name of the town) called Franklin & Marshall. While on a trip in London I saw someone wearing a sweatshirt for F & M. The college. I thought, that is the CRAZIEST coincidence. There are only 2,300 people that attend the school. I went to a school with 30,000 people and I've never seen a sweatshirt abroad. Then a few days later I saw another one. And then on TV this morning, someone in the crowd had one on. Turns out its a strange story of an Italian clothing company using the schools name without permission and selling clothes all round europe... based on a tiny school in rural pennsylvania.
They no longer sell the clothes in the US because of low sales, but have their own .co.uk website. Too funny.
Wiki clip:
In 1999, after seeing an official Franklin & Marshall sweatshirt, a company[SUP][38][/SUP] based in Verona, Italy, began producing items of clothing in a vintage 1950s collegiate-style with the words "Franklin and Marshall" on them. F&M alumni began to report seeing F&M merchandise for sale in Europe, something which puzzled the college.[SUP][39][/SUP]
In 2001, Tim McGraw posed for publicity photos wearing a "Franklin Marshall Wrestling" t-shirt,[SUP][40][/SUP] one of which was included in the CD booklet for his album Set This Circus Down. When many asked Franklin & Marshall College about its nonexistent connection to the singer, the college investigated and discovered that the Franklin Marshall Clothing company was using its name without permission.[SUP][41][/SUP] In 2003, the college licensed the name to the company so it could sell its products, many of which omit Franklin & Marshall's ampersand, in the United States.[SUP][39][/SUP][SUP][41][/SUP]
The clothing company, which owns the rights to "Franklin & Marshall" outside the United States, states that its designs are "inspired by the American Vintage College spirit, as exemplified by Franklin & Marshall College."[SUP][38][/SUP] Most of its products are made in Italy and are much more expensive than the Champion-produced licensed apparel the college's bookstore sells. As of 2011 the company has stores in six cities: Athens, Milan, Tokyo, and Paris, and also sells through high-end stores likeHarrods in Britain. Although it no longer sells its products in the United States due to poor sales, in 2010 the company pledged to donate $130,000 to the college's scholarship fund.
They no longer sell the clothes in the US because of low sales, but have their own .co.uk website. Too funny.
Wiki clip:
In 1999, after seeing an official Franklin & Marshall sweatshirt, a company[SUP][38][/SUP] based in Verona, Italy, began producing items of clothing in a vintage 1950s collegiate-style with the words "Franklin and Marshall" on them. F&M alumni began to report seeing F&M merchandise for sale in Europe, something which puzzled the college.[SUP][39][/SUP]
In 2001, Tim McGraw posed for publicity photos wearing a "Franklin Marshall Wrestling" t-shirt,[SUP][40][/SUP] one of which was included in the CD booklet for his album Set This Circus Down. When many asked Franklin & Marshall College about its nonexistent connection to the singer, the college investigated and discovered that the Franklin Marshall Clothing company was using its name without permission.[SUP][41][/SUP] In 2003, the college licensed the name to the company so it could sell its products, many of which omit Franklin & Marshall's ampersand, in the United States.[SUP][39][/SUP][SUP][41][/SUP]
The clothing company, which owns the rights to "Franklin & Marshall" outside the United States, states that its designs are "inspired by the American Vintage College spirit, as exemplified by Franklin & Marshall College."[SUP][38][/SUP] Most of its products are made in Italy and are much more expensive than the Champion-produced licensed apparel the college's bookstore sells. As of 2011 the company has stores in six cities: Athens, Milan, Tokyo, and Paris, and also sells through high-end stores likeHarrods in Britain. Although it no longer sells its products in the United States due to poor sales, in 2010 the company pledged to donate $130,000 to the college's scholarship fund.
