T-shirt Design contest in Cincinnati

[bigcurl254]

Arnold's Bar and Grill is having a contest to have someone design our next T-shirt. We want something really cool and original not just the standard logo but something really outside the box.

Link for the event page: Arnold's Bar & Grill T-shirt Design Contest | Facebook

Details and Guidline:
1. The contest runs from May 20th-June 20th
2. Submit your designs on the event wall for Facebook.
3. Contest will be decided by vote, on Facebook.
5. The Design must include the words: Arnold's (Bar and Grill are optional) and Since 1861
6. Think outside of the box. The design can be anything. We are looking for a cool T-shirt, not just an Arnold's billboard.
7. The design must be one color as it will be a single-screen print
8. The design will be printed on the highest quality tri-blend black American Apparel T-shirts
9. You can incorporate your own logo as long as it is small, remains low key and doesn't distract from Arnold's own name or the designn.
10. You must agree to let Arnold's use your design for marketing plans, for future T-shirts, in ads, on the web, etc. etc.
11. Something inspired by Cincinnati, Downtown, and OTR is always a plus.
12. We sell about 500 T-shirts a year, so your design will be seen by many.

Prize: $100 gift certificate to Arnold's, A T-shirt with your design on it, a authentic retro Arnold's T-shirt from the 80's, a framed print of your design hanging somewhere in the restaurant, Various Beer and Liquour T-shirts and swag from but not limited to Guinness, Christian Moerlein, and Jack Daniels. (If you are not local, we will ship the prizes to you. You could sell the gift certificate or we can work something out)

[boatdreams]

Hi, and welcome to the forums. You're actually just in time for a contest I myself am holding.
You're cordially invited to give me free beer and food. I will be eating and drinking for free at competing establishments all the while. Whichever establishment gives me the best free items will be compensated with a bunch of posters I made, and I will make you a grilled soy cheese sandwich.

But in all seriousness, many people on this forum make their living designing and drawing things. These sorts of contests don't help us eat or pay rent. I would suggest picking out an artist or artists and contacting them about the prospect of working together.

[bigcurl254]

Well, Justin, I am not trying to rip anyone off. We are not Mcdonald's or Applebee's, we are a small family owned business and don't have a ton of money. We will not be running any nation wide ad campaigns with this. Really not trying to take advantage of anyone. Thought it would be cool. I'm an amateur designer myself and was really pumped to have my design on a T-shirt, when I did it. Didn't know it would be so cynical on here.

In all seriousness as well, I am a huge poster art fan, have tons of prints myself and just posted this on here in case I could have someone who's work I follow, but could never afford to have make a design for my families restaurant, make a design. Such as yourself, of whom I have a print. It was really just a pipe dream or a shot in the dark. I thought this could be a way an artist could promote themselves on a grassroots level somewhere far away from them. I am not offering money directly but I am offering some exposure in a place that you might not get it otherwise. I get the not eating part, in Cincinnati we are considered to be one of the biggest supporters of the arts in the city. So much so, that Shepard Fairey came and wheatpasted a mural up on our wall. So we understand, do a lot to help, and hope that there are some that can still see this as an opportunity even though you may not.

[boatdreams]

I do understand. I was just playing around and trying to prove a point at the same time. I'm not trying to shoot you down or anything.
It can be frustrating to regularly have to defend the value of what we do for a living, and a little bit of humor is one way of dealing with that frustration. I know you're not out to rip anybody off, and we're all just trying to get by. I meant nothing personal by my little post. I'm just being a dork.

[bigcurl254]

It's cool man. Love your work. Just explaining myself. There are a ton of you guys that deserve to be rich off of their work on here. You know what, it's still just a small penance but if someone from outside Cincinnati were to win, we would just send them a hundred bucks instead of the gift certificate. Guess it would be silly to have someone try and sell it on ebay or something. Oh, and if your ever in Cincinnati, please stop in to Arnold's for a delicious grilled soy cheese sandwich with gluten free bread, on me.

[louisfinn]

Things change when you are using the a logo you got from an artist without paying for any royalities or work and are making money yourself with that work. This transcends a logo used or plastered somewhere in a bar. In saying that you sell 500 t-shirts a year there is no reason you can't pay an artist for their work. No matter how mom n' pop.

[bigcurl254]

In saying that you sell 500 t-shirts a year there is no reason you can't pay an artist for their work. No matter how mom n' pop.

We sell them at cost. You know how much American Apparel costs. I honestly just wanted to do something cool. We are not some corporate monster. Anyways, I give up. I'm not just trying to score something for free. We are not just some bar, look us up. Sorry for offering up a contest. Didn't know it would strike up such a chord. I can just keep it local.

[mikeage]

I can just keep it local.

that's a good idea. not sure how many people will travel to cincinnati to use a $100 gift card.

[kim_a]

The reason you're offering up a contest is because you can't afford to pay a regular fee, or spend the time out of what I'm guessing is a busy schedule to find an illustrator willing to work for cheap... it is not because you felt like being nice. And that is just fine, but at least be upfront about it, don't act like your doing someone a favour by looking at their work and *maybe* giving them what most of them make in an hour or two of real work. I'm not trying to be an ass, but if you had at least taken the time to look around this forum before posting, you would have seen a bunch of people getting the same responses (or likely much worse) for posting competition briefs here.

Truth is that competitions are poorly disguised requests for cheap work, if you are to be honest, you sat down and figured this would be a way to get it done within your budget. As a result, they don't generally fly well with people who make their living from said work. What you are asking for is called spec-work, I'd google it if I were you. A competition with a $100 price is no different from asking your chef to work for free an entire day, and if someone he has never met liked his food he'd get paid his going rate for an hour or two...

I'd keep it local and spend the time to find an artist who will actually like to do you a favor and whip something up for $100 and some food. You're also more likely to get entries that relate to your establishment. I'm sure you have a nice place and that someone would love to help you out.

The only spec work or competitions people are likely to partake in are those that can get them more work, that is very, very high-profile jobs (with or without compensation for winning entry) or for non-profits they relate to.

-Kim

[Zach Hobbs]

no spec.