This week, I’m talking about H-E-B’s wild heavy-metal T-shirt collab with designer Connor Dwyer. What started as a fun grocery-store-meets-metal-band mashup turned into one of the most viral merch drops of the year.
Here’s what’s happened:
- A fan design turned into an official partnership
- A charity angle raised $35,000 for Austin musicians
- A tech fail that left fans frustrated
- What small brands can learn about handling hype and demand
Hype is great—but make sure your system can take the hit. If your fans show up ready to buy, you’d better be ready for them.