Swifties Power Monterey Bay Aquarium’s $2.1M Success with Vintage Tee Fundraiser

MONTEREY, Calif. — A once-retired sea otter T-shirt design has made a triumphant return at a California aquarium, generating over $2.1 million after devoted “Swifties” sought it out with fervor.

This fundraising initiative, which involved reissuing a classic Monterey Bay Aquarium tee from decades past, was sparked by pop sensation Taylor Swift wearing the garment in the film “Official Release Party of a Showgirl.” The design gained additional attention when it was showcased on an Instagram account dedicated to Swift’s fashion choices.

Originally from the 90s, the aquarium decided to reintroduce the tee after witnessing the substantial influence Swift wielded and the resulting widespread interest.

“We experienced a surge of $13 donations, supporting our sea otter program and various ocean conservation efforts,” the aquarium shared in a statement.

Known for her fondness for the number 13, often seen in her music, Swift inspired fans to contribute. Donations of $65.13 or more are rewarded with the reissued shirt as a token of appreciation.

In six hours, fans blew the $1.3 million goal out of the water. The fundraiser rapidly grew to $2.2 million by 3 p.m. ET Friday and shirts had to be placed on back order due to high demand. 

“We were in the archives, digging through. We were contacting former aquarium staff members, all trying to find out more,” Liz MacDonald, one of the minds behind bringing the shirt back, told KSBW. “It was really a whole group effort to bring the aquarium and Liberty Graphics together so that we could make this happen.”

The re-released shirt is produced by Liberty Graphics and will use polyvinyl chloride-free, water-based ink on 100% cotton material shirts. The aquarium says this combo is “better for the planet and our ocean,” and won’t “shed microplastics in the wash.” 

They’re also packing and shipping the tees in plastic-free materials. 

Swift has other potential easter eggs toward the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but it’s not clear if it’s intentional. Some songs include titles or lyrics that coincide with the names of some otters at the aquarium, like Ivy, Ruby and Opal.

Her fiancé Travis Kelce has also said his favorite animals are sea otters on his and his brother’s podcast. 

Sea otters are considered endangered globally, according to International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Fundraisers like the one the Monterey Bay Aquarium is hosting can help ocean conservation and other efforts for sea otters. 

“Intentional or not, by putting our sea otter conservation work in the spotlight, this has brought a new era of support and awareness to the Aquarium’s long history of ocean conservation,” the aquarium wrote in a statement.