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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 |
| Founder | Bert Jacobs John Jacobs |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Number of employees | 200+ [1] |
| Website | www |
The Life Is Good Company is an American apparel and accessories wholesaler, retailer, and lifestyle brand founded in 1994 and best known for its optimistic happy go lucky T-shirts and hats, many of which feature a smiling stick figure named Jake and the registered trademark "Life is good."
In 1989, brothers Bert and John Jacobs, who grew up in Needham, Massachusetts, designed their first T-shirts. They began selling their designs in the streets of Boston and out of an old van at colleges and street fairs along the East Coast of the United States. [2] In 1994, following a not-so-successful road trip, they returned to Boston, unsure of the future of their business. It was their common practice to gather friends at their apartment following such trips to share stories and to ask their friends to comment on drawings and sayings posted on their living room walls. [3] On this occasion, one drawing received considerable favorable attention from their friends — the head of a beret-wearing, smiling stick figure and the phrase "Life is good." The brothers named the character Jake and printed up 48 shirts bearing a smiling Jake and the words "Life is good." At a street fair in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the shirts sold out in less than an hour. The brothers began to sell T-shirts and hats featuring Jake in local stores. Sales grew quickly and they hit the $100 million sales mark by 2007. [2]
Life is Good expanded its product lines from T-shirts and caps in the early years to a full line of apparel for men, women, and children, as well as an increasing number of accessories categories. They created their motto, "Do what you like, like what you do." [4] They offer over 900 different items in 14 categories. [1] Products are sold online via the company's website, in approximately 4,500 retail stores in the United States, [5] [6] and in 30 countries. [7] Life is Good donates 10% of its profits to improving children's lives through their Life is Good Kids Foundation. [8]
Life is Good products are sold in approximately 4,500 retail stores [5] throughout the United States and Canada. The brand is distributed through multiple customer channels.
Life is Good is founded on the belief in spreading optimism. So how does the Life is Good company handle the times when life is not so good? After the tragic day of 9/11, people were claiming they no longer believed life was good anymore. After so many injuries and deaths it is hard to keep up the "good vibes". The Jacobs brothers designed a T-shirt that displayed an American flag proudly on the front. [9] The sales of the particular T-shirt went to charity, and this gesture widened their customer support. Another historical tragedy, the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, brought on a hard time for the people of Boston. The company base was located in Boston, so they decided to do something. They created a T-shirt with the city's name on the front, a heart replacing the O, and the legend, "There's nothing stronger than love" on the back of the shirt. [9] All of the profits from this sale went to charity, and it was one of Life is Good's bestselling item at the time. When the corona virus struck the country, Life is Good was uncertain of how to take action, or even if they should take action. After a meeting with all of their employees they came to a group decision to continue working. Work stations were set up 10 feet apart, and their employees got right back to work. The Life is Good company only grew during the pandemic, and of course...they made a T-shirt. For the graduating classes they created a T-shirt that said, "Class of 2020: 'virtually' the greatest class of all time", which was a big hit among the students. Another shirt they created displayed "Covid, be gone!" on the front. When Life's not good, the Jacob brother's think that makes their brand even more relevant. [9]
During the annual Life is Good Festival they have raised over 1 million dollars for the Life is Good Kids Foundation. [10]
Life is Good donates 10% of its net profits to the Life is Good Kids Foundation to support the Life is Good Playmakers foundation, which works to mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences. [11] [ promotional source? ]
To this day the Life is Good Foundation inspires optimism, and receives emails and letters from customers who were inspired by them. Their website shares stories about some of these individuals who found hope and joy through the Life is Good company. [12]
A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such as emoticons. The smiley began as two dots and a line to represent eyes and a mouth. More elaborate designs in the 1950s emerged, with noses, eyebrows, and outlines. A yellow and black design was used by New York-based radio station WMCA for its "Good Guys" campaign in the early 1960s. More yellow-and-black designs appeared in the 1960s and '70s, including works by Franklin Loufrani and Harvey Ross Ball. Today, The Smiley Company holds many rights to the smiley ideogram and has become one of the biggest licensing companies globally.
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Dov Charney is a Canadian entrepreneur and clothing manufacturer. He is the founder of American Apparel, which was one of the largest garment manufacturers in the United States until its bankruptcy in 2015. Charney subsequently founded Los Angeles Apparel.
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John Vincent "Vince" Camuto was an American women's footwear designer and shoe industry executive, best known for co-founding the women's fashion brand Nine West. Following the 1999 sale of Nine West to Jones Apparel Group for $900 million, Camuto became CEO and Chief Creative Officer of a new fashion company, Camuto Group, maker of the Jessica Simpson brand. On October 10, 2018, Vince Camuto was acquired by Authentic Brands Group, as part of the company's definitive agreement to purchase a majority stake in the intellectual property of the Camuto Group's proprietary brands in partnership with DSW Inc.
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