Taylor Swift’s otter tee in ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ film sparks over $2.3M in fan donations to California aquarium
Swifties are going otteryly wild!
An otter T-shirt worn by Taylor Swift inspired her loyal fans to shell out more than $2.3 million to a Northern California aquarium â money that will help protect sea otters and fund vital ocean conservation efforts.
After the global pop queen rocked Monterey Bay Aquariumâs vintage otter conservation tee in her âThe Life of a Showgirlâ album release moviethe aquarium was flooded with $13 donations â a nod to Swiftâs signature lucky number â and pleas to revive the long-retired â90s design.
The aquarium heeded the hitmakerâs devoted fans and re-released the garment, first printed more than 32 years ago, on Thursday as part of a special campaign to raise $1.3 million â a goal that was surpassed in less than eight hours, according to Liz MacDonald, the aquariumâs director of content strategy.
âWe definitely had a little Taylor Swift dance party in the office yesterday afternoon when we hit the goal,â MacDonald said, adding that her staff has since been speculating if the aquarium is one of the 35-year-old âLove Storyâ singerâs notorious Easter eggs.
âOne of my favorite theories is that we have a sea otter on our exhibit whose name is Opal and she was named by the fans through an online poll, and I wonder if Taylor Swift may have been one of the people that voted for the name Opal.â
Swiftâs fiancĂ©, Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, is not only a sea otter lover, but opal â his birthstone â also inspired the song âOpaliteâ on his future wifeâs 12th studio album, which was released on Oct. 3.
MacDonald said donors who contribute at least $65.13 to help injured and orphaned otters will be mailed the T-shirt, which features two otters paddling side by side on their backs in the water, with informational boxes beneath them displaying the aquariumâs name.
However, on Friday, the aquarium began accepting back-orders due to the fundraiserâs success, according to its website.
The marine life center has since partnered with Liberty Graphics to reproduce the shirt using 100% cotton and water-based ink, which is more environmentally friendly and sustainable, MacDonald said.
âTheyâre a company based in Maine who were taken by surprise as us, but who are also as delighted to have this opportunity to be part of this amazing moment that does so much for sea otters and for ocean conservation,â she added.
âWeâre also working to make sure that the packaging doesnât use plastic.â
The Maine-based printing company, which has 50 employees and normally produces 1,500 shirts daily, will now focus on fulfilling T-shirt orders from devoted Swifties starting on Monday.
âWe definitely didnât envision something this big but itâs a pretty good problem to have,â manager Matt Enos said.
The Grammy winnerâs âOfficial Release Party of a Showgirlâ offered behind-the-scenes footage and Swiftâs commentary on her new songs â raking in at least $50 million at the box office during its exclusive three-day run in theaters from Oct. 3 to 5.
With Post wires