UC Davis Students Launch Charity Apparel Brand: The Runaway Robot

Have you ever wanted to make a difference in this world? Well, a small group of college students from UC Davis are attempting to do just that with their new brand, The Runaway Robot.

Their company model is simple:

• Design shirts with robots on them (who doesn't love robots?)
• Tie each shirt to a charity or organization that's working to make the world a better place.
• Use the shirts to raise awareness of these causes, and donate part of the proceeds directly from each sale to help these charities reach their goal(s).

The cool thing about all of this is that they are willing to represent all sorts of causes, including (but not limited to) providing food, shelter, and education, aiding in the fight against cancer, protecting against deforestation, and even things such as helping to buy musical instruments for children who wouldn’t be able to experience the joy of playing music otherwise.

How are their sales, you ask? I couldn't tell you, since they just launched last night! Right now is an amazing opportunity to watch as a brand starts from ground zero. Their store is operated completely on their Facebook page, but I'm told that they already own a domain and expect to create a website once the brand gains more traction. 

Now lets talk about their first release, a design they call Paper Dreams. Paper Dreams is featured on two styles of shirts: a male/unisex shirt which comes in two colors, black and deep teal, and are printed on tees from Canvas. And then there is the women’s tees, a super soft “V” neck that comes from the lady's counterpart of Canvas, Bella. The color options for the female tees include dark heather grey and navy.

For this first campaign of theirs, The Runaway Robot is helping to fight against malaria by providing vaccinations for children in developing countries. The paper airplane that loops across the chest of the design is meant to portray a sense of innocence, since children often spend their time at recess throwing paper airplanes with one another. They also chose a paper airplane for its shape, since its design looks very similarly to a mosquito, which is actively being thrown away from the robot on the shirt. 

Prices range from $13-$18 each. The printing is great to ensure that the breathability of the shirt is maintained in the print. Also, this keeps the design from cracking after going through the drier so that the integrity of the design can be maintained for as long as possible. Various members of The Runaway Robot team used to screen print their own stuff, so you can be sure they know the difference between a good product and a bad one. 

The company is also offering a fantastic coupon right now for $5 off any t-shirt during pre-order week (Oct. 24 - Oct. 31). Just type in the word FANDOM while in the shopping cart at their store and it will be applied automatically for you. 

But wait, there's more.

Additionally, The Runaway Robot made an announcement yesterday that everyone living in Davis will be reimbursed for the $3 shipping cost so long as they don't mind meeting up on campus to accept their packaged product by hand!

If you're interested in checking them out, here's a link to their Facebook pagehere's a link to their store. They really are a cool bunch of people with a heart warming motto, "Spread the love." I'd definitely say to take a look if you get a chance!