04.22.08
CNN.com added a new feature to their popular news website today. I’m sure you’re thinking “oh, they must’ve added something for the Pennsylvania vote” or something like that. Well, if that’s the case, you’re far off.
Today, CNN launched CNN Shirt Beta, a new feature that appears as a t-shirt icon next to some select Latest News articles. Click the icon, and you’re taken to a page that lets you purchase the headline, along with the date and time the story ran, and the tagline “I just saw it on CNN.” You can choose from a grey, white or black America Apparel shirt and have it shipped to your door for $15 (plus taxes and shipping). The catch is that you actually want one of these shirts, you have to purchase it when you see it, since these shirts only last as long as the headline does. So if it’s a busy news day, the shirt can last a matter of minutes.
I’m not really sure what to make of this. It’s an interesting concept, but really, is this something CNN needs to be doing? Lately CNN has been trying to be a bit hipper with their iReport, various blogs, and another new feature I just learned about tonight called The League of First Time Voters, a sort of “how-to” vote site. But do I really want to wear a headline?
I guess it’s supposed to be a souviner of an exact moment in time…and since you have to purchase these shirts before the headline disappears, I guess you could say that CNN Shirts will be limited editions. So get your headlines while you still can, and be sure to sell the good ones on eBay.
