A hat to symbolise the stars.
We always talk about how merch can activate your brand, bring it to life, and make it monumental.
However, sometimes branded merchandise can be the sidekick to some of the greatest events in human history.
They’re like literal time machines, keeping the story of important events alive for future generations.
Pretty cool, right?
But that’s exactly what the Apollo 11 U.S.S. Hornet Recovery hat has achieved.
Read on to find out more about how this branded hat came to be, why we’re talking about it now, and why your brand needs to add a hat or cap to your promotional merchandise catalogue.
Interested in experiencing how branded headwear can cap-ture the heart of your audience? Explore our collection of promotional hats, caps and other headwear now, to make your branded merch part of your marketing hat-trick.
In a new episode of Clarkson’s Farm (S4, ep.3), Jeremy Clarkson wears the famous cap whilst on a routine farm check with Kaleb Cooper, the Diddly Squat Farm Manager.
He discusses the cap with Kaleb, which was given to him by actor Woody Harrelson.
Unaware of the cap's significance, Jeremy goes on to explain to Kaleb how the cap was created to commemorate the crew of the U.S.S. Hornet aircraft carrier, which, in 1969, rescued the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission - the first space mission to land on the moon.
An image taken during the astronauts’ return to Earth.
The plan was always for the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Hornet to recover the crew of Apollo 11 and their command module. However, due to bad weather and overcast skies, the U.S.S. Hornet had trouble using traditional methods of stellar navigation, so it had to resort to using the ancient mariners’ technique of dead reckoning.
Dead reckoning is a navigation technique that “is used to determine one’s current position by using a previously known position and calculating the course based on speed, time, and direction travelled.” Although useful over short distances, it “tends to become less accurate over time due to errors that accumulate in direction, speed, and time estimates”.
So, the crew of the U.S.S. Hornet basically had to cross their fingers and hope they’d reach the Apollo 11 astronauts in time before they were swept away by the formidable tides.
However, luck was on their side, as the U.S.S. Hornet managed to arrive only a few hours after the astronauts had landed.
Upon boarding, President Nixon congratulated Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins for a successful and momentous mission.
President Nixon addressing the Apollo 11 astronauts.
President Nixon on the U.S.S. Hornet, waiting to greet the astronauts.
What made this recovery even more complicated was the fact that it was the first time back-contamination prevention measures were in place, with the fear of everyone being exposed to lunar microorganisms. This meant the crew of Apollo 11 had to live aboard the U.S.S. Hornet in quarantine conditions for 21 days.
The Apollo 11 crew in quarantine.
After a journey of a lifetime, and you know, making human history (no biggie), all those aboard the U.S.S. Hornet were gifted a branded hat to commemorate the prestigious moment, with the Apollo 11 crew getting theirs before they went into quarantine - phew!
Captain Carl Seiberlich of the U.S.S. Hornet.
It’s not just spacemen that love a branded hat - your target audience does, too!
A branded cap or hat is a must-have part of your merchandise strategy; it’s the ‘cherry on top’ when it comes to branded clothing.
That’s because they:
The best bit about a branded hat? It’s always on top! You can cover a branded t-shirt with a jumper, a branded hoodie with a coat, and socks are stuffed into shoes. A branded hat, though? That’s always on show, spreading brand awareness.
Your clients won’t have to think too hard about wearing their branded caps. It’ll become second nature to throw it on before stepping out the door. It doesn’t ask too much of them to use, meaning your hat has a better chance of being worn, and your brand of being seen.
A hat or cap is a fashion staple for most fashion fans. No outfit is complete without the appropriate headwear - just make sure your branding is a part of their new look.
A hat, a cap, a beanie. Whether the weather is hot, windy, or snowy, there’s a hat that can be branded and worn all year round.
You usually don’t just wear a hat or a cap for just one season, either; you’ll keep it for at least a few years. You hang it on your coat hook and wait until the perfect opportunity arises in which to wear it again. That’s brand longevity in action!
Name an industry where a branded hat wouldn’t work. That’s right, there isn’t one! Whether you’re in tech, finance, travel or marketing, every niche needs its own branded headwear.
And don’t get us started on the branding options! With different techniques to suit different logos and budgets, you can really bring your branding to life on a promotional cap.
The Apollo 11 mission, the pinnacle of the space race, the moment humanity put two feet amongst the stars for the very first time, an event watched by millions across the world… remembered now thanks to a humble branded cap.
Jeremy Clarkson discussing the exploration and the cap on his show, 50-odd years after the iconic mission, is a fantastic example of just how meaningful and powerful promotional merchandise can be.
Ready to customise your own branded hats? Explore our collection of promotional hats, caps and other headwear now - and maybe one day your brand will be amongst the stars, too.