As a former Fractal customer and current employee, I have both perspectives.
M@ the Fractal customer speaks:
Most people don't wear brands to advertise, but because brands are symbols of culture, community, and yes, status. That's how I wear Fractal shirts. I wear them because I LOVE this brand and I literally want to stand behind it. I want to identify with and connect with (most of) the players that gather around it. I'm HONORED to own a Fractal. I'm EXCITED to tell the world that I do -- not as a human billboard for rent, but as a statement of the fact that "I think I know what awesome is." And better still... so people can ask me if I have one, and I can say, "YES I DO AND I LOVE IT!" and maybe even bond over that. (Like most people, I like making new friends and spreading the word about new things.) I get to feel like I'm a part of something bigger than me. (I'd call this "Fractal Power" mode and it is real and loud and proud.) Now... I must also admit that from the very first time one of my "wishlist" posts made it into firmware (Ultra, 5.0!) there has always been an open and very personal aspect of "let me pay back some of what Cliff does to make this company so awesome." I meet a lot of people who also feel something like that. I get a lot of emails about friends telling friends and so on. I call this "gratitude" mode and it it pervasive and humble and a form of admiration. That's also why I wear Fractal shirts.
Now M@ the Fractal employees speaks.
We don't do t-shirts for "advertising." T-shirts are not an effective way to advertise a high end guitar processor. We don't do shirts for profit. We make them ourselves and probably don't break even on each batch. We do shirts because many of our customers WANT TO WEAR them. We do shirts because it is fun for everyone. As I mentioned above, I think as a former customer, I understand a little bit about why.
