Recently, Taylor Swift’s appearance in a vintage Monterey Bay Aquarium otter T-shirt during a film promoting her latest album sparked a viral trend. The aquarium reissued the shirt to raise funds for its Sea Otter Program, saving animal lives, and collected over $1 million. Featured by @taylorswiftstyled and the San Francisco Chronicle, the campaign also inspired many $13 donations supporting sea otter rescue and ocean conservation.
Swifties have helped raise over $1M for Monterey Bay Aquarium
A vintage Monterey Bay Aquarium otter T-shirt worn by Taylor Swift in the movie “Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” which coincided with the release of her album “The Life of a Showgirl,” has led to large numbers of donations and renewed attention to ocean conservation.
Swift’s fans, who are known for their keen eye for details, quickly identified the shirt, prompting a surge of contributions to the aquarium’s Sea Otter Program. Interestingly enough, many Swifties have amounted to $13, the singer’s favorite number.
In a statement posted on Thursday, the aquarium expressed gratitude for the unexpected attention, noting that “intentional or not,” Swift’s appearance had brought “a new era of support and awareness” to its long-standing conservation work.
According to CBS News, after tracking down the original artwork first printed in the 90s and depicting two otters swimming, the aquarium reissued the design as part of a fundraiser. The original shirts were produced by Harborside Graphics, a company that later became part of Maine-based Liberty Graphics.
The reissued shirts are made of 100% cotton and printed with PVC-free, water-based inks, aligning with the aquarium’s mission to reduce plastic pollution in oceans. The limited-edition shirts, available in adult and children’s sizes, are priced at $65.13, a subtle nod to Swift’s signature number.
As of Thursday morning, the fundraiser had collected more than $600,000 toward its $1.3 million goal. By midafternoon, the total had surpassed $1.1 million, according to aquarium officials.
Released on October 3, “The Life of a Showgirl” marks Swift’s 12th studio album. She first announced the project in August on “New Heights”, the podcast hosted by her fiancé, Travis Kelce, and his brother, former NFL player Jason Kelce.
Originally reported by Bikki Sharma on Reality Tea.
