SWAG
The Harvard Trademark Program on behalf of the University requires that faculty, staff, students, student organizations, units/departments and affiliates wishing to order Harvard apparel and other insignia merchandise bearing any of the University’s trademarks (including those of its Schools) for internal purposes (“SWAG”), for any event, giveaway, or fundraising purpose must follow specific steps to do so. Orders must be placed with a licensed company as outlined in the Guidelines for Ordering Internal Insignia Items (“SWAG”) for Harvard Schools, Departments, Units, and Officially Recognized Student Organizations and Affiliates. These are separate policies to any of the Strategic Procurement’s office policies and requirements.
The University requires that only companies that are licensed with Harvard will be permitted to produce SWAG-related merchandise which stems from a variety of considerations, including trademark protection, legal obligations, risk management, and best licensing practices. These licensed companies are quite capable of producing the kinds of items needed for SWAG purposes, such as t-shirts and fleeces, novelty items, and other unique products. We are not able to approve any orders placed with unlicensed companies and we are not accepting any new licenses at this time. If you have any questions specifically related to licensing, please send your request to trademark_licensing@harvard.edu for further information.
Please note that the Guidelines provide detailed information on how to place your order using the SWAG online form, and they include a list of licensed companies that can provide a variety of products for any SWAG-related purpose. We ask that you please review the Guidelines carefully and keep in mind when placing an order that our review time can take anywhere from 7 to 10 business days, which is in addition to any licensed company’s turnaround time. Should you have any questions about the SWAG Guidelines or the SWAG ordering process, please contact trademark_swag@harvard.edu.
Please note that these Guidelines do not apply to insignia items that are ordered for standard business purposes (business cards, letterhead, signage, uniforms, yearbooks, etc.). Companies that produce insignia products for standard business purposes are not required to be licensed nor, as is the case now, do they need to obtain written authorization from the Trademark Program for the production of those items. Please note that you will need to check in with your School’s Communication Office to determine the requirements for the proper ordering and approval of those standard business purpose items.
NOTE: the first step in any SWAG order is to complete a Harvard Trademark approval request form.
Harvard-Approved Vendors
Harvard Trademark Office maintains a list of approved licensees for the production of internal insignia items.
Ordering existing Harvard SEAS branded items
Harvard SEAS branded clothing and other items can be ordered from:
To order new Harvard SEAS branded items, you must first complete the form in the second paragraph on the Harvard Trademark Swag Guidelines page.
After initial review and approval by the Harvard Trademark Office your design will be passed to the Harvard SEAS Office of Communications for final review. Please allow two weeks in your production process for review and revision, if necessary.
Developing custom Harvard SEAS branded items
All swag developed for entities associated with Harvard SEAS should consult with Eliza Grinnell (grinnell@seas.harvard.edu) prior to placing an order. This is especially true if new logos will featured in the design. All designs should conform with SEAS branding guidelines.