‘Minnesota Chipmunks’ Shirt Sold at H&M Raises Some Questions

I was minding my own business, scrolling through TikTok yesterday when I came across a video of someone picking on H&M for a new shirt design they were featuring. At first, I thought it couldn't be that bad, but once I saw the final design I understood why it warranted a full video.

H&M created a "Minnesota Chipmunks" shirt that is obviously a ripoff of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

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My first thought is that no one on the research and development team has never made it to Minnesota. They just had a rough idea of what our biggest school's mascot and logo looked like and just went off memory. But they didn't even get the colors right. The Gophers are maroon and gold, not mint great and off-white.

Then as I browsed the H&M website, adding this awful shirt to my cart, it dawned on me that this could be their way of avoiding any sort of licensing trouble. Recreating the U of M logo and mascot could land them in deep legal trouble, but this chipmunk and mint green combo is as close to the school logo as you can get without adding a court date to your calendar.

For that, I applaud them. I didn't go to a school with a mascot, and that school is now shut down, so my plan is to get this sweatshirt and wear it around like a proud (fake) "Minnesota" alumni. Go chipmunks!