A t-shirt campaign unites Mt. Pleasant: The story behind the ‘Game Day’ shirts

In recent years, the Mt. Pleasant Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (MPACVB) has supported and promoted Central Michigan University home football games by distributing “Game Day” gear across the area. The campaign, originally inspired by a neighboring community’s similar program, has grown to include providing t-shirts for employees at all CVB partner lodging properties as well as various businesses across town. 

With a goal to increase community pride, the MPACVB team is now in their third year of distributing “Game Day” materials. This year, not only are partnering hospitality members part of the campaign, but the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce and various area businesses have also joined in on the fun. 

We spoke with Jordan Ensing, marketing coordinator for the Mt. Pleasant Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, to learn more about their goal to increase community pride and what expansions we can expect of their Game Day campaign.

Photo courtesy Mt. Pleasant Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.On Aug. 29, 2024 the Baymont by Wyndham team wore Game Day t-shirts in support of the CMU ChippewasEpicenter Mt. Pleasant: For those who have seen Game Day shirts being worn across town but don't know the backstory, how did the idea for the Game Day t-shirt campaign first begin? 
Jordan Ensing: The Mt. Pleasant Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (MPACVB) is the destination marketing and management organization for Isabella County. The MPACVB is always looking for ways to create community pride in addition to marketing and promoting the area to visitors. Chris Rowley, executive director of the MPACVB, had seen employees wearing t-shirts in Freeland for a festival and since then she wanted to do t-shirts for an event in Mt. Pleasant. What better event than CMU home football games? Fire up Chips!  
It was always just an idea to do “someday.” Well, finally after talking about it for years, MPACVB board member, Tara Leonard, and general manager of the Baymont Inn, suggested the MPACVB just do it themselves. The first year, we ordered “Game Day” buttons and passed them out at lodging properties, downtown businesses, and attractions. After a great response from those businesses, Leonard suggested we continue with it and order t-shirts for the MPACVB lodging properties. Since then, it’s been a hit!  

We are going into our third year of ordering t-shirts for every employee at all MPACVB lodging properties. This project creates a sense of pride among our hospitality employees as everyone from the general manager to housekeeping wears a CMU Game Day t-shirt for all home football games. 

Photo courtesy Mt. Pleasant Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.In 2022, the Comfort Inn staff wore Game Day t-shirts.
Epicenter: Who are some of the participating partners across the community?
Ensing: In addition to the MPACVB lodging properties, this year the Chamber partnered and purchased t-shirts for their CMU tailgate at the first home football game. The first 25 people that registered for the Chamber’s event got the same game day t-shirt. Jim Holton, owner of Mountain Town Station, Camille’s Prime, Green Spot, and Summit Smokehouse also purchased t-shirts for all his staff this year!  

Epicenter: So, people can continue to expect to see a lot of Game Day t-shirts throughout town on home CMU football game days for the rest of the season, correct? Are any other CMU sports participating this Fall?
Ensing: Every home football game you will see our Fired-Up Game Day tees at local hotels and restaurants. Even the Mayor was wearing hers at the first home football game! We encourage other businesses to participate as well. As the marketing coordinator with the MPACVB, I manage and design the t-shirt campaign. We recently opened a storefront link for community leaders and businesses to order their own. It can be found here: https://mpchippewas.itemorder.com/shop/home/.

Epicenter: What do you have in store for the upcoming CMU basketball season?
Ensing: New this year, we will have Game Day tees for all home CMU men’s basketball games for the upcoming season. We plan to put the home schedule on the back of the t-shirts as they are not as known. Our hope is that people will not only make plans for attending CMU football games, but also for men’s home basketball games. 

Epicenter: If someone wants to join in on the fun, but they don't have a relationship with one of your current partners, do you have more shirts available? 
Ensing: You can contact the MPACVB office at 989-772-4433 or me at Jordan@meetmtp.com if your business wants to purchase those for the upcoming season. We have a storefront link that is currently open until September 15, or anyone interested can contact Logos Galore and get a t-shirt for their business!