By Lindsey Kin
“What’s the same mass as eight full grown lions?” was the question posed to the South African media. The answer? The world’s largest t-shirt, created by Vanish. The unveiling of the pink colossal creation took place on Tuesday, 21 September at the Denel Aviation Centre in Johannesburg, where media VIPs were invited to participate in this record-breaking event. Guests were treated to an array of beverages and snacks, and in making their mark, had the opportunity to attach a giant button, featuring their company’s name, to the big pink ‘T’.
After two months; 7 000 metres of fabric; and 6 500 stitches, Vanish, together with below-the-line activation agency, Sound Contact, brought to life a 64.7-metre long and 43-metres wide - excluding sleeves - hot pink masterpiece, and a South African record-breaking creation was born. It weighed in at 1 500kg, with an overall measurement of 2 782.1 square metres, including its sleeves.
To say the t-shirt is huge, is an understatement, so to create a visual understanding in the minds of South Africans as to exactly how big the Vanish t-shirt really is, here are a few comparisons: it is taller than the Statue of Liberty; enough cotton thread was used to wrap around Ponte Tower 250 times; it is taller than San Francisco’s famous Golden Gate bridge; one could park 647 Classic Mini Coopers on the garment; it would take 230 litres of paint to colour the t-shirt; the garment is twice the height of the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil; the fabric is large enough to cover 245 minibus taxis; is heavier than the average female Rhino; has enough material to stretch to the top of Table Mountain and back 6.5 times, or run the length of Robben Island twice; and one would need 214.4 metres of boerewors to stretch the perimeter of the t-shirt.
Jiri Kulik, GM for Reckitt Benckiser SA, concluded the ceremony by saying: “Vanish wanted to do something great for South Africa, and build on the sense of optimism created by the World Cup. Owning the world’s biggest t-shirt is a record for South Africans, made by South Africans. From the people involved, to the material and thread used, this is a 100% home-grown initiative.”
Members of the public will have the opportunity to view the t-shirt for one day on Saturday, 2 October at Moyo Zoo Lake.