Subway served up a fresh twist on branded merchandise, dishing out a lineup of freebies to fans – first come, first served!

At 10 a.m. on December 4, Subway’s U.K./Ireland division launched its debut streetwear-inspired collection, featuring T-shirts, sweatshirts and tote bags. The limited-edition pieces celebrated the iconic Meatball Marinara Sub and Chipotle Southwest Sauce, while the bag nodded to Subway’s classic “Baked Fresh Daily” slogan.

Fans had to act quickly to get their complimentary merch, as the fast-food chain released only 1,000 pieces, which sold out almost immediately. Latecomers to the merch site were greeted with a cheeky message: “BRB! Getting more merch. Fresh Merch runs out fast! 😅”

Subway collaborated with Dublin-based artist Stephen Heffernan to create the quirky, Americana-deli-style designs.

Credit: Subway

“We wanted to embody the iconicity of Subway fans’ favorite menu items,” Heffernan said. “I’ve loved working with Subway to help bring to life the brand’s vision for this limited-edition merch.”

Subway loved the new collection and hoped its fans would, too. “Stephen did a brilliant job bringing the vision for the line to life, creating a collection of unique designs that pay homage to some of our most popular menu items in a fresh and fun way,” said Kirstey Elston, marketing director for Subway’s U.K./Ireland division. “When creating this fresh new line, we wanted to offer our fans more than just branded merchandise, but items they actually want to wear.”

@subwayukireland

So our FREE merch went fast 😳 Will we do more? Maybe. Will it be fresh? Possibly. Do we like teasing you? ABSOLUTELY 😈

♬ original sound Subway UK & Ireland

Other brands paying attention to Subway’s fresh merch moves can pick up a few pointers:

  • Tease merch drops on social media to encourage existing and new fans to like and follow your accounts more closely.
  • Team up with a well-known or up-and-coming artist to create unique takes on your branding that will tantalize fans.
  • Offer limited-edition drops to create FOMO among fans.
  • While not feasible for all brands, offering free merch creates even more excitement and goodwill among fans.


Subway offered free merch before Christmas as a festive gesture. “And in the spirit of the holidays, we thought why not give it to them for free!” Elston said. Fans who didn’t get their Subway merch can follow Subway’s social media channels to learn about potential future drops.