Interview with Ted Pidcock of Teddy the Dog Apparel

I got an e-mail recently from Sarah Rondeau of Teddy the Dog apparel. I'd never actually heard of Teddy the Dog, and I didn't know Rondeau, but the e-mail asked if I would consider doing a review of their clothing line if they sent me a free t-shirt of my choice. Since I'm a shameless fan of Free Stuff, I agreed with little to no resistance, though I did request the opportunity to actually speak with someone from the company to find out if there might be the possibility of a bigger story in there, rather than just a simple review.

The result was an interview in July with Ted Pidcock, founder of Teddy the Dog. Pidcock is a well-spoken, amiable fellow with a long history of working with some of the best clothing manufacturers in the country, including Tommy Bahama, Ecko, and Wrangler. With Teddy the Dog, Pidcock has combined his team's manufacturing and marketing expertise to create a fashionable yet comfortable clothing line featuring the iconic, non-breed-specific Teddy the Dog. T-shirt slogans are cute-with-an-edge, targeted toward individuals who, Pidcock says, "know how to laugh at themselves, have a good time, and be their own dog." Slogans like "Dirty dogs have more fun," "Friends don't let friends fetch," and "Cats don't know sit," all feature Teddy behaving in a most un-Lassie-like way, as he embraces the very American pursuits of life, liberty, and the ability to do your own thing, regardless of your species.

Since May, Pidcock and the Teddy the Dog team have been doing a large-scale marketing push to increase brand recognition. Facebook fans have skyrocketed from "two or three hundred" in May, to twenty-five hundred a month and a half later. Now, in mid-August, that number has increased to nearly four thousand. Pidcock tells a story of going to a trade show where a die-hard Teddy the Dog fan had been pitching t-shirt ideas for some time when he suggested "Cats don't know sit." "I thought it was a little edgy at first, but we gave it a try - it turns out, it's been one of our most popular shirts so far," Pidcock said. "But that's just the way it is with Teddy - there's just something about him that people really like, he captures the imagination."

Over the summer, Pidcock et al hosted a contest when Teddy went "missing," awarding a $200 shopping spree for the most original essay speculating about Teddy's whereabouts and activities during his absence. According to Pidcock, the entries were flying in up until the final hour, when the grand prize was awarded to Jenny Carranza for her tales of Teddy living the good life south of the border. There's really no telling what Teddy will be up to next, but, according to Pidcock, "He's a dog who knows how to have fun, so that's what he'll keep doing." And, no doubt, the clothing inspired by the dog who can't be tamed will keep tickling us all with its wit and wisdom, as inspired by Teddy the Dog.