Bluesky, a decentralized social media platform, is taking aim at rival Meta (META) by selling T-shirts with subtle digs. The shirts feature Latin phrases that cleverly nod to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his affinity for Ancient Rome.
The tees are inspired by Jay Graber, Bluesky’s CEO, who wore one with the phrase “mundus sin Caesaribus” (“a world without Caesars”) at SXSW. This phrase is similar to another worn by Zuckerberg during Meta Connect, which read “aut Zuck aut nihil” (“either Zuck or nothing”).
Despite initially selling out in 30 minutes, Bluesky has brought back the shirts for a limited time, with proceeds benefiting the open network it’s built upon. The company will also offer a range of third-party retailers carrying similar copies.
Bluesky’s surprising foray into merchandise has generated significant revenue within its first week, with CEO Graber joking that selling custom domains was less lucrative than the T-shirt sales. While Bluesky doesn’t display ads yet, it does offer services like custom domains and is exploring a subscription model.
The platform has gained over 32 million users in recent months, largely due to backlash against billionaire-owned platforms like X (formerly Twitter). By offering an open-source structure, Bluesky aims to protect itself from similar takeovers and incentivize continued user growth.
Source: https://observer.com/2025/03/bluesky-tshirt-sell-out