A mystery backpack brand?

October 6, 2010 1:33 PM

Is there a brand whose logo is a yellow equal sign in a blue square (extremely similar to the Human Rights Campaign logo) that makes backpacks?

A friend in SoHo NYC saw someone today carrying a beige canvas backpack with brown leather straps and a sewn-on logo at the center of the top flap. The logo is a navy square with a yellow equal sign on it. Does anybody know what brand this could be? It's possible that the Human Rights Campaign sold it as merchandise at some point (there is nothing similar currently on their website), but I can't imagine a blanks brand that would carry a bag of this style. Any help would be much appreciated!

posted by aquanet to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (12 answers total)

I see a lot of these. HRC sells a lot of patches like this, especially at their store in Dupont Circle in DC.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 1:35 PM on October 6, 2010

Could it have been sewn-on by the wearer?
posted by proj at 1:36 PM on October 6, 2010 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: @l33tpolicywonk and @proj: It's definitely possible that the patch was sewn on after purchase, but it was pretty small - about half an inch by half an inch - and looked professionally done. There were also no other markings on the backpack to be seen...
posted by aquanet at 1:39 PM on October 6, 2010

I've seen canvas tote bags with that logo in that size (it's also on a baseball hat; I got it as a giveaway once, and haven't seen anyone else with one). They've been around a long time, so it seems pretty likely to me it's just a promotional item they no longer sell or produced only as a "gift" item for a fundraising campaign.
posted by OneMonkeysUncle at 1:44 PM on October 6, 2010

It isn't a Delta signal flag, is it? Which means "keep clear!"
posted by Lutoslawski at 1:46 PM on October 6, 2010

Oops, didn't see the HRC link. Reading fail.
posted by Lutoslawski at 1:47 PM on October 6, 2010

I'm quite certain I recall fundraising mail from them where such a bag was the "free gift" offered to those who gave above a certain amount....
posted by FlyingMonkey at 1:49 PM on October 6, 2010

Do any of these look like the bag in question?

You're sure it was a backpack and not a single-strap messenger bag?
posted by Think_Long at 1:54 PM on October 6, 2010 [1 favorite]

whoops, missed the link. I=dope
posted by Think_Long at 2:26 PM on October 6, 2010

a few years ago I got one in some sort of transaction. I don't remember if it was at a fundraiser or what - but sounds like what you're describing - and it was from HRC.
posted by FlamingBore at 2:34 PM on October 6, 2010

Best answer: One of my co-workers has this bag and verifies it was an HRC premium.
posted by mykescipark at 5:39 PM on October 6, 2010

That pretty closely describes the symbol people wear on their hard hats here in the industrial area to indicate that they are hard of hearing or wear a hearing aid. So please don't run them over with a rail car or something while they aren't looking. It looks just like a gold = on a blue background, and the sticker is about an inch square.
posted by ctmf at 8:49 PM on October 6, 2010