Bringing Kylie’s AFL Grand Final merchandise to life
The Challenge: In September, Licensing Essentials, supported by Gildan Brands, engaged QTCo to produce t-shirts for the dancers performing alongside Kylie Minogue during the AFL Grand Final pre-game entertainment. With the dancers set to perform in front of a packed MCG crowd and a nationwide television audience, a key requirement was that the prints were highly visible and impactful, ensuring the performers stood out from anywhere in the stadium.
THE PROJECT DETAILS
The original t-shirt concepts featured the iconic "Kylie" logo extending across garment seams, a technique typically completed offshore before a garment is sewn together. As the project timeline did not allow for this approach, QTCo needed to find an alternative way to achieve the same oversized visual effect.
The Solution: Our initial solution was direct-to-film (DTF) printing. While DTF could not replicate printing across seams, it allowed us to maximise the print area within the pre-made garment's limits. Artwork could also be scaled to suit each garment size and heat-pressed in sections, creating the desired oversized appearance, placement, and shape. This approach was ideal for the initial small production run, enabling us to push print dimensions to their practical limits.
The project later expanded to include two retail t-shirt designs featuring the same oversized “Kylie” logo, along with additional back and sleeve prints to tie into the AFL event. With production volumes exceeding 1,000 units, the customised, labour-intensive DTF process used for the dancer garments was no longer viable. Given the quantity and single-colour artwork, screen printing was the most efficient solution. However, standard print dimensions would not deliver the bold visual impact required, so our team set out to develop a production method that maximised print size while maintaining efficiency at scale.
To achieve this, we designed a custom jig and retrofitted it to our existing screen-printing pallets. While this solution did not offer the garment-specific sizing and precise positioning possible with DTF, it allowed us to maximise the print area for high-volume production. To better maintain the oversized look across the size range, garments were split into two groups: XS-M and L+. We then developed two custom print sizes that exceeded our standard print dimensions, ensuring the artwork remained bold and proportionate across all sizes while still delivering the production efficiency required for a large-scale screen print run.
After several rounds of sampling and refinement, we achieved a result that met the client's expectations, with final approval received in early September. The main order included approximately 2,000 garments across both the retail and dancer ranges. All items were required within two weeks and had to be delivered retail-ready, including individual folding, bagging, custom swing tags, and barcoding.
Once the garments arrived at the event, the online retail campaign launched, and demand quickly accelerated. To meet ongoing sales, an additional 1,000 t-shirts were ordered, with a turnaround time of just 72 hours. This is where QTCo's local manufacturing capability proved invaluable. With production based locally and the flexibility to respond rapidly, we were able to support the campaign live as demand increased.
What began as a specialised print challenge ultimately became a high-profile merchandise campaign delivered at scale. As designs evolved, volumes increased, and deadlines tightened, QTCo continually adapted to help bring the Kylie Minogue AFL Grand Final merchandise range to market successfully.
Beyond the technical achievements, there was also a genuine sense of pride in being involved. Seeing the dancers perform in QTCo-produced garments on one of Australia's biggest sporting stages and spotting our shirts on live TV, was a rewarding moment for everyone involved. It was a reminder that behind every garment is a team of real people passionate about finding solutions, delivering under pressure, and helping bring ambitious ideas and merchandise campaigns to life.
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From barcodes to swing tags to bagging and tagging, our team has the capabilities to do it all under one roof.