KC apparel brand commandeers Chiefs’ ‘Nobody Likes Us’ spirit for latest wave of designs
February 13, 2024 | Taylor Wilmore
Back in 2016 — when the Chiefs were still rebuilding from a franchise-worst season — Joe Brynds set sail with Commandeer Brand, aiming to carve a niche in the apparel industry by infusing pride and the rebellious spirit of counter-culture.
“When I started Commandeer, I wanted to create something that was unique to Kansas City,” said Brynds. “I hadn’t seen anything with much alternative flair or edge to it, so I set out to fill that void.”
His quest for uniqueness led Commandeer Brand to adopt a Golden Age pirates theme, embracing the roles of rebels and villains — a fitting tribute to Kansas City’s fighting spirit, especially heading into a Super Bowl matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
“We feel like we kind of have to take the respect that we get, instead of having it just given to us,” Brynds said. “So I feel like the pirates kind of embody the same spirit Kansas City has.”
Newly-cast villains
Among the brand’s current top sellers: its “Dynasty Strikes Back” design, a nod to the Chiefs’ consecutive Super Bowl victories, and also embodying the brand’s evolution to NFL legends — even if that means taking on the status of heel.
“We wanted to embrace our new villain role and celebrate becoming a dynasty officially,” said Brynds. “We like being the bad guys. With winning comes hatred, and we embrace that.”
Other shirts from their collection embracing that attitude are their “Nobody Likes Us” and “New World Villains” tees.
RELATED: Fit for a champion: 20+ Super Bowl-inspired Chiefs shirts that won’t run out the clock
Mars and Joe Brynds, Commandeer Brand
A “Viva Los Champions” design ties the Chiefs’ Vegas win and Travis Kelce’s “Viva Las Vegas” singalong-shoutout together.
“Travis is basically a walking billboard. Everything he says just has such raw emotion and it resonates with people,” said Brynds.
A distinctive aspect of Commander’s creative process: the collaborative effort between Brynds and his wife, Mars Brynds. Together, they brainstorm design ideas, with Mars handling the artistic side while Brynds oversees the screen printing process.
Despite their growing success, Commandeer Brand remains grounded in its roots, he said.
“We’re all in-house, all hand-drawn, all hand screen-printed,” Brynds said, noting Commandeer offers shipping free of charge.
A win that trickles down
Reflecting on the impact of the Super Bowl on their brand, Brynds remains humble, attributing the season-ending boost to the unwavering support of the Kansas City community.
“Every time this team wins, the city comes together to support its local makers and businesses in a way that really means a lot to these companies, especially one like ours,” said Brynds.
“When the Chiefs are successful, small businesses are successful.”
KC as the home of the mouse
Brynds also shed light on Commandeer’s popular “Steamboat Willie” tee, an homage to Kansas City’s historical ties to the iconic Disney character.
“Many people don’t realize that the inspiration for Mickey Mouse began right here in Kansas City,” said Brynds.
In January, the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse entered the public domain, allowing unrestricted use for creative projects without copyright concerns.
This iconic cartoon marked the debut of Disney’s beloved characters, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, in 1928. Inspired by this milestone, Brynds created his own line of Steamboat Willie-themed T-shirts for the brand.
“When the trademark became public domain, we wanted to declare Kansas City as the home of the mouse,” he said.
RELATED: How KC’s Walt Disney learned the hard way about copyright
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