In celebration of St Patrick’s Day, this week we’re focusing exclusively on interesting businesses and entrepreneurs from the island of Ireland, both North and South. Suggestions welcome.
Ark°, Ireland
Ark° is a non-profit clothing brand with a mission – to promote Acts of Random Kindness. The idea is that each time you wear an Ark° branded t-shirt, you are reminded to perform a random kind act for a stranger.
As founder Cameron explains:
“The idea—one ARK every time the clothing is worn. That’s it. Buy someone a coffee, give up your seat on the bus, help a drunk home.”
Cameron founded Ark° straight out of secondary school and after designing, sourcing and selling several hundred of the tees in 2008, his first big Ark was to empty the company bank account to buy Christmas presents for the homeless. The company has been run as a non-profit ever since, reinvesting profits back into their campaign to spread Arkiness around the globe.
After reading about Ark°, we pinged Cameron an email to find out a little more, here’s what he had to say:
So where did the idea for ARK come from?
The Ark° idea was born on a 4-day hike through the Wicklow mountains when I was 17 years old and in my final year in school. I basically wanted to create a business that genuinely pursued a social vision through its business.
I had recently been living this ‘Ark° lifestyle’ of Arking people in my every day life – buying coffees for people behind me, sending gifts to people for no reason at all, clearing cafe tables for the craic, and thought it was something everyone should try at least once.
I decided the best way to attach this idea to a product was in a t-shirt – a t-shirt that physically reminded you every time you put it on to do an Ark° for someone. Simple
What’s been the reaction so far – any interesting stories of how people have been taking the ARK idea on board?
Reaction has been superb. We’ve had sales in over 25 countries around the world and our Facebook following is growing daily (www.facebook.com/ArkHQ).
The best response has probably come from the Friday Challenge – an Ark° challenge we give out every Friday where fans have 24 hours to act. Last week was a simple challenge to buy someone in a local newsagents a treat for their break.
Here’s a quote from one Arker -
…he couldn’t believe that we didn’t “work” for ark and weren’t getting paid to be nice! he was genuinely pleasantly shocked that we just did it as an ark°…watch this space for another fan of ark° 
…from india too! Edel and Desi
All in all, it’s incredible to think there are people all over the world wearing this t-shirt and doing a simple Ark° every time they wear the tee.
What are your plans for the future?
How long you got?
We’ll be expanding the Ark° t-shirt range in a few weeks with 4 new designs. Another 4 to come in a further 4 weeks.
We’re launching an education program for kids. Piloting the scheme in Dublin and then planning to bring it all over Ireland to inspire kids to act in an Arkish way. Launching a kids range after that hopefully.
Ark° underwear will be coming out in the next few weeks… for undercover kindness.
We launched a Rep program this week where we’re employing people all around the world to act as Reps and spread the word. Fancy bringing Ark° to your college?
We have some crazy social connection ideas where we’ll be using our profits to launch some cool campaigns to bring that long-lost connection back into society again. Stay tuned!
I guess we’re a Virgin brand for kindness. Who knows, we may start a wee Ark airline some day… the sky’s the limit.
Site: www.arkhq.com
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
What an awesome business. Will definitely be getting myself a little Ark tee and joining the movement
Love this business and love even more that it’s non-profit, we @learningpool have even spoken about this in our staff meetings, one member of staff has done an Ark° by giving a carpark ticket away.We will def be doing more