CASE STUDY · BRAND ACTIVATION · 2026
Nike × Looney Tunes: 9,600 Custom Embroidered Patches for the Space Jam 30th Anniversary.
Eight character and logo designs. 1,200 patches each. Fully embroidered with satin-stitched edges and heat seal backing. Nike received the patches within 14 days of the brief, ready for live hat-press activations.
- 9,600Total patches produced
- 8Distinct designs
- 14Days from brief to delivery
Makers Merch produced 9,600 custom embroidered patches for Nike's Space Jam 30th anniversary activation in 2026 — eight character and logo designs at 2.4"–2.5" tall, fully embroidered with satin-stitched edges and heat seal backing, for live hat-press events. Nike received the patches within 14 days of the brief. This was the second Looney Tunes × Nike production we've delivered, following one for the franchise's 75th anniversary.
THE BRIEF
Space Jam at 30. A Cultural Anniversary. A Tight Window.
Space Jam turned 30 in 2026. The Looney Tunes franchise has been celebrating a wave of milestone anniversaries this year, and Nike wanted to mark the moment with a live activation — heat-pressing custom embroidered patches onto hats at the event itself, in front of fans.
The brief came directly from Nike: eight designs covering the Space Jam roster — Bugs Bunny mid-dunk, Daffy Duck in Tune Squad gear, Lola Bunny, Taz with a basketball, two Monstar characters from the original film, the Space Jam logo, and the Tune Squad logo. Each design needed to be 2.4"–2.5" tall to fit hat panels. Each needed to read clearly at distance for a live audience. Each needed to be production-ready in 14 days.
This was the second Looney Tunes × Nike production we've handled. Before this, we produced 6,000 patches across 12 designs for the franchise's 75th anniversary celebration — heat-applied to jackets at that activation. For Space Jam's 30th, Nike came back.
Can't believe the details came out so great on fully embroidered patches.
THE LINEUP
Eight Designs. The Space Jam Roster.
Heroes, villains, and franchise marks. Every patch built to match Nike's spec at 2.4"–2.5" tall.
Daffy Duck
2.5" tall · Tune Squad uniform
Bugs Bunny
2.5" tall · Mid-dunk pose
Taz
2.5" tall · Tornado with basketball
Space Jam Logo
2.4" tall · Franchise mark
Lola Bunny
2.5" tall · Heart background
Monstar (red/green)
2.5" tall · Original film villain
Monstar (purple)
2.5" tall · Original film villain
Tune Squad Logo
2.4" tall · Team mark
THE CHALLENGE
Three Constraints. No Compromises.
Character Detail at 2.5" Tall
Most embroidered character work loses fidelity below 3". Daffy's bill, Lola's eye lashes, the Monstars' teeth, Bugs's jersey number — all needed to read clearly at 2.4"–2.5". Stitch direction, thread weight, and digitizing decisions made the difference.
Satin-Stitched Edges, Heat Seal Backing
Nike needed patches that could survive heat-press application onto hat panels at a live event, then survive the wear life of a piece of Nike merch. Satin-stitched edges for a clean professional finish. Heat seal backing engineered for hat-panel adhesion.
14 Days. 9,600 Patches. No Drift.
Nike received the patches within 14 days of the brief. That window covered digitizing 8 designs, sampling, client approvals, the full production run, and air freight to the activation site. Every day mattered. Every QC step had to hold.
THE EXECUTION
Extra Hands. Tight Coordination. Plane on Time.
Production ran on schedule, but the prep and trim phase is where 14-day timelines actually get won or lost. Nine thousand six hundred patches need to be individually inspected, edges checked, backing verified, and trimmed clean before they ship.
We brought extra hands on deck. Additional workers stepped in for the prep and trim phase specifically — the manual quality work that doesn't scale on machines. The patches needed to be on a plane by a specific date for the activation. They were.
Eight separate digitizing files. Eight separate stitch-out approvals. One coordinated production run. One shipment. Nike's team had patches in hand with time to spare before the live event.
THE RESULT
Heat-Pressed Live. In Front of Fans.
All 9,600 patches shipped on schedule. Nike deployed them at the Space Jam 30th anniversary activation, heat-pressing custom hats live in front of fans. The patches held up to the heat-press application, the wear, and the cultural moment.
Our second Looney Tunes × Nike production delivered on the same standard as the first.
PROJECT SPECS
The Numbers.
- Client
- Nike
- Licensor
- Warner Bros. / Looney Tunes
- Activation
- Space Jam 30th Anniversary, 2026
- Product
- Custom embroidered patches
- Quantity
- 9,600 patches (8 designs × 1,200 each)
- Size
- 2.4"–2.5" tall
- Construction
- Fully embroidered
- Edge finish
- Satin stitched
- Backing
- Heat seal
- Turnaround
- Nike received the patches within 14 days of the brief
- Deployment
- Live hat-press activation
WHAT THIS PROVES
Capability. Demonstrated, Not Claimed.
A 14-Day Run at Volume
9,600 patches across 8 designs, digitized, approved, produced, finished, and shipped. Nike received the patches within 14 days of the brief. A new project's schedule is confirmed in its quote.
Detailed Artwork Survives the Shrink
Character work at 2.5" tall. Logo work at 2.4". The fidelity buyers want without the size compromise they usually have to accept.
Major Global Brands Trust Our Quality Bar
Nike came back for a second Looney Tunes production. Repeat business from a brand that audits everything is the real proof.
Built for the Moment, Not Just the Shelf
Heat seal backing for live application. Satin-stitched edges for retail-quality finish. Engineered for activations where the production has to perform in real time.
THE FIRST TIME
Looney Tunes Turned 75. Nike Called.
- 6,000Patches produced
- 12Distinct designs
- 12Day turnaround
This wasn't our first Looney Tunes × Nike production. The first was 6,000 custom embroidered patches across 12 designs for the franchise's 75th anniversary — heat-applied to jackets at the original activation. Twelve designs, 500 of each, 12-day turnaround.
That first project earned the 2026 callback. When Nike planned the 30th anniversary, they came back to the team that handled the 75th.
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