One of the easiest ways to piss off a Colombian is by spelling the name of their country incorrectly. But thanks in part to Columbia University and District of Columbia, many Americans believe that the South American is also spelled with a U. While @Colombia_bot does what it can – tweeting at anyone who writes Columbian –Emilio Pombo and Carlos Pardo launched a campaign and merchandise company in 2013 to remind people that “It’s Colombia Not Columbia.”
So far, the two have failed to rid the world of unnecessary Columbias, but business is booming. The duo told The Miami Herald that they make nearly $15,000 a month off of their merch.
“We never intended for this to be a business, we always wanted this to be a campaign about a concept,” Pardo said. “The business has been an accident – but we’re happy that it’s happening.”
They sell tank tops, long-sleeve tees, baseball tees, hoodies, phone cases, and prints in a variety of colors. Below are six examples of why Pombo and Pardo have done so well: