Ambassadors- Carianne Klueck

Enough Said
The Influence of a Road Sign

By Carianne Klueck

The first time I saw an M-22 t-shirt was in Frankfort High School, hanging off the shoulders of some sporty freshman guy.  I figured he’d had it screened at the new shop downtown.  Custom-made t-shirts had been the latest Frankfort fad, and I thought his was just a cool idea to carry on the trend.  Then I started seeing the logo everywhere. What is going on? I wondered.  What does it mean?  Years later, I finally found my answer.  I walked past a shop in downtown Traverse City, with a sign showing the same emblem that marks the road cutting through my hometown.  Confused, and still curious, I did the only sensible thing I could do.  I entered, I looked… and I understood.  M-22 is not just a logo or a road sign; it is a symbol for Northern Michigan culture and community.
Matt and Keegan Myers, two Northern Michigan kiteboarders, are the founders of this cultural trademark. I was fascinated by the idea; I wanted to know more.  Did it simply come to them, driving down the road one day?  Or was it something a long time in the making?  I spoke with Keegan to find out the true meaning behind the black-and-white sign.  I expected him to give me a detailed account of the cultural influences that lead them to create the M-22 brand, but he simply said, “We didn’t really plan on doing it, it just kind of
fell into our laps.”
The two brothers have been around the world searching for the best kiteboarding spots.  The scenic route of M-22 still reigns superior, and Matt and Keegan made t-shirts with the road logo to show their love for its natural beauty.  The community became interested, and when Keegan wore the logo in a magazine photo shoot, people started contacting the brothers to order their own branded clothing.  “For me, M-22 is pretty much the coolest route I’ve ever been on anywhere in the world,” says Keegan.  “Obviously other people have the same feeling about it and that’s the brand.”
An M-22 t-shirt is more than just another shirt; it is a reflection of local culture.  When the idea caught on, Matt and Keegan started looking for other items to put the logo on.  They wanted to keep it local, to represent the area and give the community something to be proud of.  “We listen to what [local] people have to say and take that into account when we make decisions.”  The branded items are those that deserve it: quality products that represent Northern Michigan and the M-22 area, like coffee, clothing, and locally bottled wine.
On Black Friday, in November of 2007, the M-22 Store opened in downtown Traverse City.  “We just started rockin’ it there,” says Keegan.  “We liked the location because it was small and simple and not too much to deal with.”  Not to mention it was easy to find and brought many more people’s attention to the brand and what it represents.  But with all the hype about this relatively new idea, it seems to have the potential of turning into a fad.  Keegan isn’t worried about that.  “It could easily become a fad,” he says, “but that’s not what we’re about.  It’s one of those things, you either get it or you don’t.  It’s not something that’s going to die out.”
Since M-22 is a local brand, it is especially important to those who live in the area, who understand the meaning behind it.  They buy the products to represent their hometowns, the private beaches, the close community, and the coastal route that takes them to their favorite destinations.  That’s why Matt and Keegan donate a portion of all M-22 purchases to the Leelanau Land Conservancy—to represent their desire to keep the land the way it is.  Whenever someone buys an M-22 product, part of the cost goes toward conserving the area’s picturesque beaches and landscape.
The magnitude of such a simple idea is quite amazing.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see an M-22 sticker on the fender of someone’s car parked in my hometown.  But this cultural symbol does not go unnoticed by people outside the vicinity of M-22.  It has the ability to spread beyond our community and incite interest in people who’ve never even seen Northern Michigan.  “It really connects people,” says Keegan.  “If you wear an M-22 shirt, it doesn’t matter where you go in the world, somebody will say something about it.”