Zach Patterson just started his own business.
After taking photos of female University students straddling hay bales, washing soapy cars and cuddling in hot tubs, the recent graduate of the University’s Lundquist College of Business has created a spirited calendar called “Oh Girls,” which has yet to be endorsed by the University.
“I always knew I wanted to start my own business, I just didn’t know what it was going to be,” he said.
At $10 a copy, the “Oh Girls” calendar features images of young University students in suggestive outfits with different themes for each month. Patterson said he’s proud of his product.
“With all the time you spend at your job all day, your work better be fun and you better enjoy doing it,” he said.
Patterson has been working on the calendar since spring term and finished the soapy, sultry and sexy photo shoots with some female friends and recommended models this summer. His parents helped him to finance the calendar’s production.
Although he didn’t pay the models, Patterson said 90 percent of his revenue goes to his business and expansion funds while the rest goes to charities, including Birth to Three, a local organization that provides parent education and support.
Junior psychology major Sarah Wood is just one of more than a dozen models who appear in the calendar. Wood said she met Patterson through her boyfriend last year. Featured in the July spread, Wood said posing with another girl in a steamy hot tub scene was a “blast,” even if she didn’t get paid.
“It’s not every day that someone asks you to be in a calendar,” she said.
Although she hasn’t received any reactions from the general public, Wood said those who have seen her in the calendar liked it, including her boyfriend. She said the calendar’s unofficial association with the University should help boost sales in the student community.
Unfortunately for Patterson, the campus appeal of his product could get him sued.
Chris Standish, the University Bookstore book division manager, said that when the calendars first came in, Patterson said they had been cleared with the University Office of Trademark Management. But after working with Patterson for some time and selling the calendars for less than two hours on Sept. 30, Standish said the bookstore was notified that the calendars were not cleared.
“When we realized he had misrepresented his product, we pulled his stock,” he said.
Patterson denied ever meeting Standish and said he told the bookstore he hadn’t cleared his product with the OTM yet. Convinced the OTM denied his license as part of a “power trip,” Patterson said his June concept pitch to the office wasn’t as risqué as the current version. He said OTM initially appeared interested in his product, but later rejected it without reason.
Patterson went ahead with the project, but removed images with University apparel and made the calendar less conservative.
While the current version does not show University clothing and labels, some may consider it an infringement on the University trademark.
Considering the calendar is dominated by spirited yellow and green, features University students and is titled “Oh Girls,” OTM Director Matt Dyste gave Patterson a letter asking him to voluntarily stop selling the calendar because of concerns that the product design could infringe on University licensing and trademarks, Patterson said.
After Patterson stopped selling the calendars for two days, his lawyer said OTM didn’t have a right to tell him to stop and responded with a letter telling the office to leave his client alone. Because the University will not license the calendar, Patterson has been looking for new locations to sell his product.
For those interested in buying a calendar, Patterson has been selling them on the balcony outside of Red Rooster Barbershop, located directly across from the bookstore, when weather permits. Prospective locations are listed at www.ohgirlscalendar.com.
Patterson said he has sold 300 calendars so far and needs to sell another 700 to break even.
Even without a trademark, Patterson hopes the University Bookstore, which values the opinions of the OTM, will still carry “Oh Girls” and “Oh Guys” in August 2004.
“With ‘Oh Guys,’ I think our female clientele will grow,” he said. “However, I have seen a large number of female buyers so far this term.”