Boston Strong

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Lore & Background

In the hours after the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, 2013, the slogan "Boston Strong" appeared as a highly popular hashtag on Twitter and rapidly spread around the world. It was a T-shirt campaign created by Christopher Dobens, Nicholas Reynolds, and Lane Brenner, students at Emerson College. An expression of Boston's unity after the bombing, the slogan showed up on T-shirts and other products, and was emblazoned on the "Green Monster" wall at Boston's Fenway Park. The Boston Bruins displayed the slogan on their helmets at their game two days after the bombing, and at the first baseball game in Fenway Park after the bombing, the stadium announcer told the crowd: "We are one. We are strong. We are Boston. We are Boston strong." On April 17, two days after the bombing, a T-shirt vendor and another private individual submitted separate trademark registration applications to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, seeking to obtain ownership of the "Boston Strong" slogan for use on commercial products. One of the applicants said he wanted the trademark in order to prevent people from outside the Boston area from benefiting from it. A trademark attorney was quoted in The Huffington Post as predicting that the government office would deny the registration on the grounds that the slogan was already in the public domain and could not be linked to any specific entity. The One Fund Boston, a trademark that received registration, collected and distributed over $80 million, is closed in 2015. In late May, a concert, Boston Strong: An Evening of Support and Celebration, was held at TD Garden with performances by Aerosmith, James Taylor, Bell Biv Devoe, New Kids on the Block, Dropkick Murphys, J. Geils Band, Boston, Godsmack, Extreme, Jason Aldean, Jimmy Buffett, Carole King, Dane Cook and Steven Wright. The Boston Strong entertainment industry concert videos online and money they generate is not associated with the bostonstrong.org charity. The term has also made its way into many publications since the bombing as well. The "Strong" slogan has been adopted by several cities affected by mass shootings and other tragedies since it first became popular in Boston.

In Their Own Story

Two days after the bombing on April 15, 2013, the Boston Bruins took to the ice at TD Garden with a message etched onto their helmets. The arena buzzed with a different kind of energy, one focused less on the Stanley Cup chase and more on healing. Fans arrived wearing merchandise created by Emerson College students Christopher Dobens, Nicholas Reynolds, and Lane Brenner, who had launched the T-shirt campaign in the immediate aftermath. The slogan "Boston Strong" was no longer just words; it was a visual shield worn by players and supporters alike. The connection extended beyond the Bruins to other local institutions. At Fenway Park, the "Green Monster" displayed the phrase, and during the first baseball game there after the attack, an announcer led the crowd in chanting, "We are one. We are strong. We are Boston. We are Boston strong." Later that year, on May 29, a massive concert titled "Boston Strong: An Evening of Support and Celebration" filled TD Garden with performances by Aerosmith, James Taylor, New Kids on the Block, and others. While these events generated significant attention, distinct financial streams emerged; videos from the entertainment industry were not associated with the bostonstrong.org charity, which operated separately alongside The One Fund Boston.

Reader's Guide

The roots of Boston Strong can be traced back to the Livestrong bracelets marketed by the Livestrong Foundation in 2003. The phrase can also be traced back to the United States Army's Army Strong motto, as well as Jersey Strong, which became popular in New Jersey following the destruction of Hurricane Sandy. Man-Made and Natural disaster non-entertainment news affiliates Boston Strong bostonstrong.com was created 11/29/2012, 15 months after affiliate VTstrong.com was created in 2011 following Hurricane Irene mountain floods. NewJerseyStrong.com was created 10/2012 as Hurricane Sandy struck the lower Atlantic.

Did You Know?

• The slogan was created by three Emerson College students as a T-shirt campaign.
• The Boston Bruins displayed the slogan on their helmets at their game two days after the bombing.
• A trademark attorney predicted the slogan would be denied trademark registration because it was already in the public domain.
• The One Fund Boston collected and distributed over $80 million before closing in 2015.