It has been said to cure diseases, help humans achieve flight and improve bowling skills. It has also generated over 1,600 reviews on Amazon.com and created a worldwide stir resulting in media coverage from ABC News and the BBC. And soon it will be used to stimulate economic development in the state of New Hampshire.

The New Hampshire Division of Economic Development today announced that it has designated the “Three Wolf Moon” the official t-shirt of New Hampshire economic development. Created by Keene-based t-shirt manufacturer The Mountain, the shirt, which features three wolves howling at the moon, became an overnight viral Internet sensation when Brian Govern, a student at Rutgers University, authored a satirical comment about the garment on Amazon.com. That led to a barrage of similar reviews which propelled the sales of the shirt to a number one ranking in Amazon’s apparel line.

“The Mountain’s ‘Three Wolf Moon’ is a true New Hampshire success story,” said New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Communications & Legislative Director Steve Boucher. “What started off as a tongue in cheek take on a cool t-shirt has resulted in worldwide acclaim for a very creative and growing Granite State business. When every social media outlet as well as the mainstream press is covering your story, you know that you’ve created something big.”

Worn by luminaries ranging from “The Office’s” Rainn Wilson and “True Blood’s” Allan Hyde to “Napleon Dynamite’s” Jon Heder and even the U.S. Marine Corps’ Bravo Company 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, the “Three Wolf Moon” shirt has made its mark in popular culture. Boucher said that he plans to initiate an online campaign featuring local business officials and celebrities wearing the shirt to capitalize on the phenomenon.

“It’s definitely an attention getter,” he said. “By capturing the interest of those who follow pop culture trends, we hope that they’ll also check out our other online offerings and discover that New Hampshire is a state that does business differently and embraces the creativity of its many innovative companies.”

In addition to the online campaign, the Division of Economic Development also plans to give “Three Wolf Moon” shirts to winners of its monthly “Innovation Rocks!” initiative. “Innovation Rocks” is an awards program that celebrates the ingenuity of New Hampshire’s innovation leaders.

“We’re very excited about this partnership and the opportunity to let more people know about business opportunities available here,” said The Mountain Art Director Michael McGloin. “As a local company, we’re pleased to be able to do our part to use Three Wolf Moon in a creative way to help attract other companies to New Hampshire. Working together is what makes our state different and great.”

McGloin pointed out that The Mountain currently markets over 400 other “Animal Spirit Power Shirts” and that the “Three Wolf Moon” shirt has spent nearly 200 days on Amazon’s Top 100 list. With over 1,300 5 star reviews from users, 2010 might very well be the “year of the wolf.” 
 
And as for the “magical properties” that the shirt is purported to possess, the Division of Economic Development’s Boucher said that he’s very optimistic about it’s anticipated effect on the New Hampshire economy.

“If it can generate half of the results that Amazon shoppers are experiencing, we’re in awesome shape – every CEO should be wearing this shirt,” he said.

To learn more about The Mountain and “Three Wolf Moon,” visit www.themountain.me. The Division of Economic Development has an online presence at www.nheconomy.com, http://blog.nheconomy.com/, http://www.facebook.com/NoBullBusiness and http://twitter.com/NoBullBlog.