At the Brooklyn headquarters of the Unemployed Philosophers Guild philosophy, humor, art, politics, and history come together in the form of quirky and clever giftware designed to excite and enlighten. The company began in the late 80s as a way for former SUNY Purchase philosophy student Stephen Shaw to not only avoid having to land an ordinary 9-to-5 job (hence the “unemployed” part of the company’s name) but to also be able to fill the void that he saw in the lack of smart and meaningful products available on the market.

Mini plushes–or, “Little Thinkers,” as UPG calls them
–of Kierkegaard and Socrates, and magnetic finger puppets of Descartes are just some of the company’s philosophy-related products. But even though Shaw’s primary interest was in philosophy, one of the more successful early products he created and sold had nothing to do with the subject. Shaw thought up a pair of Sigmund Freud earrings that played music–an excerpt from the song  “Try to Remember,” from the 1960 musical The Fantasticks. This clever play off of Freud’s psychological focus on an individual’s childhood proved to be a hit, and Shaw sold out of all of the 10-15 pairs in a matter of a couple of hours. The earliest UPG products, like the Freud earrings, were entirely handmade by Shaw and then sold on the street.

Today, 13 full-time employees help the Shaw Brothers man the Brooklyn HQ and work together on suggested product ideas. Over the years, UPG has expanded its brand, not only covering philosophers and psychologists, but also painters, authors, presidents, religious figures, and even superheroes. With these items, Shaw said, he hopes to not only touch on people’s passions, but to spark their curiosity to learn more about each thinker.

One such product, Nietzsche’s Will to Power Bar, is not only a hilariously clever way to make a fruit and nut bar sound delicious, but it’s also Shaw’s favorite piece of UPG merchandise. Although he admitted that he anticipated that it would be a loss for the company, he said it turned out to be a successful product. Not only do customers get a doctored image of Nietzsche eating a power bar, but they also get a cut-out Nietzsche ‘stache.