Promotional Products & Marketing Blog: Everybody Loves Free Stuff

May 13, 2008

Fun without Logos

And, for even more fun, let's bring things around full-circle. From fun with barcodes, to fun with logos, to fun without logos. In this case, the folks at Debranded Home are trying to help people...debrand their homes. While the stickers they sell are a little pricey for my blood, the concept of buying bulk, avoiding nasty chemicals and using bottles that aren't branded is appealing. I could totally make it through my shower in the morning sans marketing and branding. Debranded Home also has some good tips in their how-to section on alternatives to chemical cleansers and body products. Especially useful because lots of natural and organic products actually ain't. (via The Dieline)

Posted by Mark at 12:38 PM. Permalink: Fun without Logos | Comments (0)

Fun with Logos

Mashups: they're not just for mixing The Beatles with Jay Z anymore. It was perhaps inevitable hat someone would do a bunch of logo mashups. After all, the Web 2.0 versions of corporate logos were a big hit. Add a creative bar code and your branding will be on fire. (via Brand New)

Posted by Mark at 12:32 PM. Permalink: Fun with Logos | Comments (0)

May 12, 2008

Fun with Bar Codes

Why not start your Monday off with a little bar code fun? Being in the logo products business, we work on one of the little things that adds up to a brand's personality. Packaging design is one, taglines are another. Brands pay a lot of attention to logo design, so why not pay a little attention to the bar code? Chances are, for any consumer product, both are on every package you sell.

Posted by Mark at 10:44 AM. Permalink: Fun with Bar Codes | Comments (0)

May 11, 2008

Making Promos that Match

I just wanted to highlight this photo of a promotional notebook and promotional paper clips done for Google, because they looks go great together. Google has a somewhat challenging logo to begin with. Although it's simple, it has five colors, which means to match items you need to find ones that can be printed in five colors (or full-color). Beyond that, it's important to find items that look good together and make sure and make sure your logo size is proportionate both to the items and to the other items. One hint: if you're doing multiple items of similar size, make all the logos the same size, even if it could be a little bigger on one of the items.

Posted by Mark at 10:09 AM. Permalink: Making Promos that Match | Comments (0)

May 10, 2008

Gym Promotes with Exercise Device

Here's a pretty unusual promotional product, created for a gym in China. It was sent to members, with the message "don't give up halfway." Using promotional fitness products is increasingly popular in the US, and not just amongst fitness clubs. Promotional pedometers, water bottles and all types of sports and fitness equipment are used by all types of companies to encourage healthy activity. Even classics, like the jump rope are coming back in style.

Posted by Mark at 09:55 AM. Permalink: Gym Promotes with Exercise Device | Comments (0)

May 09, 2008

Apple Fans: Hairvertising and Crochetvertising

I know we've discussed headvertising before, a couple times in fact. But that, like wristvertising, involved brand tattooing. Hairvertising just involves the hair, which turns out to be a fairly versatile promotional tool itself.

Of course, some people prefer working with animal hair, spun into yarn. For those who tend to be more crafty, do-it-yourself types, particularly knitters and the like, handmade logo gear may be more your style.

Posted by Mark at 09:40 AM. Permalink: Apple Fans: Hairvertising and Crochetvertising | Comments (0)

May 08, 2008

Indiana Jones and the Crystal Schwag

The title of this blog post made me chuckle: Throw Me the Schwag! No Time to Argue!, and yes, there is a whole mess of Indiana Jones promotion in our near future. Incidentally, the original whip used in the movie is apparently valued at around $30,000. But you can buy one not used in the movies for under a grand. According to the producer's site:

The 450 series bullwhips, our own production, were used in the Indiana Jones movies. This whip, as the No. 453 8 ft. length or the No. 455 10 ft. length, became an icon when it was so skillfully woven into the story by Glenn Randall, the stunt director for the first movie. It became a recognized part of the Indiana Jones character, and an ongoing factor in maintaining the suspense of the story. Equally as important the association of this whip with these outstanding movies led to a resurgence in interest in whips in movies, stage performances, and in sport whipcracking. There are now large numbers of Indiana Jones fans, many cracking whips.

Indeed.

Posted by Mark at 09:28 AM. Permalink: Indiana Jones and the Crystal Schwag | Comments (0)

May 07, 2008

The Icevertising Cometh

It seems like only yesterday that someone invented foamvertising using modified snow blowing machines, and now the new icevertising age is about to begin. Below is a new device that can make perfectly spherical ice cubes without time-consuming manual chipping. Basically, you can take a regular ice cube, put it in the mold and it melts into a perfect sphere, or soon I imagine, an icy logo. The machine exists because in Japan, serious connoisseurs of drinks on the rocks prefer spheres because, having less surface area, they melt more slowly.

More info at Trends in Japan, where they said this: "Contrary to what you might think, bartenders in Japan consistently take home top honors at global competitions, not because of their flashy antics or strange new concoctions but because there is an intense devotion to making simply the best drink, of which perfect ice is an obvious component."

Posted by Mark at 03:38 PM. Permalink: The Icevertising Cometh | Comments (0)

Logo Know-how: Design for Promos

Below is a sample corporate identity design I found on flickr, probably done for inclusion in a designer's portfolio. What I really like about it is that the logo is presented on a variety of promotional items in addition to the typical letterhead, envelope and business card. My guess is - even though snail mail is probably declining as a part of business communications and promotional product use is increasing - many companies and agencies neglect to take this into account when designing a corporate identity. In our experience, it is not uncommon to find large, sophisticated companies that have detailed branding guidelines for print and web that don't have something similar for logo merchandise.

Because of some of the unique challenges of using various imprinting methods (e.g., pad printing, laser engraving, embroidery), on a wide variety of items of different colors, shapes and sizes, this can be a big oversight and lead to inconsistent branding. Knowing what logo you will use when you only have a small printing area (like on a pen), or can only print in one color or what thread colors most closely match the PMS values of the colors in your logo are all great things to know ahead of time. Actually designing with these in mind will help you get the best results wherever you decide to put your logo.

Posted by Mark at 09:02 AM. Permalink: Logo Know-how: Design for Promos | Comments (0)

May 06, 2008

The Cost of Memory

Moore's Law dictates that the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on a chip is growing exponentially. A byproduct of that law is that the price of memory is falling quickly. Because USB flash drives are a popular promotional product, we're constantly re-pricing our flash memory items to offer better prices. The question is, how cheap is too cheap? Find out after the jump...

Continue reading "The Cost of Memory"

Posted by Mark at 05:02 PM. Permalink: The Cost of Memory | Comments (0)

Rangers Rally Towel

The rally towel is an interesting promo. Apparently, it dates back to a Vancouver Canucks hockey game. After what he thought was an unfair call, Coach Roger Neilson tied a towel to a spare hockey stick and began waving it as a sarcastic surrender statement. Neilson was fined, but the towels were a hit and a local businessman printed up and several thousand with proceeds going to charity. It's been with us ever since. Here is a surprisingly mustard-free, Sabrett-sponsored New York Rangers rally towel. It makes a great keepsake after the game, you can keep it with your Nathan's stadium cup and your Hebrew National clappers.

Posted by Mark at 09:04 AM. Permalink: Rangers Rally Towel | Comments (0)

May 05, 2008

Target Wins Logo Showdown

Target triumphed in a recent Fortune Magazine battle of the logos, taking out Nike's swoosh in the semis and the CBS eye in the finals. Although I feel a little gypped that the winner was basically a circle inside another circle, it does look good on a reusable shopping bag. Perhaps next month Fortune can do a reusable shopping tote smackdown between target and IKEA.

Posted by Mark at 05:46 PM. Permalink: Target Wins Logo Showdown | Comments (0)

May 04, 2008

Ten Cent Real Estate Promotion

Here's a cool ten-cent direct mail promotion that our CEO received. A Prudential Homes realtor sent out ten one cent stamps when the postage rates changed, along with a letter reminding past clients that if they know anyone looking for a new home in the area, she's always happy to get referrals. This is a great promotion because it's inexpensive, yet thoughtful. Plus, since most people don't buy new homes too often, it focuses on capturing referral opportunities, which is an effective way to utilize your customer base in real estate.

Posted by Mark at 09:37 AM. Permalink: Ten Cent Real Estate Promotion | Comments (0)

May 03, 2008

Rocking the Refrigerator Magnet

A recent Marketing Sherpa blog post talks about why you might want to promote with magnets, particularly if you're a niche ecommerce site. According to the PPAI, marketers spent $419 million on magnets last year, so they must have some benefits. Here are the basics:

It's inexpensive, only a few cents each
You can drop one in every package you send
For niche sites customers often don't sign up for email or newsletters because they are only interested in the product every once in a while
Even if your customers only buy occasionally, the magnet may prompt them to promote your product to others

Pizza parlors have known the value of promotional magnets for years, perhaps it's time for ecommerce companies to get on board as well.

Posted by Mark at 09:46 AM. Permalink: Rocking the Refrigerator Magnet | Comments (0)

May 02, 2008

Thanks for the Memory!

As we learn more about our brains and how they work, we find that memory is not as good as we think it is, and it's hard to get into someone's memory in the first place. In a recent interview with developmental molecular biologist John Medina, he had a couple things to say about memory. One observation was that our memories aren't like a recording device. The actual process for 'fixing" things into our memory is complex and poorly understood. He also mentions "elaborative rehearsal" as one of the most effective way of producing memories. Basically, you can improve the chances of memory by reproducing the environment in which you first were exposed to the idea. For example, if you're sad when you learn something, being sad when you try to retrieve that memory will help you remember it better.

This concept does much to explain the effectiveness of promotional products. As a tangible item that connects people to experiences, a promotional product can reinforce a message by recreating some of the original experience. Also, because they are often items we use regularly the message is reinforced by our repeated exposure as well as the fact that we experience it in the same or similar context each time.

Below is a chart I saw in an Advertising Lab post about how to optimally space media messages. The idea is that the optimal time to remind someone of something is right before they start forgetting it. Of course, if you're paying for each exposure to the advertising message, this is a good way to minimize costs while maintaining effectiveness. For a promotional product, it may be less important because the initial purchase cost typically gets you many impressions as long as the item stays in use.

Using both principles a marketer could come up with the perfect promotional item, something that gets used in the same context repeatedly, at an interval shorter than the time they would be expected to forget the message. Bonus points for getting a product they use in the same physical or mental space they are in when making purchasing decisions.

Posted by Mark at 11:24 AM. Permalink: Thanks for the Memory! | Comments (0)

May 01, 2008

Post-it Mosaic Art Gains Traction

We featured post-it note mosaic art here a long time ago, but recently it seems to have gained quite a bit of traction. A couple months ago we saw it at work promoting classic games on the Nintendo Wii, and now it has shown up in a department store window, featuring the Mona Lisa and, I believe, Frankenstein. What would you do with thousands of promotional post-it notes?

Posted by Mark at 07:29 AM. Permalink: Post-it Mosaic Art Gains Traction | Comments (0)

April 30, 2008

Coming to Grips with Your, Um, Logo...

So, as reported by the Telegraph, there has been some recent controversy over the new logo for the Office of Government Commerce. In essence, when turned on its side, some find it suggests onanism. According to the article, "...the graphic was already proudly etched on mousemats and pens before it was unveiled for employees, who spotted the clanger within seconds. Staff have apparently now stripped their office of souvenirs bearing the logo, which could appear on eBay within days." A spokesman for OGC said: “It is true that it caused a few titters among some staff when viewed on its side, but on consideration we concluded that the effect was generic to the particular combination of the letters OGC - and it is not inappropriate to an organisation that’s looking to have a firm grip on Government spend.” Or, basically, they seem to be taking it in stride. The moral of the story? Next time, go with lowercase.

Posted by Mark at 05:30 PM. Permalink: Coming to Grips with Your, Um, Logo... | Comments (0)

What's Up with Polycarbonates?

Polycarbonates are lightweight, strong, break-resistant plastics that have been used for years in many applications, including baby bottles and water bottles. Polycarbonates contain a chemical, bisphenol A (BPA). Over recent weeks, polycarbonate usage has become a hot news item, particularly after the Canadian government released a report in April that the chemical may pose some risk to infants. Currently the FDA is continuing to evaluate polycarbonates, but has not recommended that anyone stop using them. Wikipedia has more information about BPA and polycarbonates, including the current recommendations of governmental safety organizations around the world.

What does that mean if you're looking to buy water bottles for a promotion? We would recommend individual buyers use their best judgment based on the information available. Polycarbonates have been used, and studied, for decades and are currently considered safe by the FDA. There are also plenty of non-polycarbonate water bottles to choose from as well.

One final tip: some publications have mistakenly said that the #7 recycling code means the item is made out of polycarbonate, which is actually not true. Type seven in the plastic recycling codes is actually Other, which includes polycarbonates, but also includes other types of plastic that do not contain BPA.

Posted by Mark at 10:36 AM. Permalink: What's Up with Polycarbonates? | Comments (0)

The Broken Vase Revisited

Vases, it seems, were made to be broken. Typically, a broken vase is used to sell super glue, but they've also been used to promote Greek restaurants. This time around, the promotion is for the insurance company AIG, and the idea is not to fix the vase, but to replace it.

Posted by Mark at 06:45 AM. Permalink: The Broken Vase Revisited | Comments (0)

April 29, 2008

Sausage Calendar

If there's one thing I really like, it's a pork-based promotional product. From the hamerang to the porknament, nothing says good taste in promos like pig. So it is with great pleasure that I bring you this delicious sausage calendar, a delightful yuletide promotion from German meat and sausage producer Koenecke. It differs from a normal promotional calendar in many ways. For starters, it's made out of sausage, and most calendars are not. Also, the sausage wrapper is marked with 24 lines so you can slice off a little bit each day in December until Christmas...if you have the patience. (via Direct Daily)

Posted by Mark at 05:13 PM. Permalink: Sausage Calendar | Comments (0)

Alternative Media Spending on the Rise, What About Promos?

According to eMarketer, US alternative media spending has been growing like wildfire over the past few years. Much of this growth comes at the expense of traditional mass media, particularly print. Along with high-tech media, like web and mobile advertising, we're also seeing strong growth from event sponsorship and promotional marketing, with the promotional products industry showing robust growth for the past few years. The bottom line? I think whether online or offline, targeted marketing is more effective and that's where the dollars are heading.

Posted by Mark at 06:32 AM. Permalink: Alternative Media Spending on the Rise, What About Promos? | Comments (0)

April 28, 2008

Fancy Schmancy Apple Calculator

What kind of promos do you do when you're selling some of the best designed products in the world? Well, they'd better be pretty cool and at least somewhat stylish. It's also best if they match your current design aesthetic fairly closely, like these Apple lunch boxes. This Apple promotional calculator does a pretty good job. It's also delightfully thin, as you can see below.

Posted by Mark at 06:11 PM. Permalink: Fancy Schmancy Apple Calculator | Comments (0)

Branding Blocks

What better promo for an architecture firm than LEGO-style building blocks? (Well, chia card for landscape architects, but that's a different story.) Anyhow, the building block as architecture promo does a couple things. Obviously, it conjures up the idea of construction or building, which is relevant to any architect. Perhaps slightly less obviously it evokes the idea of creativity, which is probably something that most architects want to evoke. Lastly, it conveys a sense of fun and whimsy, which is great if that's what your firm is all about, but is probably the least universal of the three feelings.

Posted by Mark at 04:21 PM. Permalink: Branding Blocks | Comments (0)

April 27, 2008

Deadly Direct Mail

When it comes to direct mail, there's nothing cuter than tiny little coffins. Wait! I mean, there's nothing deathier than tiny little coffins. Anyhow, this striking direct mail promotion was done by a pest control company. Inside the coffins was the tagline: "We don't give them a decent burial. You may." For starters, this is a great piece of direct mail because it gets people's attention. Moreover, the surprise it uses to get attention is actually related to their product. Lastly, hey, free little coffin!

Posted by Mark at 04:09 PM. Permalink: Deadly Direct Mail | Comments (0)

April 26, 2008

Iconic Envelope Makes for Catchy T-shirt

Promotional t-shirts: practically every business, school and organization in the world has done them, but how many are really cool or really clever? This shirt, created for a FedEx campaign, makes it look like the wearer is carrying a FedEx envelope around. It actually reminds me of the vintage Nike t-shirt that looked like you had a pair of Air Jordans slung over your shoulder. Anyhow, I like it.

Posted by Mark at 03:35 PM. Permalink: Iconic Envelope Makes for Catchy T-shirt | Comments (0)

April 25, 2008

Starbucks Goes Back in Time to Find Its Personality

Since I'm on the topic of building a community and personality around a brand, I think it's worth mentioning this recent Starbucks campaign. After a wildly successful run of bringing cool coffee culture to the masses, Starbucks basically lost any sense of personality or distinctiveness. In an attempt to recapture some of that, founder Howard Schultz returned as CEO and they launched a campaign taking them back to their roots in the Pike Place Market in Seattle. One component of the campaign is a return to the original (and kinda much awesomer) logo on their disposable cups and promotional coffee mugs. It seems to be a step in the right direction for the company image, but it remains to be seen if they're really able to recapture some of their feisty personality, while trying to provide a consistent experience to customers around the world.

Posted by Mark at 02:36 PM. Permalink: Starbucks Goes Back in Time to Find Its Personality | Comments (0)

Promos Help Crumpler Build Fan Base

Australian-based bag maker Crumpler has, in what seems to be a pretty short amount of time, developed a really strong following worldwide. People seem to love their bags, but I think it really goes beyond that. They sponsor cool events, they definitely know how to get positive exposure, and they do some cool promotional products. Even inexpensive items like custom stickers and promotional matches are cute and distinctive. It obviously takes more than promos to build a great brand (a story, a personality and a unique value proposition help), but more and more I see promos being an integral part of great branding and community building.

Posted by Mark at 02:26 PM. Permalink: Promos Help Crumpler Build Fan Base | Comments (0)

Improper Usage - Trade Show Tote Bags

Trade show totes are a perennial favorite for shows and conferences, and we've discussed their finer points online in the past. Now, to promote safe and responsible trade show tote usage, and in keeping with our mandate to be responsible corporate citizens, I'd like to show you what not to do with your trade show totes. Please, trade show attendees and convention goers, tote safely!

Posted by Mark at 02:05 PM. Permalink: Improper Usage - Trade Show Tote Bags | Comments (0)

April 24, 2008

Soapvertising

Google has done tons of cool promos in the past, but this one is pretty unique. Soapvertising comes in many forms, such as putting lots and lots of stuff on your soap label, but this Russian promotion for Gmail was targeted at students and used actual soap to promote their advanced spam protection. Part of the concept was that the spam filtering "cleans" the email, but also, the Russian words for soap and email also sound the same.

Posted by Mark at 12:22 PM. Permalink: Soapvertising | Comments (0)

April 23, 2008

Pen Spinning Championship

This is basically totally off topic, except that I guess this could be a sponsorship opportunity. However, it is quite cool, if you are not already familiar with the Japanese pen-spinning championships. This year's title went to 16 year-old Ryuki Omura. According to Reuters, "Contestants, performing a 30-second routine in front of a crowd of 400 including journalists and other pen-spinning aficionados, were assessed for technique and artistry."

Posted by Mark at 12:16 PM. Permalink: Pen Spinning Championship | Comments (0)

April 22, 2008

Foamvertising and Reforestvertising

Okay, we've got a couple new -vertisings to go over. Let's start with foamvertising by Flogos. Flogos are flying logos made from soap foam and helium. According to their web site, "They can travel 20-30 miles and go as high as 20,000 thousand feet. They travel slow so they are very visible for a long time."

We also have a new concept in reforestvertising, which seems to be more in the bad concept stage rather than reality. Basically the idea is to go to clearcut areas of what used to be our beautiful forests and replant...in the shape of corporate logos.

And, as always, here's our updated -vertising list:

Posted by Mark at 12:05 PM. Permalink: Foamvertising and Reforestvertising | Comments (0)

April 21, 2008

Bear Market: After Hours Trading - The Wrap Up

Okay, so we'll wrap up our multi-part feature of Bear Stearns promotional memorabilia from eBay with a few more items, starting with this calculator, which you can use to see how much money you lost when they went under. More after the jump.

Continue reading "Bear Market: After Hours Trading - The Wrap Up"

Posted by Mark at 11:27 AM. Permalink: Bear Market: After Hours Trading - The Wrap Up | Comments (0)

Bear Market: After Hours Trading - In the Bag

In case you're wondering what a top Wall Street company might do when it comes to promotional bags, here's your executive summary. For more bags, continue on.

Continue reading "Bear Market: After Hours Trading - In the Bag"

Posted by Mark at 11:17 AM. Permalink: Bear Market: After Hours Trading - In the Bag | Comments (0)

Bear Market: After Hours Trading - Mug Shots

Before America started running on Dunkin', hard working investors drank their coffee the old fashioned way, in promotional coffee mugs. Behold Bear Stearns's legacy in mugs.

Continue reading "Bear Market: After Hours Trading - Mug Shots"

Posted by Mark at 11:07 AM. Permalink: Bear Market: After Hours Trading - Mug Shots | Comments (0)

April 20, 2008

Bear Market: After Hours Trading, Part 2

I just couldn't bring myself to do it all in one post, so after hours trading continues with more great promos from Bear Stearns. This time, we'll start with a model sportscar, which must be one of the best promos of the 80s.

Continue reading "Bear Market: After Hours Trading, Part 2"

Posted by Mark at 10:56 AM. Permalink: Bear Market: After Hours Trading, Part 2 | Comments (0)

April 19, 2008

Bear Market: After Hours Trading

Okay, so I'm going to wrap up our Bear Market series with a whole mess of Bear Stearns promos, most of which will be after the jump. Mighit as well start with this rather appropriate bear shaped stress ball.

Continue reading "Bear Market: After Hours Trading"

Posted by Mark at 10:43 AM. Permalink: Bear Market: After Hours Trading | Comments (0)