Bing Pong Paddle
| After years of being a marginal player in the online search market, Microsoft has rebranded their search engine (again) as Bing. What does that mean? Well, they're still the #3 player in search (until they provide search to Yahoo!, if that passes antitrust scrutiny). On the other hand, they are doing a major advertising blitz to promote what they call their "decision engine." As part of this blitz, or perhaps just an internal promotion, they seem to have made ping-pong paddles. I had no idea why they would do this until I realized that they were Bing-pong paddles. I still don't really know why they did this. |  |
Posted by mark at 5:57 PM. Permalink: Bing Pong Paddle
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Moonvertising Robots?
| In what would be one small step for a robot, but one giant leap for the ubiquity of advertising messages, Moon Publicity announced they would send robots to the moon to create ridges of lunar dust that would cast shadows in the shape of logos. In all fairness, I guess it does make more sense than ads designed to be seen from space. Personally, I would prefer to leave space advertising as a final frontier for future generations. |
Posted by mark at 10:53 AM. Permalink: Moonvertising Robots?
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Medical Students Love Free Stuff
A recent study published in Archives of Internal Medicine compared two groups of medical students. One group was exposed to small branded promotional items for the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor, including a clipboard and notepad used when they signed in for study-related appointments and the other was not. Both groups took a test measuring their attitude towards Lipitor and a generic drug that is considered just as effective. The group exposed to promos favored Lipitor, the other did not.
The researchers concluded that "Our results provide evidence that subtle branding exposures are important and influential, as the psychology and marketing literature would suggest." For anyone interested in improving health care quality and reducing health care costs, promos seem to be problematic at best. As far as proving their marketing effectiveness, though, it is pretty impressive. It's easy to see that a refrigerator magnet could boost on campus pizza sales. A logo clipboard impacting soon-to-be doctors in ways that may influence their clinical judgment? Now that's promo power.
Posted by mark at 10:05 AM. Permalink: Medical Students Love Free Stuff
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Pandemic-vertising
Around the world, health agencies and regular folks are wondering what to do as the specter of a potential swine flu epidemic becomes more ominous. In Mexico, people are getting creative with their face masks. The Ad Lab wonders how long it will be before mask-vertising becomes widespread. After all, it's already been done. With the CDC recommending alcohol-based hand sanitizers to reduce the spread of the flu, promotional hand sanitizer may be a popular promo in the coming months. Hopefully not global pandemic-popular, though.
Posted by mark at 3:46 PM. Permalink: Pandemic-vertising
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Superbowl 3-D Glasses
In a massive joint venture between Dreamworks and Pepsi, 125 million pairs of 3-D glasses were given out so viewers around the country could watch commercials in 3-D, which incidentally, is making quite a comeback. And if you didn't have glasses? According to DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg, "If you don't wear 3-D glasses and you have three beers, it'll look like everything else you're looking at."
Posted by mark at 1:47 PM. Permalink: Superbowl 3-D Glasses
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Following-up: AIG Schwag
| In October we did a number of posts covering AIG promos. After their initial bailout of $85 billion, AIG have received another $65 billion or so in additional government loans and aid. So, it seems appropriate for our blog to feature a number of additional promos that weren't featured as part of our original bailout coverage. We start with this AIG-sponsored Mets baseball bobblehead.http://www.epromos.com/category/1561.html |  |
| This AIG-branded promotional calculator should come in handy when trying to calculate the liability of insuring CDOs full of toxic assets. If only someone had started using this calculator about five years ago... |  |
Here's an AIG promotional baseball cap. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that this may actually be unsafe to wear.
This AIG promotional wall clock features the tagline "The strength to be there" which was since been replaced by their new "Too big to fail" tagline. This clock also has no numbers printed on the face, although I'm not exactly sure what conclusions to draw from that. Perhaps they had no idea they were running out of time?
| This Manchester United AIG jersey keychain can be filed under "Good Old Days." |  |
This promotional letter opener is perfect for opening the envelopes that contain juicy bailout checks from Hank Paulson.
| This AIG promotional ooze tube is my favorite, though. It's an actual promotional product metaphor for the toxic debt that has caused the global financial meltdown - a bunch of toxic goop that gets passed back and forth. Mmmmm. |  |
Posted by mark at 12:25 PM. Permalink: Following-up: AIG Schwag
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NYC Tackles Plastic Bag Problem
Like many countries and cities, New York City is trying to tackle the environmental problem of disposable plastic bags. Right now, Mayor Bloomberg is pushing for a 6 cent tax per bag to reduce use of disposable bags and send some much needed cash to the city coffers. The New York Times
today ponders some related questions, like what will New Yorkers do with dog poop if we no longer have plastic bags. One thing that everyone can seem to agree on is that reusable shopping bags are a step in the right direction.
Posted by mark at 9:58 AM. Permalink: NYC Tackles Plastic Bag Problem
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Putting the Ow! in Dow
As if we hadn't had enough bad news, Citigroup announced a $2.8 Billion loss due to a bajillion dollars in write-downs. Meanwhile, on eBay someone's selling these playing cards featuring caricatures of current and former Citigroup executives. It would be interesting to find out the origin of these cards. Also, those drawings seem to have an awful lot of money. Is that asset bubble money or bailout money? If any banking executives are reading this, here's my advice: don't make any promotional products featuring you flaunting obscene amounts of money. At least for a few years, until some of the anger dies down.
Posted by mark at 10:42 AM. Permalink: Putting the Ow! in Dow
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Bailout Schwag: Global Theme Again
Here's another example of a global-themed promo from AIG, this time a stress ball. Also, another sad note from the eBay seller: "Since I no longer have a job, all items will be shipped out the same day I receive payment." I guess speedy delivery is the silver lining here.
Posted by mark at 11:38 AM. Permalink: Bailout Schwag: Global Theme Again
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Bailout Schwag: The Sad Slinky
Much like the smiley face promos from AIG, this slinky was originally a way to bring a fun side to an industry that isn't really seen as fun. If you look closely, I think the top slinky also features a global theme (see the green areas?). Which once probably sent a message of strength and importance, but now reminds us more of big enough to drag down the world economy if it fails. At any rate, the person who is auctioning this item on eBay states: "I earned these financial collectables from the AIG Annuity Department in exchange for my dedication. Hopefully, I can make some money selling this stuff since I'm surely not making it off my AIG stock." Assuming that's true, this is a sad slinky.
Posted by mark at 9:05 AM. Permalink: Bailout Schwag: The Sad Slinky
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Bailout Schwag: The Smiley Face
I've written a couple times about how banking, financial and insurance firms have used lighthearted, fun imagery to connect with customers on a personal level and distance themselves from their stereotype of being stodgy and unapproachable. The WaMu commercials featuring the old-style bankers were examples of this tactic, as are these fun promos for Commerce Bank, and this custom felt banker toy kit. AIG also used promos to add a (smiley) face to an essentially faceless institution, like on this promotional keychain. More examples after the jump...
Here we have another take on the promotional smiley face theme, in this case combined with the fun and excitement of a light-up pen:
Even better is this smiley-theme AIG wacky wall walker, evoking a sunny radiance with its yellow color, a cheerful disposition with the smiley face and a heartwarming nostalgia for toys of our youth.
Posted by mark at 10:52 AM. Permalink: Bailout Schwag: The Smiley Face
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Bailout Schwag: Our New AIG Shirts
| Earlier, I suggested we take advantage of our 80% stake in AIG to change some soccer jerseys across the pond. From eBay, here is the shirt for the taxpayers. Personally, I would have preferred a week at the St. Regis Resort. |  |
Posted by mark at 10:46 AM. Permalink: Bailout Schwag: Our New AIG Shirts
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WSJ Weighs in on Reusable Bags
| Today The Wall Street Journal featured an article about reusable shopping bags, and how they illustrate some of the challenges of being eco-friendly. Overall, the article was well reasoned. Producing reusable bags is resource intensive, whether they are made from plastics or organic materials. However, if folks actually use them instead of disposable bags, there is a net benefit in reducing the estimated 100 billion disposable bags used (and thrown away) worldwide each year. While it can be difficult to calculate the exact ecological break-even point, as more countries, states and municipalities ban disposable bags and citizens become more eco-conscious, the trend towards reusable looks to be a benefit for the environment. |  |
Posted by mark at 5:08 PM. Permalink: WSJ Weighs in on Reusable Bags
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Lehman on Keychain on eBay on CNN
Earlier this year we did a bajillion part series on promos from the late Bear Stearns. Now, by the time we even start combing eBay for promos from fallen financial giants their woes are already old news. Luckily CNN was on the case. In the meantime, I'm off to find photos of WaMu and Morgan Stanley promos.
Posted by mark at 1:37 PM. Permalink: Lehman on Keychain on eBay on CNN
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LA to Join Bag Ban Club
Los Angeles voted to join governments from Ireland to China in banning free plastic bags. Why? So turtles like this don't have to eat plastic. Going into effect in 2010, shoppers who don't bring a reusable shopping tote will have to pay 25 cents for a paper or biodegradable bag.
Posted by mark at 5:14 PM. Permalink: LA to Join Bag Ban Club
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Promo Sales Hit $19.44 Billion in 2007
| Overall promotional sales were up for the 5th year in a row, reaching $19.44 billion in the US. That's about 3.5% growth, which is modest unless you compare it with many other media: newspapers (down 9%), television (down 4%), business magazines (down 4%), etc. Other bright spots in advertising include event sponsorships (which often include promo use), outdoor, and internet advertising. For 2008, most promotional product suppliers predicted growth, a tough call in this economy. However, if advertising dollars continue to flow our way from mass media, it just might happen. (Industry data from the PPAI |  |
Posted by mark at 1:10 PM. Permalink: Promo Sales Hit $19.44 Billion in 2007
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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?
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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 6:32 AM. Permalink: Alternative Media Spending on the Rise, What About Promos?
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Big Fine for Reebok in Lead Poisoning Death
| Reebok agreed to pay a $1 million settlement over a 2006 lead poisoning death. In March of 2006, a four year-old boy died of lead poisoning after swallowing a heart-shaped charm that had lead levels between between 78% to 93%. Over 300,000 of the charms, which were subsequently recalled, had been distributed as giveaways with children's sneakers. The incident was both tragic and preventable, and it underscores the need to take the appropriate steps to insure product safety before they're used in promotions, particularly those aimed at kids. |  |
Posted by mark at 11:34 AM. Permalink: Big Fine for Reebok in Lead Poisoning Death
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Alka-Seltzer Brings Back Speedy
| Alka-Seltzer's new mascot is a 57 year-old character...who retired in 1964. But Speedy's back this year to promote the antacid, and perhaps reprise the "plop, plop, fizz, fizz" song he sang so many years ago. Amazingly, at the time of his retirement, Alka-Seltzer was investing $8.5 million in the mascot, which was the largest investment they were making in any campaign back then. An interesting side-note, the original Speedy statue was lost on a trip to the Philippines in 1971 and wasn't recovered until 5 years later. (via Advertising Age) |  |
Posted by mark at 12:02 PM. Permalink: Alka-Seltzer Brings Back Speedy
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Best of 2007: USPS Goes Jedi
| George Lucas may have an uncanny ability to tarnish his own reputation by messing with his own classics, but no one can take the sheen off everyone's favorite little droid. With this in mind, we salute R2D2 for making mail a little more fun this year. |  |
Posted by mark at 11:15 AM. Permalink: Best of 2007: USPS Goes Jedi
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Safety Promo Backfires for Dunkin' Donuts
They tried to do a good thing with a glow stick on a lanyard promotion for Halloween, but it backfired when they failed to note that the glow sticks, which detached from the lanyards, were a potential choking hazard for children under 3. The moral of the story? Be sure to follow regulations to the letter to avoid trouble down the road. The bright side? As part of the recall, consumers were offered a free donut in exchange for returned glow sticks. A total of one million promos were recalled.
Posted by mark at 6:09 PM. Permalink: Safety Promo Backfires for Dunkin' Donuts
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Free Apple T-shirts at OS X Leopard Launch
If you're into Apple promos, particuarly Apple apparel, be sure to head to your local Apple store on Friday, where a special, all-night event will include free promotional t-shirts!
Posted by mark at 10:14 AM. Permalink: Free Apple T-shirts at OS X Leopard Launch
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Handvertising
One more -vertising to add to the list: handvertising. Of course, we've come very close in the past with wristvertising and thumbvertising. This time, Handvertising USA plans to target the club/concert crowd with advertising on hand stamps. It's kind of like the straight edge "X" symbol, except the goal is pretty much the exact opposite. (via The Adverlab)
And here's our updated -vertising list:
- wristvertising
- sumovertising
- spiderwebvertising
- headvertising
- sheepvertising
- eggvertising
- bugvertising
- thumbvertising
- nutvertising
- childvertising
- conveyorvertising
- jumbojetvertising
Posted by mark at 11:14 AM. Permalink: Handvertising
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PS3 Schwag Contest
If you're into video game promotional products, you probably should head over to the official Playstation blog for a chance to win some stuff.
Posted by mark at 10:02 AM. Permalink: PS3 Schwag Contest
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Contest Alert: Win a Freakonomics Yo-Yo
| Come up with a new name for your computer and you could win a Freakonomics yo-yo. 'Cause nothing says rogue economist like a promotional yo-yo. Seriously. Think about it. |  |
Posted by mark at 5:20 PM. Permalink: Contest Alert: Win a Freakonomics Yo-Yo
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Ad Spending Down, What About Promos?
TNS Media Intelligence released their report of advertising spending for the first half of 2007 and things aren't looking good for many media. This is the first time since 2001 that overall ad spending has declined for two consecutive quarters (it's down 0.3% for the first half of 2007). Internet and outdoor advertising were the only two media to show gains, while promotional products are not measured by the study. My prediction? That promotional products will be up for the year. As an advertising medium, they have more in common with Internet and outdoor. After all, they are like tiny billboards that can be highly targeted. The big losers are the traditional mass media, and promos are anything but that. We'll see next spring when numbers are released for the promotional industry.
Posted by mark at 9:03 AM. Permalink: Ad Spending Down, What About Promos?
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Scratch Off...Car
Forget giving out scratch off tickets as part of a car giveaway, why not turn the entire car into a scratch off ticket, park it on a pile of pennies and let people scratch away? It certainly turns the giveaway into more of a spectacle, driving (cough) more awareness while keeping the most important part - the car - as the focal point of the promotion.
Posted by mark at 8:39 AM. Permalink: Scratch Off...Car
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Promotion Gets Some Promotion
Promotion itself got a little promotion in a recent New York Times article, "Promotion Is Not Just Another Brick in the Wall." Although the subject of the article was an interactive billboard for Adobe's Creative Suite, this kind of coverage does follow recent trends as non-traditional advertising media get more exposure in the press. Promotional product advertising, despite being over a hundred years old is actually one of the fastest growing forms of advertising right now and is seeing a creative renaissance as well.
Posted by mark at 2:40 PM. Permalink: Promotion Gets Some Promotion
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Obama Uses Promos to Rack Up Record Donor List
A recent New York Times article highlights Senator Barack Obama's unique fundraising strategy which has resulted in a record number of registered campaign donors. While all the major candidates sell promotional products, Obama registers each purchaser as a campaign contributor, even those purchasing inexpensive items like promotional buttons or promotional bumper stickers, whether at one of his events or on his web site. According to the Times, his campaign advisors claim, "he has built a unique roster of small donors who may give again or volunteer as the race continues, and which enables them to portray his campaign as powered by a vast army of regular people across the country." In the first six months of the year, he claimed contributions from 258,000 donors, a new record.
Posted by mark at 9:39 AM. Permalink: Obama Uses Promos to Rack Up Record Donor List
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Everybody Loves Free Shirt
No wonder Google has so many promotional t-shirts! According to a blog post that is purportedly from an interview at Microsoft with an ex-Googler, they give out lots of free shirts to employees:
"The culture at Google is very much like the old culture at Microsoft back when the company felt like most employees were in their mid 20s. These kids dont have a life yet so they spend all of their time at work. Google provides nearly everything these people need from clothes (new T-shirts are placed in bins for people to grab *twice* a week!) to food three, free, all-you-can-eat meals a day."
Posted by mark at 9:28 AM. Permalink: Everybody Loves Free Shirt
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400,000 Pounds of Logo Horror for London 2012
| No, it doesn't weigh 400,000 pounds, it cost £400,000. Am I just jealous because New York didn't get the 2012 Olympic Games? Not really. Over at the BBC News, London 2012 organising committee chairman Seb Coe has some choice soundbites:
"This is the vision at the very heart of our brand." - Yes, the jagged, fluorescent heart. "It will define the venues we build and the Games we hold..." - So apparently this ghastly vision will be transformed into architecture that can scar the London landscape for decades. "It won't be to be everybody's taste immediately..." - For sure. "It's not a logo, it's a brand that will take us forward for the next five years." - Is this a prediction that we are only 5 years away from a design apocalypse in which this logo is awesome? Designers, start clawing out your own eyes now! I'm not sure which is more disturbing, the unveiling of this logo, or Putin's threat of starting a new cold war. Either way, the message is clear: The 80's are back. |  |
Posted by mark at 4:14 PM. Permalink: 400,000 Pounds of Logo Horror for London 2012
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Ask and You Shall Receive
Ask, formerly Ask Jeeves and the perennial 4th place search engine is hoping their unique search technology (powered by Teoma's ExpertRank algorithm) will eventually make more headway into the market. In fact, their parent company, IAC, has committed to spending $100 million to promote Ask. Some of which seems to be earmarked for promotional baseball caps and custom messenger bags.
Posted by mark at 2:43 PM. Permalink: Ask and You Shall Receive
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Housevertising: the Eyes Have It
If you're an optician, why not make giant promotional balloons that look like eyeballs and put them on your roof?
Posted by mark at 9:56 AM. Permalink: Housevertising: the Eyes Have It
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Ad Age Takes a Look Inside the Purse
| Ad Age recently took a look inside the purses of 100 women in Oregon and Texas and identified some of the top items that were found, including a large number of promo items, particularly promotional pens and keychains: |  |
Posted by mark at 11:37 AM. Permalink: Ad Age Takes a Look Inside the Purse
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Six-figure Promo Woes for Brian Urlacher
| What do you get when you cross a bear and a Vitamin Water cap? $100,000 in fines. That's what Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher got from the NFL for wearing an unauthorized promotional cap at a Super Bowl media event. Since Vitamin Water competes with official NFL sponsor Gatorade, wearing that hat was a big no-no. In related news, The Onion reports that the 1985 Chicago Bears are headed back to the studio to record a follow-up to their hit single, "Super Bowl Shuffle." |  |
Posted by mark at 5:11 PM. Permalink: Six-figure Promo Woes for Brian Urlacher
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Bio-Plastics in the Promotional Products Industry
| The resurgence in interest in bio-plastics was front page news today in the Wall Street Journal. A combination of high oil prices and the impact of global warming, bio-plastics are looking more attractive both economically and environmentally. At ePromos, we feature a number of corn plastic promotional products, as well as other biodegradable promos and other environmentally friendly items. If current trends continue, we'll probably see an increasing number of corn plastic items throughout the promotional products industry. |
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Posted by mark at 12:03 PM. Permalink: Bio-Plastics in the Promotional Products Industry
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Puma Balloon Promo
In order to promote the launch of their new golf line, Puma released 2,000 promotional balloons on the streets of Antwerp. The helium balloons were designed to look like golf balls and they carried items from Puma's new golf line and text encouraging people to check out their web site. Previously, we've featured promotional balloons both big and small. (via Marketing Alternatif)
Posted by mark at 9:41 AM. Permalink: Puma Balloon Promo
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Promotional Products Sales Hit $18.6 Billion in 2006
According to the most recent data from the Advertising Specialty Institute, the promotional products industry hit $18.6 billion in sales in 2006, up 4.5% over 2005. This is the fourth consecutive year of gains, and promotional products beat overall advertising industry growth, which was 3.4% in 2006. That's a lot of free stuff! Once again, promotional product spending was greater than ad spending on cable television, and almost twice as large as Internet display advertising (e.g., banner ads).
Posted by mark at 8:49 AM. Permalink: Promotional Products Sales Hit $18.6 Billion in 2006
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Promotional Hat in St. Martin Election Hijinks!
I'm headed to St. Martin tomorrow for vacation, so what better time to feature some election promo news from that very island. Coverage in the St. Martin News shows that all the major parties have invested in promotional t-shirts in their party colors, although I must give special props to the National Alliance for their colorful, well-designed election wear. The real news, however was when the People's Progressive Party leader tried to trick the election chairman into endorsing her by handing him a PPA promotional cap:
"After the PPA list was accepted, leader of the PPA Gracita Arrindell then dished out a sports cap of the PPA and offered it to the island's Election Chairman Franklin Richards, saying just in case you change your mind Mr. Chairman you can join us, and this cap she said will help with the hot sun.
Richards quickly threw his hands in the air with a loud chuckle, as a close political trick was played on him, however, he was on target and prepared making sure he did not touch the cap. "
Nice try, Gracita, but it looks like the Chairman's quick thinking got the better of you this time!
Posted by mark at 12:24 PM. Permalink: Promotional Hat in St. Martin Election Hijinks!
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Citigroup Sells Its Umbrella
| As Citigroup streamlines its corporate brand, it has decided to sell off its umbrella logo to Travelers insurance. Apparently, current negotiations may even involve the sale of what is surely the largest promotional umbrella in the world, the 5,300 pound umbrella statue that is currently in front of Citigroups investment banking offices in downtown New York. The statue could end up in front of the Travelers office in Hartford, CT. |  |
Posted by mark at 2:52 PM. Permalink: Citigroup Sells Its Umbrella
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New York Looks to Revamp "I (heart) NY" Campaign
According to the NY Daily News, New York state officials have requested creative input from leading marketing and advertising agencies in a campaign to "re-energize" the 30-year-old I Love New York brand. Probably the most successful and well-known city brands in the world, it will be interesting to see how today's top brand strategists can update and improve it. Of course, the familiar I (heart) NY logo isn't about to disappear any time soon.
Posted by mark at 10:37 AM. Permalink: New York Looks to Revamp "I (heart) NY" Campaign
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Guess What Someone Handed Steven Colbert on His Way to Work...
...a NYC condom, of course! And, of course, he was outraged. Outraged enough to give the NYC condom campaign national TV air time on his show, The Colbert Report. While Colbert may feel strongly that he should be the only C train in his bedroom, these subway-themed condoms are probably driving one of the most successful public health awareness campaigns in recent memory. (Previously: NYC condom generates huge press reaction, coverage of the Valentine's Day launch and an international feature on the contest to design the condoms)
Posted by mark at 9:44 AM. Permalink: Guess What Someone Handed Steven Colbert on His Way to Work...
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Face on Your Egg, Eggvertising Re-revisited
It seems like I've brought up eggvertising at least a dozen times before (okay, maybe less), but it is an egg-citing promo phenomenon. In our latest installment, delicious eggs are being used to promote razors that apparently leave you with smooth, egg-like skin. One can only assume they turned to eggvertising after a previous, kiwi-based promotion failed miserably. (via the tr鑚 int駻essant Marketing Alternatif)
Posted by mark at 5:53 PM. Permalink: Face on Your Egg, Eggvertising Re-revisited
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Burger King Promo Games a Whopping Success
Burger King just announced that the promotional games they have developed for the Xbox have sold over 2 million copies in their first month. That's a lot of games. Unlike free happy meal toys, Burger King is selling them for $3.99, and proving that people will pay money for a promotional product, if it's something your audience wants. Of course, it probably doesn't hurt to promote your promo with tons of television advertising. It's also worth noting transition towards Burger King as an entertainment brand. As the public becomes more concerned with the obesity epidemic, traditionally strong children's entertainment brands like Disney are curtailing their promotion with fast food and junk food companies. In 2007, the big fast food chains will probably all be focused on capturing young customers with creative promos that don't rely on big entertainment brands. (via MIT's Ad Lab)
Posted by mark at 10:14 AM. Permalink: Burger King Promo Games a Whopping Success
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More Bang for Your Promo Buck: Realtor Tries Glock Giveaways
| One real estate agent in Texas came up with a unique promotional giveaway: guns. To be eligible for a free glock (a $500 value), you need to be a police officer and purchase a home valued at a minimum of $150,000. With the housing market slowing down, real estate promotional items are a great idea, although i'm not sure a promotional gun is always going to be the best choice. That said, the glock giveaway has generated a lot of buzz. |  |
Posted by mark at 12:26 PM. Permalink: More Bang for Your Promo Buck: Realtor Tries Glock Giveaways
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Just Don't Blame the Polo Shirt: Wal-Mart Program Fails to Impress
| Wal-Mart, which has been under fire for years over its labor policies started a new employee appreciation outreach program called "Associates Out in Front," but the program doesn't seem to be soothing angry employees. One part of the program was giving a custom polo shirt to employees after 20 years of service. Don't get me wrong, employee apparel can make a great gift, but a polo shirt will probably never be perceived as an appropriate gift to mark 20 years of service, or compensation for other practices that are perceived as unfair. As one support manager said, "They are going to spend $15 on a Polo for you after 20 years? Give me a break. We would rather they lift the wage caps. |  |
Posted by mark at 10:12 AM. Permalink: Just Don't Blame the Polo Shirt: Wal-Mart Program Fails to Impress
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Party Animal? Try Promos
CNN recently named Promotions Manager as one of the top ten jobs for party animals. According to the article, they party because "To create buzz for the product or venue they are promoting, they'll often plan or sponsor an event with special giveaways (and, sometimes, celebrities)." If you do choose to make a career change, look to us for party promos!
Posted by mark at 6:33 PM. Permalink: Party Animal? Try Promos
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Brands in the Brain: We Have the Science to Prove It
We already knew that a strong brand is the kind of thing you can get stuck in your brain, but now German radiologists have actually seen it in action. According to findings presented at the recent Radiological Society of North America annual meeting, strong brands actually stimulate identifiable brain activity, specifically areas associated with positive emotion, self-identification and reward.
You may think that's not exactly rocket science, and you're right: it's brain science. The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare brain activity in subjects as they were exposed to strong (well-known) versus weak brands and found the correlation with strong brands elicited a response that was not linked to the type of product at all.
So, what can you do about it? Get your promotional brain together and work to build your brand. The more your brand resonates with your client base the more you are likely to beat your competitors out on a personal, emotional level. Not that you shouldn't be competitive in your product offerings or service, but those aren't the only things that influence purchasing decisions.
Posted by mark at 9:33 AM. Permalink: Brands in the Brain: We Have the Science to Prove It
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Butterfly Marketing: From Manhattan to Microscopic
| A couple years ago Microsoft got itself in trouble for littering New York with 16,000 butterfly decals to promote its MSN service, but now the University at Buffalo have come up with a way to use genetics to create markings on butterfly wings. Of course, even if we are able to get Microsoft logos on actual butterfly wings, it wouldn't be the first time I saw a logo on an insect. (via the adverlab) |  |
Posted by mark at 11:51 AM. Permalink: Butterfly Marketing: From Manhattan to Microscopic
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Chicken...from...spaaaaace: Giant KFC Logo Visible from Space
A few days ago we showed you how to get your logo into space, so it's rather appropriate that we can now tell you how to get your logo seen from space. To make a long story short, KFC has done just that as part of a "massive global re-image campaign." Wanna give it a shot? Here's how in three easy steps:
1. Get a large plot of land near area 51 in Nevada to maximize the number of aliens that will see your logo.
2. Get 65,000 square tiles about one foot on a side in the desired color breakdown.
3. Assemble like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
If you want to give it a try, but just aren't sure if it's right for you, how about doing the exact same thing, except using a wall instead of the Nevada desert and 2,000 post-it notes instead of 65,000 tiles. And finally, for those of you who are wondering, since there is no atmosphere in space, they are still working on a way to get the KFC smell out there.
Posted by mark at 1:26 PM. Permalink: Chicken...from...spaaaaace: Giant KFC Logo Visible from Space
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Record Breaking Spending on Election Marketing
The 2006 midterms were a big election...for marketers. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, 2006 election spending is predicted to total between $2.6 and $2.8 billion, including money spent by candidates, PACs and other advocacy groups. That's a lot of television time, and a lot of election promos.
Posted by mark at 3:03 PM. Permalink: Record Breaking Spending on Election Marketing
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Promoting Democracy
| Regardless of whether you're a democrat, republican or any other party affiliation, it's part of our duty as citizens to vote. This patriotic sticker was given out to voters in Mississippi yesterday. I think it's fair to say that promoting voting itself is as important, indeed, perhaps more important, than any election. Voters deserve stickers. Maybe better candidates, too, but the stickers are a start. |  |
Posted by mark at 4:02 PM. Permalink: Promoting Democracy
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Get Your Logo on a T-Shirt, or 155
A new world record was set recently by Matt McAllister of Santa Barbara, CA for wearing the most t-shirts at once. The t-shirts, totaling 155 and weighing 100 pounds, featured lots of promotional t-shirts. Now that's a record breaking promotion!
Posted by mark at 7:27 AM. Permalink: Get Your Logo on a T-Shirt, or 155
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Thai-pods
| Recently the King of Thailand had 9999 custom iPods made to commemorate the 60th anniversary of his reign. I guess he gave them to the right people, since he's still King while the Prime Minister was overthrown by a military coup. |  |
Posted by mark at 3:32 PM. Permalink: Thai-pods
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Hot Water for 'Weeds'
According to the Boston Herald, "a promotional campaign for Weeds, a cable television series about suburban pot smokers, went up in smoke in the eyes of federal drug agents last week after they witnessed children getting goodies from the Munchie Mobile in Boston." The promos in question included promotional frisbees and bags of Doritos. Obviously, it would be very difficult to promote this show without raising these issue, but some local law enforcement officers question whether the show should be promoted at all.
Posted by mark at 12:11 PM. Permalink: Hot Water for 'Weeds'
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French Presidential Candidate Campains with Promos
According to the Associated Press, "Members of the conservative Union for a Popular Movement have been touring beaches and vacation spots across France with truckloads of party merchandise to shore up support for Nicolas Sarkozy, interior minister and party leader." Amongst the giveaways, largely targeted towards youth are promotional condoms, something I don't imagine a conservative party distributing in the US. Meanwhile, according to the article, the Socialist Party, the main leftist party in France, sells its goodies at an online store. For a sweet-smelling candle, the caption reads: "Keep the flame of socialism burning at home and at the office."
Posted by mark at 5:25 PM. Permalink: French Presidential Candidate Campains with Promos
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Promoting Libraries and Reading
According to the Charlotte Observer:
The Gaston-Lincoln Regional Library is participating in the "Smartest Card. Get it. Use It at Your Library" campaign during September.
The campaign was developed by the Public Library Association to promote the value of public libraries, focusing on the library card as a key to learning and enjoyment.
Residents of Gaston and Lincoln counties are encouraged to visit their local libraries during September to get a library card.
Also, patrons at the Gaston-Lincoln Regional Library during September will get free bookmarks, book bags and other promotional items.
Posted by mark at 12:19 PM. Permalink: Promoting Libraries and Reading
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Thrifty Brits Save Almost 7 Billion Pounds with Promos
According to a recent survey, taking advantage of promos has saved big bucks, er, pounds, for folks in the UK. From Life Style Extra:
Thrifty Brits save themselves a whopping ｣6.9 billion a year by taking advantage of promotional giveaways, according to a survey.
From free bikinis and flip-flops given away with magazines to coupons for free coffees and cinema tickets, our love of a good freebie saves each of us an average ｣150 a year, the research claims.
Posted by mark at 11:42 AM. Permalink: Thrifty Brits Save Almost 7 Billion Pounds with Promos
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Finally, I Can Start Spelling it Katsup Again!
| Heinz recently started giving people the option to custom imprint their ketchup, which means I can finally start buying Katsup again, or Catsup for that matter. I was alerted to this development by the good folk at the MIT Advertising Lab, and Steven Colbert has already been getting some mileage out of it as well, so don't forget to send custom ketchup bottles to your congressperson demanding that we go back to serving "Freedom Fries" in the congressional dining hall. Someday, we will hopefully be able to customize the shape of our condiment bottles, too. In the meantime, you can also get yourself some custom sauce right here at ePromos. |  |
Posted by mark at 10:18 AM. Permalink: Finally, I Can Start Spelling it Katsup Again!
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Promo World News: Zimbabawe
According to allAfrica.com promotional freebies are disappearing from shareholder meetings throughout the country:
"As most Zimbabwean public companies in 2006 embark on cost-reduction measures to remain afloat gone are the days when shareholders would be pampered with bags filled with gifts at Annual General Meetings (AGMs). Most companies have simply dropped off handing out free gifts (often referred to as "freebies") leaving scores of shareholders fuming and feeling companies are treating them like disused property."
Posted by mark at 1:25 PM. Permalink: Promo World News: Zimbabawe
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Not All Free Stuff Is Free
According to the New York Times, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has reached an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service over gift baskets given to presenters and performers at the Oscars. Previously, the Academy paid an undisclosed amount to cover the taxes on the gift baskets, but going forward the recipients will receive 1099 forms for the value of the items in the baskets and will need to pay their own darn taxes.
Posted by mark at 12:51 PM. Permalink: Not All Free Stuff Is Free
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Congress Updates Rules: Youth Bowlers Beware!
Congress, the United States Bowling Congress that is, recently updated rules regarding acceptable prizes for youth bowling competitions. In order to remain eligible for amateur status and eligibility to compete at the high school or college level, players must may only compete in tournaments that don't give away fancy prizes. Congress proclaimed the only acceptable awards in youth competitions were: scholarships, trophies, medals, ribbons and symbolic certificates. Now you know, so don't say we didn't warn you.
Posted by mark at 1:55 PM. Permalink: Congress Updates Rules: Youth Bowlers Beware!
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Getting Ready to Go Back to School at the Teacher's Convention
Sure, it's the middle of summer, but that doesn't stop teachers (and perhaps tired parents) from thinking about back to school time. Last week, the teachers went to the National Education Association's convention in Orange County to try out new products from hand sanitizer to shoes to books and school supplies. But what do teachers like best about these conventions? The Orlando Sentinel got a candid response from one attendee:
"Nearby, at the end of a row of vendors, an exhausted Nancy Wright, an elementary school music teacher from Gas City, Ind., sat on a book carrier she just bought and several bags of promotional items.
When asked what she liked about the convention, she piped up, "freebies."
And then, she added, the networking and camaraderie with fellow teachers."
Posted by mark at 12:12 PM. Permalink: Getting Ready to Go Back to School at the Teacher's Convention
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Super Schwag Rules Metropolis
Metropolis, Illinois is already benefiting from the promotional effects of Superman Returns. The town of 6,500 ins't much like the fictional Metropolis, but for the last 30 years they've embraced the tourist value of their name. According to the Associated Press, "The Illinois Legislature declared Metropolis to be Superman's home in the early 1970s. The local newspaper was The Metropolis News until 1972, when it changed its name to echo the fictional Daily Planet where Clark Kent and Lois Lane worked."
With the new movie on the the town is bracing for record visits to the Superman museum (which contains 75,000 pieces of Superman-related memorabilia) and the store, which sells everything from shot glasses and sunglasses to coloring books.
Posted by mark at 11:58 AM. Permalink: Super Schwag Rules Metropolis
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The Pizza Guy Is Here
Here's another view of the clever promo for Papa John's Pizza that won a Cannes Lions award. Specifically, what it looks like when you're looking out your peephole.
Posted by mark at 2:53 PM. Permalink: The Pizza Guy Is Here
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Branding the Bride
We regularly custom imprint wedding-related items for customers, but it's usually more on the napkins end of the spectrum. The New York Times did a recent feature on sponsored weddings which shows that, when it comes to branding, nothing is sacred. |
Posted by mark at 11:39 AM. Permalink: Branding the Bride
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Low-Tech Promos March On
After posting about an article that said high-tech promos were going to push traditional promos out of the market, I found a recent article in thePortland Business Journal that backed me up on the idea that traditional promos aren't going the way of the dinosaurs any time soon:
"Pity the promotional products industry. Someone obviously forgot to tell them that personalized pencils and calendars just aren't going to cut it any more in an era of laptop computers and Internet advertising. "
"As businesses continue to struggle with how best to advertise online, the promotional products industry marches blithely on. Sales have tripled to $17.4 billion over the past 12 years."
Posted by mark at 6:16 PM. Permalink: Low-Tech Promos March On
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Sports Promotional Showdown: Faith Night vs. Satan Night
While the Arizona Diamondbacks aren't sponsoring a "Faith Night" promotion, they are allowing a third party organization to purchase tickets at a group rate to have an unofficial Faith Night, including a Christian music act giving a concert after the game. According to The Arizona Republic, the concept isn't new:
"In some cities, particularly in minor-league ballparks in the South, the evening is an overt show of religious fervor, complete with biblical bobbleheads, testimony from players and even jerseys emblazoned with quotes from Scripture."
The Diamondbacks' VP of Communications indicated that they were not interested in having an official Faith Night, preferring "promotions that are pleasing to all fans."
The Nashville Metros soccer team is taking a different approach by hosting a "Satan Night" in response to frequent Faith Nights by the local baseball team the Sounds. According to the Metros' General Manager, 典he Sounds have the whole Faith Night thing locked up, so we decided to go in another direction."
The Nashville Scene seems to agree that the Sounds pretty much own Faith Night in Nashville:
"For the past two or three years, the Sounds have reliably pumped up the turnstile count by giving discounts to church groups, playing Christian music over the loudspeakers, and giving away bobbleheads of biblical figures such as Moses, Jesus and Abel, whose bobblehead features a simulated fatal blow from his brother Cain.
The Sounds have announced other Faith Night giveaways, including an adults-only nude Adam and Eve bobblehead set, and the Seven-Headed Beast from Revelation, all seven of whose heads bobble. Faced with that kind of promotional juggernaut, the Metros� plans for Satan Night look almost quaint."
Posted by mark at 10:54 AM. Permalink: Sports Promotional Showdown: Faith Night vs. Satan Night
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Arrrr! I Missed It!
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I was just in Portland, OR for the weekend, but I arrived on Friday and according to The Oregonian:
"Pirates may also be spotted in downtown Portland on Thursday, handing out promotional items. " So close! I did get to hear the pirate ships shooting their cannons while eating dinner on Sunday, though. I hope they were handing out pirate promos. |  |
Posted by mark at 12:16 PM. Permalink: Arrrr! I Missed It!
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Promos for Blood
From NorthJersey.com:
"Donate blood these days and you might come home with a gift card, movie tickets or a cookbook to go with the warm feeling that comes from performing a good deed."
"Blood centers and hospitals across the nation are increasingly turning to rewards programs and promotional giveaways in their perpetual effort to attract new donors."
New Jersey's blood donation rates are low (the state imports blood from other states), so every drop helps.
Posted by mark at 5:41 PM. Permalink: Promos for Blood
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Promo News: World Edition
In Taiwan:
"Those who criticize President Chen Shui-bian (???) for not working hard enough to bolster the country's economy may soon have to acknowledge that his family and aides are picking up the slack. In recent weeks, in its own unique "style," the president's scandal-ridden family has helped create over 1,000 new business opportunities by sparking a local fashion craze, with son-in-law Chao Chien-ming becoming a popular icon for graphic designers and Internet entrepreneurs alike."
"To promote the NT$800 computer mouse featuring a picture of Chao in handcuffs, the designer cleverly wrote, "By having a Chao mouse, you can single-handedly make sure he will always be under your control." "
From Sweden's The Daily Roxette:
"It was at the very beginning of the "Nordic Rox" show on Sirius satellite radio last Sunday night that Per Gessle premiered the brand new "The Rox Medley." It could be considered the public launch of the Rox 20 anniversary. We here at The Daily Roxette are pretty excited about the whole Rox 20 thing and feel like celebrating... and what better way to do that than to team up with Sirius and give some more stuff away!?!"
Posted by mark at 5:34 PM. Permalink: Promo News: World Edition
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One Man's Schwag...
| From the Whittier Daily News:
What do you do with your company-branded clothing and office supplies when your business changes its logo? "Indymac Bank and its employees take great pride in finding creative ways to help local organizations in our communities," said Grove Nichols, Indymac's executive vice president of corporate communications and culture. "We hope other companies will follow our lead by donating items when there's a change in corporate image instead of disposing of them." Indymac's donation included polo shirts, denim shirts, tank tops, T-shirts, sweatshirts and wind-shirts as well as a variety of office supplies and corporate gifts, including canvas tote bags, blankets, mugs, clocks, pens and picture frames. The promos were worth over $100,000 and went to various local charities. |  |
Posted by mark at 8:28 PM. Permalink: One Man's Schwag...
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Frivolous Promo Lawsuit Begets Frivolous Lawsuit Promotion
Fox News brings some fair and balanced coverage to minor league baseball team the Altoona Curve. After a recent lawsuit was filed by a man who was denied a promotional Mother's Day tote at an Anaheim Angels game, the team created a promotion called "Frivolous Lawsuit Night." According the article:
In case they, too, are a little miffed about being denied any Mother痴 Day freebies, the first 137 guys at the park will be given a pink tote bag.
The first 137 thirsty but thermally unaware women in attendance will get burn-proof lukewarm coffee.
And the kiddos have a treat coming their way too. The first 137 inexplicably hungry children will get a beach ball, complete with a warning not to ingest it.
GO CURVES!
Posted by mark at 8:56 PM. Permalink: Frivolous Promo Lawsuit Begets Frivolous Lawsuit Promotion
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Promo Know-How World Edition: Thailand vs. Malaysia
According to the Malaysian National News Agency, Malaysian businesses have the products, but not the promotion, to compete in international markets. According to the article:
Malaysian products, despite having all the qualities to make it big in the international market, are losing out due to poor and unattractive promotion tactics, according to a Thai businessman.
He said Malaysian companies have the capability to produce quality products and possess the technical expertise but are weak in sales and marketing, especially during international expos.
"They have good products of world standard but when it comes to soft approach, they don't seem to be improving on whatever marketing skills they have to keep up with technology and fast-changing market demand," said the businessmen who declined to be named.
Having vast experience dealing with Malaysian companies for the past 15 years, the businessman said attracting potential clients during international expos was important, citing the successful methods and approaches used by Thai businessmen.
He said Malaysian companies normally would put up well-structured booths, with technically competent people manning them but hardly able to pull in the crowd.
"It's like dead or static exhibition. Most of the time, company officials just sit and expect people to come and enquire about their products or services, or just hand out brochures," he noted.
The businessman said a good example are Thai companies which have been able to attract the crowd with their lively presenters using loudspeakers, free gifts and personal interaction.
"During expos, Thai companies normally hire presenters who will be calling out to the crowd to come to their booths. They will also introduce the company's products and hand out samples or free gifts or paper bags," he pointed out.
Looks like it's time to invest in some trade show giveaways
Posted by mark at 8:49 PM. Permalink: Promo Know-How World Edition: Thailand vs. Malaysia
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How High Can a Show Dog Jump?
| The associated press reports that "A man who was denied a red nylon tote bag during a Mother's Day promotion at an Angels baseball game has filed a sex and age discrimination lawsuit against the team." The man doing the suing, Alfred Rava, is a lawyer who had previously made $125,000 by suing San Diego nightclubs over their sexually discriminatory "Ladies' Night" promotions. According to his lawyer, the Anaheim Angels "claimed they didn't have any more bags, but my client said there was a mountain of bags stacked so high a show dog couldn't have jumped over them." That sounds pretty high, and I'll probably get sued for blogging about this. Happy Mother's Day! |
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Posted by mark at 8:10 PM. Permalink: How High Can a Show Dog Jump?
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No Smiles in Smiley Face Battle
Wal-mart is currently in the courts battling Frenchman Franklin Loufrani over the rights to the smiley face, which Wal-mart has used for many years in their marketing and on promotional items from plush toys to Pez dispensers. Until the recent lawsuit, the smiley face has generally been considered to be public domain in the US. According to the BBC News, at least three people claim to have invented the smiley face logo in the 1960's. They also cite its varied uses: "It appears on number plates in the US state of Kentucky, has featured on an American postage stamp and was the unofficial symbol of the late 1980s acid house dance music movement."
Posted by mark at 8:48 AM. Permalink: No Smiles in Smiley Face Battle
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Everybody Loves Free Stuff...(Part 2)
We recently noted that some people love free stuff so much they pay money for it, and today I am sad to say, some people love free stuff so much they steal it. According to The Nation Newspaper in Barbados: "Cricket officials are trying to get to the bottom of the disappearance of imprinted promotional items for the 2006 Digicel cricket series. On Friday and again yesterday, SUNDAY SUN was informed that several shirts and other items could not be accounted for as the series moved to Guyana." Unfortunately, this is also not the first time someone's decided to steal free stuff.
Posted by mark at 4:09 PM. Permalink: Everybody Loves Free Stuff...(Part 2)
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Cornell Makeover: Ivy Image and Cool Hoodies
| In effort to draw attention to the fact that they are an Ivy League School, Cornell has gone old school and "did away with new logos and used marketing and public relations strategies to stress the school's Ivy League identity." In addition to using older logos, they also revamped their logo apparel line. According to image committee co-chairman Daniel Cohen, "We didn't have cool hats, we didn't have cool hoodies." (via NYT) |
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Posted by mark at 10:05 AM. Permalink: Cornell Makeover: Ivy Image and Cool Hoodies
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$17.8 BILLION Dollars...
| According to the Advertising Specialty Instituted, promotional product spending rose "5.1 percent in 2005 to $17.8 billion." For some perspective, that's more than people spend on cable TV advertising and five times as much as is spent on outdoor advertising. |
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Posted by mark at 12:36 PM. Permalink: $17.8 BILLION Dollars...
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For Easter, Eggvertising Revisited
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We cracked the eggvertising story back in February, but what better time to revisit than Easter? And, just in time, we have some commentary from Read between the Ps (and check out the whole post, because it's worth it):
Attribute? Consumers apprehensions and their scrutinizing of the Eggs pre-purchase, entailing time engagement with the eggs; This results in high visibility of the eggs, which can be considered to be a marketable touch point and hence, can be leveraged to advertise! ... Taking advantage of the fact that the eggs attract high visibility and the time spent per egg is more since the consumer checks the eggs properly has encouraged EggFusion to promote Eggs as a media vehicle. Thus, emerged the concept of Eggvertising! |  |
Posted by mark at 1:21 PM. Permalink: For Easter, Eggvertising Revisited
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When Biometric Makes Sense
| According to the LA Times, a USB flash drive containing what seems to be sensitive military information was being offered for sale in an Afgan bazaar near an Air Force base. I'm no fan of bloated budgets, but for the top secret stuff, I recommend the USB drives with biometric security. |
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Posted by mark at 2:30 PM. Permalink: When Biometric Makes Sense
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$18 Billion of Free Stuff
How big is the promotional products industry? According to the Advertising Specialty Institute, promotional product sales increased 5.1% in 2005 to a record-breaking $17.8 billion. For some perspective, that's larger than cable TV advertising ($15.9 billion), twice as large as Internet display advertising ($8.3 billion) and five times larger than outdoor advertising ($3.5 billion). Or, in other words, that's a lot of tchotchkes.
Posted by mark at 2:15 PM. Permalink: $18 Billion of Free Stuff
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Childvertising
| Headvertising jumped the shark when it showed up on the Simpsons, but don't worry. Childvertising has come to pick up the human body advertising slack. (Predictably, via flickr.) |
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Posted by mark at 7:16 AM. Permalink: Childvertising
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Leave it to Beavers
I love the Beavers because I grew up in Corvallis, home of the Oregon State Beavers and later lived in Portland, home of the Portland Beavers. Anyhow, the Portland Beavers (a Padres farm-team) are doing a couple cool promotional giveaways this year: a custom potato head doll and a retro baseball jersey. The beaver mascot sitting on the bat is cool, but it would be even cooler if it was eating the bat.
Posted by mark at 7:13 AM. Permalink: Leave it to Beavers
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Pueblo Flavor...Experience It!
| The flavor of Pueblo, Colorado is not dust kicked up by trucks rolling down I-25, it's hot chiles. At least, that's what Pueblo's "Experience the Flavor" campain is aiming for. With branded salsa and logo plastic bags they're aiming to raise awareness of Pueblo. According to Chamber of Commerce President Rod Slyhoff, "We want visitors to begin to recognize those two green chiles - so that when they come here they know they're in the right place." The right place presumably meaning the place with those two chiles on everything. |
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Posted by mark at 7:35 AM. Permalink: Pueblo Flavor...Experience It!
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Buy Blue Pants: Headvertising on the Simpsons
| It was only a matter of time, but headvertising finally made it to the Simpsons. I would have posted this earlier, but I didn't have an image until I found the post on Adrants. With the variety of imprintable items on the rise, I'm guessing Santa's Little Helper will be next. |
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Posted by mark at 9:00 AM. Permalink: Buy Blue Pants: Headvertising on the Simpsons
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Using Promos to Fight Drugs
An anti-drug campaign branded "Be Your Own Influence" cut teenage marijuana and alcohol use rates in half in 16 small communities in the US. According to Medical News Today, "The campaign included print materials, such as a series of posters, as well as promotional items such as book covers, tray liners, T-shirts, water bottles, rulers and lanyards."
One interesting fact was that the media and promotional campaign had a larger impact than school curriculum portion of the program. According to Michael Slater, the principal investigator of the study, "A media program has an advantage in that it can stay in the environment in an ongoing way. Students take a course, but after it is over its influence starts to fade."
Posted by mark at 7:13 AM. Permalink: Using Promos to Fight Drugs
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Oscars Promo News: Additional Imprinting Costs
Our prices on custom imprinted digital cameras are quite reasonable, but the 75 Kwiat diamonds imprinting option adds about $20,000 to the per piece price. You'd practically have to be a best actress nominee to afford one, but this year, they each got one for free. It's sort of like the old "can't get a job without experience, can't get experience without a job" catch-22, except totally different. (via Shiny Shiny)
Posted by mark at 2:11 PM. Permalink: Oscars Promo News: Additional Imprinting Costs
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Promoting for Two
| I grabbed this image from a flyer promoting the Brand to Life conference in the UK. We don't have a pre-natal product category at the moment, but we do have promotional baby wipes and other baby stuff. |
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Posted by mark at 10:51 AM. Permalink: Promoting for Two
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Package-zines? Labeliterature?
| I'm about the ten millionth blogger to post about the iLove magazine-on-water bottle advertising, which is an interesting idea and takes promotional bottled water to a new level. I am going to point out, though, that my friend Dave runs his grandfather's company, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap and Dr. B's on-product literature is not only the original, but also, the best. |
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Posted by mark at 1:00 PM. Permalink: Package-zines? Labeliterature?
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Promo Alert: Free Comic Book Day!
| Here's some news you can actually use: May 6, 2006 is free comic book day, and apparently you can get free comic books at thousands of comic book shops around the country. They're promoting the event with t-shirts, caps and other promotional items, most importantly: free comics. Mark your calendars! |
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Posted by mark at 7:01 AM. Permalink: Promo Alert: Free Comic Book Day!
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Promo News: World Edition February
There's been some pretty important promotional products news rocking the music industry lately. Here's your update:
Albequerque, NM: The band Zagadka was chosen for high school battle of the bands. Adam Abeyta, 17, Matt Garcia, 18, and 17-year-old Jameson Ray make up the band, which means enigma or puzzle in Russian. All are honors students at Grants High School. The band plays a mixture of what Matt Garcia calls experimental/progressive rock with an emphasis on positive messages. The contest is this Saturday, and all attendees will receive free goody bags containing promotional items.
Lethem, Guyana: According to the Starbroek News, the Junior Mash Calypso competition in Region 9 was poorly advertised. The magnitude and impact of this occasion was lost on the community due mainly to poor advertising which resulted in poor knowledge and attendance of the event. The only advertising was a virtually invisible (and poorly designed) banner. There may have been other promotional items but they were probably too inconspicuous to note.
Posted by mark at 5:30 PM. Permalink: Promo News: World Edition February
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Promo Blotter: Burglars Love Free Stuff
From the Lake Country Reporter Police Blotter:
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin - A local company reported that more than $1,800 worth of items was stolen sometime between midnight and 8:20 a.m. Feb. 2.
The entrance door to SECO/Carboloy, a machine tooling company in the Old Theater Mall, 169 E. Wisconsin Ave., #D, was not forced open. The burglar rifled through documents and promotional items. Discovered missing were numerous baseball hats with the company name printed on them and about 300 pens valued at $6 each.
While in your typical robbery-type situation, the burglars sell the stolen goods, in this case I suppose they'll just be giving the stuff away. (Note: I did not make up this story. I didn't even make up the name Oconomowoc.)
Posted by mark at 4:49 PM. Permalink: Promo Blotter: Burglars Love Free Stuff
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Super Bowl Promos
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How do you win a Super Bowl? I think it has a lot to do with team spirit, expressed through team logo apparel and those foam #1 hands. In the case of the Steelers, though, it's mostly the Terrible Towels:
"Is not an instrument of witchcraft
It is not a hex upon the enemy. THE TOWEL is a positive force that lifts the Steelers to magnificent heights and poses mysterious difficulties for the Steelers opponents only if need be." -Steelers.com online catalog |  |
Posted by mark at 9:58 AM. Permalink: Super Bowl Promos
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Turn Up the Bass...Federation
FLW Outdoors and The Bass Federation, Inc. recently "announced a historic alliance." The chairman of FLW Outdoors noted, "This is a true milestone in the history of our sport that will provide unmatched opportunity for generations of future bass anglers." One of the benefits of this partnership is that FLW will be supplying "promotional giveaways for use at Federation divisional tournaments." I'm going to suggest they start with the Striped Bass stress ball, although we do have plenty of other products to lure in those future generations.
Posted by mark at 7:18 AM. Permalink: Turn Up the Bass...Federation
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Top Corporate Gift: Ganesha
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According to The Week, "the highest common denominator of subjects and themes among corporate gifts is Ganesha." I can't find their masthead, but I'm guessing The Week is an Indian publication. Corporate gifters may not need to imprint their own logo, since "Ganesha is himself the brand." Will "Ganesha mania" make it to the US? It's hard to say, but in the mean time, our elephant icons tend to be more political than spiritual. |
Posted by mark at 7:35 AM. Permalink: Top Corporate Gift: Ganesha
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LA Dodgers Announce 2006 Promotional Lineup
Baseball season must be getting closer because teams are starting to announce their 2006 promotional schedules. The promotional items the LA Dodgers are using to attract fans include a salute to the original Brooklyn Dodgers in the form of a retro promotional clock and a fleece stadium blanket. As someone who's shivered at fall Mets games, I was wondering why they were doing the fleece blanket giveaway in May. Then I remembered the LA Dodgers play in Los Angeles, so it probably doesn't matter when they give it out.
Posted by mark at 9:13 AM. Permalink: LA Dodgers Announce 2006 Promotional Lineup
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Tombstone for the 2nd Avenue Deli
This isn't exactly a promotional product, but a) it's got a logo on it b) we're in NYC and sad to see the 2nd Ave Deli go. So, in tribute, here's the last remaining vestige of the 2nd Avenue Deli. More on logo items that outlive the brand they're promoting. And a trashy shirt to boot. (via gawker)
Posted by mark at 8:46 PM. Permalink: Tombstone for the 2nd Avenue Deli
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But How Does He Relate to Your Business?
| Forehead guy, Andrew Fischer, is back. As with any promotional product, before getting your logo imprinted on his his head, I would encourage you to ask yourself, how does he relate to my business and my promotional goals? Will he appeal to my customers? Will they find him fun and/or useful, or will they just throw him away? If you come to the conclusion that forehead billboards are the best way to promote your organization, get some custom temporary tattoos made. (via adfreak) |
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Posted by mark at 9:04 AM. Permalink: But How Does He Relate to Your Business?
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College Promotional Product News
| A couple of the upperclass houses at Harvard now have belgian waffle makers that imprint the Veritas crest on the waffles. Mmmm, shield-shaped syrup reservoir. Down the road at MIT, you can get various promos for subscribing to MIT cable television, including flyers, keychains, and pencils. Across the country, Cal State University is using promotional items to "counter myths about drinking." ePromos works with dozens of colleges, and we've got lots of products that are perfect school and college promos. |
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Posted by mark at 9:37 AM. Permalink: College Promotional Product News
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Gift Giveaways Reach $334 Billion in Vietnam
Vietnamese dollars, that is, which is actually about $22 million USD. But still, according to the HCM City Trade Department, gift giveways made up about 60% of total promotional spending in HCM City in 2005.
Posted by mark at 9:04 AM. Permalink: Gift Giveaways Reach $334 Billion in Vietnam
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Promos That Live on After the Brand Is Gone
| The News Journal of Delaware just did feature on promotional products that outlive the brands they represented. The article has some great stories about people saving mugs, uniforms and other promotional items from companies they used to work for which were then bought out and renamed. The items retain a significant sentimental value. According to one expert, "The items evoke warm and fuzzy memories -- and that's important to people's equilibrium." Another expert said the need to hang on to a tangible item is a byproduct of the rapidly changing business world. Whatever the psychological reason, the phenomenon is definitely real: check out our entry about Macromedia promo blogging. |
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Posted by mark at 9:08 AM. Permalink: Promos That Live on After the Brand Is Gone
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Top Hotel Promotional Products
| Middle East Hotelier magazine recently did a feature about how hotels can use promotional or corporate gift products to help guests enjoy their stay, and remember it. Essentially, as they say in the article, "There is no other way of ensuring that the guest has something physical to take away with them to remember their stay." |
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Posted by mark at 8:36 AM. Permalink: Top Hotel Promotional Products
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Promo News: Sports Desk
According to an article in the Philadelphia Daily News, the 76ers are "not fan-tastic." Specifically, their promotional giveaways lineup "still needs some tweaking," according to Steve Albertini. His recommedation? "Better giveaways. 'The Flyers just gave away a Peter Forsberg bobble-head the other night. Those still work.'" Well, that's it from the sports desk, now back to you...
Posted by mark at 9:30 AM. Permalink: Promo News: Sports Desk
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Dog Tags: The Next Big Awareness Product
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The Wall Street Journal just did a feature about how The Christopher Reeve Foundation is raising awareness about spinal cord injuries and research funds to develop treatments and cures. They're using dog tag necklaces and keychains to promote awareness and raise funds at the same time, just like the Live Strong silicone awareness bracelets used by the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
From a promotional perspective, this is an ideal combination of form and function, and it's hard for me to imagine another technique (i.e., any media-based form of advertising) being able to accomplish the same results. Awareness products accomplish fundraising and awareness-raising goals on a personal, tangible level that's incorporated into people's daily lives on an ongoing basis. Promotional dog tag keychains and dog tag necklaces have been around for a while, but with the visibility they're getting from the Reeve Foundation, there couldn't be a better time to use them to promote your organization. |
Posted by mark at 5:06 PM. Permalink: Dog Tags: The Next Big Awareness Product
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How Creative Gifts Help Small Companies
The Washington Post just published an article about how some small companies are reaching out to their customers with creative holiday gifts.
Here are some tips they mentioned:
"The whole point of giving gifts to clients or customers is to let them know how much you appreciate not just their business, but how highly you think of them. Giving the obvious doesn't convey that message, but getting creative about gifts absolutely will."
"The gift has to be reflective of who you are as a person, and it needs to demonstrate that you've put a lot of thought and care into it."
"One of the keys to being creative about client gifts is to start shopping early. The later you begin thinking about gifts, the less time you have to pick out something unique and order it."
Not bad advice. Of course, if you're just thinking about this now, you're already starting a little late, but we do have over 275 Corporate Gifts that can be customized in 5 days or less. We also have some great high tech gifts that are great for business travelers and food gifts to share around the office.
Posted by mark at 10:57 AM. Permalink: How Creative Gifts Help Small Companies
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Target Marketing Features Great Direct Mail Promo
Target Marketing Magazine recently featured a cool puzzle promo that was part of a direct mail piece. According to the article this piece "was sent to chief risk officers at target companies," focusing "on how software can help minimize risk." The wooden puzzle they used makes a huge impact and relates strongly to their message. By specifying a small, highly-targeted audience, they were able to deliver an incredibly powerful piece that achieved their branding objectives.
Check out some promotional puzzles.
Posted by mark at 10:53 AM. Permalink: Target Marketing Features Great Direct Mail Promo
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Corrections Department: Macromedia Promos Baton
Peter Elst (see the original Macromedia promos entry below), was kind enough to correct a couple things from my last post:
Peter is from Belgium. So the good news is that the breadth of this phenomenon was even wider than I had indicated. The bad news is that I assume everyone is from the United States, which is sadly typical for an American.
Also, according to Peter, 99% of the people who participated in the baton were not actually Macromedia employees, but people active in the online community. Again, this is a testament to the power of this idea and the community that Macromedia has fostered, and promotional products have helped bring together not only Macromedia employees, but the greater community that surrounds the company and industry, which is even better than what I thought originally.
Also, I need to fix the typekey thingamajig so people can post comments. Thanks Peter!
Posted by mark at 3:17 PM. Permalink: Corrections Department: Macromedia Promos Baton
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Promotional Products Make Employees Proud at Macromedia
Of course we give promotional products to existing and potential clients, but they're also a powerful tool for increasing brand awareness and loyalty amongst employees. Case in point is the recent blog baton being passed around by Macromedia employees to describe their favorite Macromedia promos. Since Macromedia was recently bought by Adobe, there's some speculation that "all our Macromedia gear may be worth on eBay some day," but more importantly, according to Kim Cavanaugh, who started the baton, "I'm sure there are plenty of other folks who proudly wear the "M" logo, and will miss it when (and if) it goes away."
A round-up of some of the top products from employees around the globe after the jump...
Selections from Kim Cavanaugh's list:
Total Macromedia Shwag in your possession:
10 t-shirts (My brother once asked me if I owned any shirts that didn't have the Macromedia logo on them.)
Oldest Macromedia shwag in your possession:
A white t-shirt with the two-color MM logo circa version 4 of Dreamweaver/Fireworks/Flash. It's been relegated to the lawn mowing t-shirt pile, but I haven't brought myself to part with it yet.
Most Unusual Shwag:
The lap blanket is pretty unique. I think it goes to big shots who visit the MM mothership for sales meetings. At least that's how I got mine. :-)
Shwag you wear/use most often:
The Macromedia backpack. I use it everyday carrying stuff back and forth to work and for whatever laptop I'm using at the moment.
5 Favorite Macromedia schwag items:
Fleece jacket. I don't get to wear it that often, but it sure is comfy when things cool down.
The original "" Contribute shirt. I have four of those, and they're in constant rotation.
The backpack of course. It's just the right size to hold the common things I carry around--iPod, magazines, Tums, Advil, notebook and other odds and ends I don't want to be without.
Team Macromedia long-sleeve cotton shirt. Great fishing shirt. Really. Nice and cool.
Ball caps. Keeps that patch of bareness on the back of my head covered in the sun and looks cool to boot.
Abdul Quabiz in India writes lists his favorite items, and adds:
It is a good feeling to get any Macromedia goodies but it used to be great feeling when I received these for my contributions, answers, efforts...It has been more than five years, I have been associated (externally and now internally) with Macromedia, I can proudly say Macromedia is a great company.
Back in America, Peter Elst has some similar thoughts:
There are apparently some cool MM branded coffee mugs around as well so will definitely have to try my best to get hold of one of those. I can’t wait to see the experts on the ‘antiques roadshow’ talk about the value of all my goodies in 50 years time, I’ll be a wealthy man I tells you. That and the profound inner peace of having worked with the greatest darn bunch of people known to mankind, thank you Macromedia!
Obviously, the promos alone aren't what made employees love Macromedia, but a combination of factors, including using promos and creative ideas like passing blog batons to discuss them, made Macromedia employees feel like they were an important part of the company. Promotional products are tangible items that become a part of employee's everyday lives and their role in the process shouldn't be overlooked. Sure, it's just stuff, and there's nothing expensive or extravagant on the best of lists I've seen, but they're gifts, and a way of welcoming employees into the Macromedia family. More than just stuff, they convey a thought, and it's the thought that counts.
Posted by mark at 10:11 PM. Permalink: Promotional Products Make Employees Proud at Macromedia
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Faith in Promotional Products
In South Yorkshire, England, a struggling church with the help of a PR Agency used promotional products to increase their congregation from 5 to over 50:
"We came up with the idea of Church Lite and slogans like '50 per cent Less Stuffy', 'More Conversation Than Conversion' and 'More Doing Good Than Do-Gooders'. And we gave away light bulbs and a water spray we called a Calming Spritz, with messages about how the church could do the same job."
Now a documentary about the turnaround is set to premiere on TV, better buy more pews.
(from Yorkshire Today)
Posted by mark at 9:04 AM. Permalink: Faith in Promotional Products
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Blogworthy Promotional Products
Bloggers will write about anything and everything, including their favorite promos. Here are a few blogworthy promos that I've come across recently:
a small foldable set of screwdrivers, useful, fun and well made.
a 128MB USB key, very useful and fun.
a light that plugs into a usb port and has a flexible neck, very useful, very shiny, very fun, very well made.
(from digital detrius)
a 256K flash memory dongle that I use a lot.
a really nice conference bag that has big pockets, but it wore out after like 10 years of use. It was from the 1996 Netscape Developers conference.
(from get real)
Intel 64 sports sweater.
(from lewis moten)
Way to go Netscape Developers Conference tote! Think about it, a promotional product that the recipient was writing about ten years later. Now that's some powerful branding.
Posted by mark at 9:36 AM. Permalink: Blogworthy Promotional Products
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Do Your Promos Relate to Your Business?
Although we might have suggested the Deluxe Tinker by Victorinox ® Swiss Army ® because a good brand name conveys quality and trust. I figure that would be important.
Posted by mark at 12:33 AM. Permalink: Do Your Promos Relate to Your Business?
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ad:tech Promotional Product Roundup
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As promised, some of the promotional items we saw at ad:tech this week, including imprinted shot glasses, custom lanyards, a football stress ball, and a cool imprinted car. |
Posted by mark at 3:29 PM. Permalink: ad:tech Promotional Product Roundup
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Desktop Real Estate and the Return of Push Media
I just noticed an article in Adweek about advertisers trying to get content on their customers' desktops. The article is about computer desktops and the return of "push" technologies (remember PointCast?) that send content to the user. I thought this quote from the VP of a photo-sharing service was interesting:
"If you can actually get any real estate on the desktop and have a persistent presence, it's the Holy Grail."
At ePromos we believe the exact same thing, but we're interested in the actual desktop, not just the virtual desktop. Physical desktop real estate is just as valuable for advertisers and isn't subject to the changes in technology or computer usage patterns (remember PointCast?). Great desktop promotional items grab valuable desktop real estate consistently and retain it over time. I'm not saying you shouldn't be interested in the return of push media, just never forget your customers have two desktops.
Posted by mark at 2:41 PM. Permalink: Desktop Real Estate and the Return of Push Media
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ad:tech Day One
I dropped by ad:tech yesterday and we'll have some pictures of the promos we saw there. There were promotional products at almost every booth (many of which we had produced), and I thought it was interesting that companies who sell technology solutions to help people sell products use products to help sell their technology. Of course, ePromos uses technology to sell products to help these companies sell the technology to help people sell products, but that's another story. Also, I did see a big promo no-no at a booth that was giving away prizes to attendees: they weren't imprinted! The people working at the booth said it was because they decided to do the show at the last minute so they only knew a week and a half in advance of the show. Apparently they didn't know that we have over 500 promotional products that can be produced in one day. Next time around, they know who to call.
Posted by mark at 3:29 PM. Permalink: ad:tech Day One
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Promo News: World Edition
Of course promotional products and corporate gifts are used around the world. Here's the latest promotional news making headlines (okay, probably not headlines) around the world:
Nigeria: The Guardian in Lagos, Nigeria recently interviewed Albert Iyorah, who has a promotional products and corporate gifts business in Nigeria. Some things are the same there, "Nigerians believe in class and exclusivity. They don't want ordinary products." and some things are different,"The only problem that we are having now is the restriction of most of these items by the Federal Government. For example, we cannot import ball pens into this country anymore." and some things are the same, "The most popular promotional product in this business is ball pen."
India: Corporate gifts are big in India around the holiday season, much like they are here, but the top gifts are different as is the top holiday. According to The Telegraph of Calcutta, India, the top Diwali gift this year amongst corporations is gold, traditionally in coin form. However, gold vouchers which were introduced a couple years ago have become a huge hit, and some cutting edge companies have been distinguishing themselves by giving platinum. Jewelry is also a top corporate gift category because, "With the metrosexual man still holding his status as the year’s fashion icon, corporate interest in male jewellery has been high." Of course!
Posted by mark at 2:03 PM. Permalink: Promo News: World Edition
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Plant Branding, a Growth Industry
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How do they do it? I have no idea, but apparently, you give someone this can, they water the bean inside it, and in a few days a leaf sprouts out with your message on it. Seriously! Like many strange and wonderful things, this comes from Japan. More specifically, a Japanese company that specializes in innovative toys and lifestyle items. (via AdJab.) |
Posted by mark at 4:14 AM. Permalink: Plant Branding, a Growth Industry
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Goes well with custom logo cleaning spray...
From MIT's Media Lab Blog, coffee cups that leave floral pattern stains. Or, as they noticed, coffee cups that are just begging to be customized with a logo.
Posted by mark at 3:29 AM. Permalink: Goes well with custom logo cleaning spray...
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Out of this world, not on our site...
How about corporate logos painted on insects? Parasitic advertising on flickr, via boingboing.
Posted by mark at 2:58 AM. Permalink: Out of this world, not on our site...
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You know your brand is cool when...
...people are selling your promotional products on ebay. In fact, it's unclear if these Think Different watches were even made by Apple. Now, when people create bootleg promotional products with your brand, then sell them on ebay, your brand is definitely cool.
Posted by mark at 4:05 AM. Permalink: You know your brand is cool when...
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Promotional Products and the Future of Advertising
I read a lot about the future of advertising and most of what I read focuses on the ways in which digital technologies are impacting the value and delivery of advertising. Rarely is there any specific mention of promotional products, perhaps because they aren't part of the current technological revolution in advertising. I frequently think about promotional products and the effect emerging technologies are having on advertising, and I think they correlate in some interesting ways:
Techno: New technologies (search engines) and an increase in the media options available (like satellite television and radio, blogs) allow advertisers to reach very selective audiences.
Promo: Advertisers have always had a great deal of control over who receives their promotional products.
Techno: Digital content delivery (DVR) gives audiences increased ability to avoid seeing advertising or get the content elsewhere (internet video).
Promo: Promotional products are physical items that get seen and used. People don't fast forward through their coffee, and you can't email someone a tote bag.
Techno: Diversification of media (the Internet, greater numbers of television channels) makes advertising affordable for companies without the budget to advertise on network television or in large publications.
Promo: Virtually any business can afford promotional products, and even a small investment in the right promos can generate a positive ROI.
Techno: Wireless technology and a proliferation of digital devices (web-browsing phones, GPS) allow advertisers to reach their audience in more places than ever.
Promo: Promotional products have always been used to reach an audience where it is most effective (B2B companies using desktop or office items, B2C focusing on items used at home or in the car).
Techno: The proliferation of different forms of advertising and the increasing ubiquity of advertising messages has prompted an increase in advertising that goes to extreme measures to be noticed (guerilla marketing) or disguises itself and uses word of mouth rather than traditional media channels to convey a message (viral marketing).
Promo: Because of their physical nature, promotional products are idea for event-based or guerilla marketing, and part of the value of promotional products comes from the fact that they may be reach multiple users during the normal course of their lifespan.
One can think of promotional products as an advertising medium that is immune to the changes that digital technologies are forcing upon traditional media. One can also think about them as a unique medium that has, for decades, leveraged many of the advantages that digital technology and media diversification are beginning to offer us now. Either way, promotional products are an important part of any advertising, promotional or branding campaign. They have, and will continue to have, a unique value proposition for all types of companies and organizations.
Posted by mark at 1:29 AM. Permalink: Promotional Products and the Future of Advertising
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Merch of the Penguins
The Pittsburg Penguins just published an article about the promotions they're doing this season, including apparel, calendars, an athletic bag, and a digital watch for kids. The way they promote their promotions tells an important story, too: taking home "a unique part of penguins history." Another interesting twist? One of their promos is a baseball cap featuring a vintage version of their logo with the year "1967" (the year the team started) embroidered on the back. Now that's a great way of making it a uniquely valuable item that reminds fans of the experience they had at the game and keeps 'em coming back.
Posted by mark at 10:31 PM. Permalink: Merch of the Penguins
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Promotional Pizza Couch Really Delivers
Domino's Pizza is auctioning a deluxe pizza-couch for charity. In addition to the imprinted couch, which is not available on our site, there are a bunch of extras that are, including: a beverage cooler, an mp3 player, a megaphone and a bunch of other goodies. Via Strange New Products.
Posted by mark at 5:38 PM. Permalink: Promotional Pizza Couch Really Delivers
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Custom Bobbleheads Earn A's from Oakland Fans
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According to The Argus, custom bobblehead dolls have been a huge hit with Oakland A's fans since 2001. Every year 4 new players are honored in bobblehead form, and according to Drew Bruno the A's director of merchandising and purchasing, they are the most popular promotional item of the season. It's also interesting to note that, although bobbleheads have been used as a promotion product in baseball for decades, making custom bobbleheads that resemble individual players has been a relatively recent development. At ePromos, we have definitely seen that custom overseas production has become easier and more reliable in recent years. |
Posted by mark at 1:45 PM. Permalink: Custom Bobbleheads Earn A's from Oakland Fans
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Workingman's Lanyard...
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Today is the 10th anniversary of Jerry Garcia's death, and whether or not you loved his music, one must admit that his legacy lives on. From Cherry Garcia ice cream to his own line of neckties his brand lives on, and so does his music. In his honor, here's a tie-died lanyard, perfect for a backstage pass. (And it's a little more cheery than the black lanyard featured on the cover art of the "Pure Jerry" series of archival recordings.) |
Posted by mark at 5:17 PM. Permalink: Workingman's Lanyard...
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File Under: More things you won't see on our site...
We have no live cows on our site. We do have a large collection of imprintable cow-shaped items, but no live cows.
(via MIT's Advertising Lab.)
Posted by mark at 3:39 PM. Permalink: File Under: More things you won't see on our site...
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Not sure how to imprint that...
| According to the Star Press, the promotional products being given away at the Delaware County Fair include a lot of items you can get at ePromos, plus one we don't have on the site: a free burial plot. According to the article, "It took less than an hour in the hot sun Monday evening to accumulate a whole bag full of free prizes, everything from a magnetic dry erase board to a red foam holder to keep those sweaty drink cans cool." |
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Posted by mark at 3:01 PM. Permalink: Not sure how to imprint that...
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Today's Dog-related Promotional News
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According to the Wall Street Journal, top obstacle-course racing dogs are getting some generous sponsorship deals these days, up to $2,000 per event just to wear or use branded items at an event. Top products include bandanas, towels, bottled water and, for their trainers, t-shirts and hats. We await the inevitable performance-enhancing drug scandal that's bound to rock the doggy circuit any day now, and our first order for small plastic cups shaped like fire hydrants. |
Posted by mark at 2:59 PM. Permalink: Today's Dog-related Promotional News
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Amstrong and LiveStrong Win Again
| Lance Armstrong won his seventh Tour de France, and once again the big winner is the fight against cancer with his continued promotion of the popular LiveStrong bracelet. But, according to the Wall Street Journal, even these are being counterfeited in China now. ePromos also supplies custom awareness bracelets, but we won't make fake LiveStrong ones for you. |
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Posted by mark at 1:46 PM. Permalink: Amstrong and LiveStrong Win Again
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