tag:,2009:/3 2009-06-30T13:51:10Z Everybody Loves Free Stuff is a blog about promotional products with features on outstanding new products, promotional products in the news and marketing advice. We also have features on cool vintage promotional products and promotions we see on the street. Movable Type 3.36 tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4445 2009-06-30T13:40:06Z 2009-06-30T13:51:10Z

Yubari City is a Japanese coal mining town with 12,000 residents and $353 million in debt. They went bankrupt in 2007, so they hired an agency and came up with an awesome plan to turn things around: The city worked...

Mark http://blog.epromos.com The city worked with Beacon Communication to promote Yubari, reenergize its citizens, and help make the city economically viable once more. The Beacon creative team focused on the fact that Yubari boasted the lowest divorce rate in the whole of Japan and created the idea, “Yubari, no money but love”, with two mascots, a couple called “Yubari Fusai“. “Fusai” means both “debt” and “married couple” in Japanese. Genius! And apparently, it is working. With the exposure their campaign created, they've attracted 10% more visitors, creating $31 million in additional revenue annually. It looks like Yubari City could be out of debt by the couple's anniversary! (via The Inspiration Room) ]]> tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4444 2009-06-29T15:53:24Z 2009-06-29T15:59:56Z

Had enough of health fanatics hassling you into eating balanced meals? Tired of those disapproving looks you get when you're at a social event and all you eat are meat pies? Australian pie company Four 'n Twenty has a solution...

Mark http://blog.epromos.com Direct Daily) ]]> tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4443 2009-06-28T15:41:47Z 2009-06-29T15:45:38Z

Wesley Watt was named "Probably the Best Mate in the World" by "Probably the Best Beer in the World" Carlsberg. And we add mohawk-vertising to the list:pandemicvertisingzambonivertisingsnowvertisingfoamvertisingnanovertisingreforestvertisingfishvertisingcasketvertisingwipervertisinghandvertisingwristvertisingsumovertisingspiderwebvertisingheadvertisingsheepvertisingeggvertisingbugvertisingthumbvertisingnutvertisingchildvertisingconveyorvertisingjumbojetvertising...

Mark http://blog.epromos.com Wesley Watt was named "Probably the Best Mate in the World" by "Probably the Best Beer in the World" Carlsberg. And we add mohawk-vertising to the list:

• pandemicvertising
• zambonivertising
• snowvertising
• foamvertising
• nanovertising
• reforestvertising
• fishvertising
• casketvertising
• wipervertising
• handvertising
• wristvertising
• sumovertising
• spiderwebvertising
• headvertising
• sheepvertising
• eggvertising
• bugvertising
• thumbvertising
• nutvertising
• childvertising
• conveyorvertising
• jumbojetvertising

]]> tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4440 2009-06-26T13:26:42Z 2009-06-26T13:29:36Z

After years of development, the first colored bubbles are now available from Zubbles. Think of the branding opportunities! Also, just think about how cool it is to have colored bubbles. Around the world there are hopefully thousands of other tinkerers...

Mark http://blog.epromos.com Zubbles. Think of the branding opportunities! Also, just think about how cool it is to have colored bubbles. Around the world there are hopefully thousands of other tinkerers working to make already very cool things even cooler. ]]> tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4439 2009-06-25T15:07:20Z 2009-06-25T15:16:32Z

Zuji, which is a Travelocity company, wanted to help people save money so they could go on vacation, which they could book through Zuji. So, they had to come up with a promotion that would increase brand awareness, while also...

Mark http://blog.epromos.com Zuji, which is a Travelocity company, wanted to help people save money so they could go on vacation, which they could book through Zuji. So, they had to come up with a promotion that would increase brand awareness, while also helping potential customers save some cash. With this in mind, they did what any organization in this situation would do: they started manufacturing private label baked beans and selling them for ten cents. The musical fruit made sweet marketing music, driving up their web site traffic by 38% and getting them featured on 3,550 blogs in Australia (which must be pretty much all of them). Kudos to Zuji for showing many disheartened folks that there was still hope for a vacation through the magic of beans. (via Direct Daily) ]]> tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4438 2009-06-24T13:20:31Z 2009-06-24T13:41:38Z

Computer monitor mirrors were a popular product a few years ago. But what were they really for? Why has their popularity waned? Are there fewer people sneaking up behind us while we work these days? Sexy Clube, which is apparently...

Mark http://blog.epromos.com monitor mirrors were a popular product a few years ago. But what were they really for? Why has their popularity waned? Are there fewer people sneaking up behind us while we work these days? Sexy Clube, which is apparently an adult web site in Brazil or somewhere, gave out monitor mirrors as a promotion, presumably so office drones could browse their site safely while at work. I suppose it is a cute idea, although by printing "Sexy Clube" on the mirrors they reduce their super secret-ness. Also, according to Direct Daily, these "don't get caught" mirrors were mailed to the homes of subscribers in order to prompt them to renew. Allegedly, the products were designed to solve a major problem in their customers' lives, getting caught watching adult content. I can only imagine they created a major problem in their customers' lives, receiving mailings that clearly indicate you are a paid subscriber to adult content. How subtle. Like being hit over the head. With a sexy clube. ]]> tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4437 2009-06-23T13:46:23Z 2009-06-23T13:58:13Z

The 99 cent pizza slice place near us has a line around the block, and even ultra-fancy restaurants like Per Se are adding low-priced bar menus. It was only a matter of time before ad agencies jumped on the bandwagon....

Mark http://blog.epromos.com Direct Daily) ]]> tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4434 2009-06-22T18:47:41Z 2009-06-22T19:02:52Z

Raise your hand if you're against quality. Probably no you didn't raise your hand, but anyone in business now is also really concerned about cost. Andy Sernovitz thinks that United made a mistake by offering an amenities kit in a...

Mark http://blog.epromos.com Raise your hand if you're against quality. Probably no you didn't raise your hand, but anyone in business now is also really concerned about cost. Andy Sernovitz thinks that United made a mistake by offering an amenities kit in a nylon drawstring bag, which was clearly not as nice as the case that Delta uses for their long haul flights. I would agree with Andy that the difference between the two cases was maybe a dollar, but I also think there is a legitimate question: once you've eliminated unnecessary costs by optimizing your business, where do you start cutting corners when you need to? Is an airline better off pulling a dollar from their meal costs and having a nicer amenities kit because the kit may have a longer-term brand impact? Or maybe they know that most international business travelers throw these kits away, but really appreciate a good meal. No matter what business you are in, you're probably making these tough choices right now, and these will be the decisions that determine whether your company offers a great value or an inferior experience. Choose wisely!]]> tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4436 2009-06-19T19:42:32Z 2009-06-22T19:47:38Z

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is an organization dedicated to online freedom, from privacy to free speech to intellectual property laws and more. Since their organization covers a number of specific issues, it seems they have created some issue buttons. I...

Mark http://blog.epromos.com The Electronic Frontier Foundation is an organization dedicated to online freedom, from privacy to free speech to intellectual property laws and more. Since their organization covers a number of specific issues, it seems they have created some issue buttons. I think this is a good idea. Sure, the issues they support are complex and nuanced. On the other hand, one of their issues is transparency. I think if you can sum up your stand on an issue on a button, that's a pretty good start. ]]> tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4435 2009-06-18T19:37:38Z 2009-06-22T19:40:20Z

Here is a shirt that was sent out with Startup Schwag packages at some time in the past. I have a friend who says that all tools either bring things together (e.g., tape, thread) or break them apart (e.g., scissors,...

Mark http://blog.epromos.com Here is a shirt that was sent out with Startup Schwag packages at some time in the past. I have a friend who says that all tools either bring things together (e.g., tape, thread) or break them apart (e.g., scissors, knives). Presumably the product that is advertised on this shirt brings things together, probably online. ]]> tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4432 2009-06-17T13:52:16Z 2009-06-17T14:03:25Z

If a Corona can change your latitude, I'm sure shellphones can as well. These were created to promote Club Med as a relaxing vacation getaway. I think they're interesting in that they buck the current trend towards useful promo items....

Mark http://blog.epromos.com If a Corona can change your latitude, I'm sure shellphones can as well. These were created to promote Club Med as a relaxing vacation getaway. I think they're interesting in that they buck the current trend towards useful promo items. Then again, I guess Club Med itself runs counter to the current trend of being poor and worrying about money. At any rate, it is a striking item that makes its point instantly, an excellent execution of a creative idea that perfectly reinforces a brand message. That said, if they killed molluscs to make these, I'm pissed at them. ]]> tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4430 2009-06-15T20:04:03Z 2009-06-15T20:31:15Z

As the world slips into what is at least a severe recession, even some of the most successful companies are taking some precautionary measures. For starters, Google has laid off a small number of workers, most recently a couple hundred...

Mark http://blog.epromos.com As the world slips into what is at least a severe recession, even some of the most successful companies are taking some precautionary measures. For starters, Google has laid off a small number of workers, most recently a couple hundred sales and marketing folk. They've also cut back some of their generous cafeteria and child care offerings. The tricky part may be figuring out how to take these cost cutting measures without destroying some of the goodwill they built up. One trick may be to use cool employee gifts, which have a high perceived value, but cost a lot less over the long run than serving up food all day.Having events that explicitly celebrate the workforce, like this Sum of Google event (photos on flickr, via Search Engine Land). Again, having regular events to celebrate employees is probably significantly less expensive than providing other perks day in and day out. Commemorating events with t-shirts and other items can also probably extend the lifetime of the goodwill they generate. There's also the added benefit of having a more explicit message, a celebration of their employees, rather than simply a perk that turns into something they take for granted. ]]> tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4429 2009-06-14T19:50:29Z 2009-06-15T19:58:16Z

No one likes to wait around. Right now, if you walk into a shop and need to take a ticket, you probably sigh and maybe just walk back out. But what if the ticket was...candy? Actually, though, why stop there?...

Mark http://blog.epromos.com No one likes to wait around. Right now, if you walk into a shop and need to take a ticket, you probably sigh and maybe just walk back out. But what if the ticket was...candy? Actually, though, why stop there? You could probably make these with hand sanitizer or aspirin. Or little pieces of jerky. I guess candy is probably best after all. ]]> tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4428 2009-06-12T18:43:47Z 2009-06-12T18:47:34Z

I mostly avoid writing about ePromos here, but we did do something pretty cool. We made 13,000 superman capes in 4 days and flew them in from China for last night's NBA finals game. For anyone like me who does...

Mark http://blog.epromos.com I mostly avoid writing about ePromos here, but we did do something pretty cool. We made 13,000 superman capes in 4 days and flew them in from China for last night's NBA finals game. For anyone like me who does not follow the NBA, Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic is nicknamed Superman because he's the league's top dunker. The capes were distributed to fans so they could show their support. ]]> tag:blog.epromos.com,2009://3.4427 2009-06-12T18:22:20Z 2009-06-12T18:27:53Z

Here are some images from an outdoor promotion done by The Economist in Dallas, Texas. It is very cute and would seem to tap into local traditions. It's definitely an amusing promotion, and The Economist has come up with some...

Mark http://blog.epromos.com clever promos in the past. However, as a statement about the current state of the market, perhaps it would be more appropriate if they set up a boxing ring and let people could stay in there with an angry bear. ]]>