Promotional items and the summertime

Summer promotional items are some of the most fun and useful promotional items in our industry. Promotional items for the Summer range from beach mats to personal mister fans. Some of the most popular and versatile gifts are the retro style neon sunglasses. I have even started seeing them sold in retail stores, which is probably why we have had such an increase in demand in our industry. Around our office everyone is drinking out of some of the new spirit tumbler acrylic cups and BPA free water bottles. Nothing is better than staying hydrated when the temperature rises. So kick off your shoes and get outdoors.

Snow White's Mirror has nothing on this promotional item

Last Saturday was the first playoff game for our Atlanta Hawks team and we made a day of it. My boyfriend and I left early to head down to the CNN center to grab a bite to eat beforehand at Dantanna's. After lunch I went into the restroom where I saw of all things, promotional items. The mirrors above the sinks had advertisements displayed until you stepped directly in front of them, then it looked like a normal mirror. You wouldn’t normally think of a bathroom as the first place for promotional items, but it makes sense, it is the one place everyone has to go eventually.

Promotional items at concerts

I am lucky to have the friends I do. I have been very fortunate to be able to attend several really awesome concerts over the years through tickets they received from their employer. What is better than a concert? A Free concert! One thing you will never stop seeing at concerts are the promotional items that are both given out and sold to promote the bands. Anything from bumper stickers to hats and of course the most popular concert promotional item: the t-shirt. I am always tempted to get one when I am there, but I stay strong unless it is just a really awesome design that I can't resist. Even though I am surrounded by promotional items for work, I love getting swag when I am out. Rock On!

Promotional items- the Hockey Way

Even though I live in the South, I have become a pretty big hockey fan thanks to the Atlanta Thrashers being our city's professional hockey team. I know promotional items are not the first thing you think about when you go to a game, but they help bring the crowds. On select dates throughout the season they always throw in some promotional items for the first 1,000 fans or something like that. I have racked up quite a few promotional items myself and I still enjoy it even though I work for a promotional company. Another big hit at the games are these little Chick-fil-a Cows that they drop from the ceilings and they float down with little parachutes. The crowd goes bananas for those little guys, but maybe it's because they contain a coupon.

"be stupid" with promotional items

I can dig this new ad campaign by Diesel:



The premise is that in order to create change, you've got to "be stupid," i.e., take risks. I am totally on board with that. I have a note taped to my desk that says, "Have more bad ideas." (I think I got that from Seth's Blog.) "The world is full of smart people doing smart things," the ad says. It's easy to fit in, get along, contribute to the status quo. But to do anything remarkable you've got to be a little out there. This paradigm applies to everything, including promotional items. Since everyone buys promotional items, you've got to use yours in a unique way that makes you stand out from all the other booths.

So how will you be stupid with your promotional items?