Superbowl Promotional Apparel Donated to Haiti

For the big football fans out there whose team has had the distinguished honor of being crowned Superbowl champions, there's only one thing in mind: getting the gear. The minute the game ended last night, ads were running directing football fans to websites where they could go to purchase DVDs and of course, promotional apparel. Those championship t-shirts will be found on store shelves today and it makes one wonder, how can t-shirt manufacturers meet fan demands the very next day?

According to the Advertising Specialty Institute, the largest media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry, more than 50,000 championship t-shirts were produced over night. ASI took the time to chat with Jeff Henderson, executive vice president of Pony Xpress Printing, an officially licensed provider of Super Bowl XLIV apparel. Here's an inside peek at what goes on once the trophy is handed over:

“We start making T-shirts when the game ends and it’s all hands on deck with more than 50 staffers working split shifts, and that includes me. We start delivering shirts overnight to stores, so they are on shelves the next morning for fans. When things get really hectic, it’s not uncommon to have a mini traffic jam that requires employees to direct trucks in and out of the warehouse. They come in to pick up for their stores and, of course, everyone wants their tees first.”

The shirts that are being produced are the same ones that fans watched players put on on the field. But what about the shirts that were printed for the losing team?

Well, they're going to good use. According to USA Today, the organization World Vision will donate the losing teams apparel to earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

"For years, World Vision has helped us to ensure that no NFL apparel goes to waste," said David Krichavsky, the NFL director of community relations. "With the enormous needs in Haiti and World Vision's long-term presence there, we know that these goods will go to very good use."

Promotional T-Shirts Taunt Airline Travelers

As if airline travel isn't enough of a hassle, now you can expect to deal with fellow travelers taunting you via the ever classic promotional t-shirt. Budget Air, a website dedicated to cheap travel deals in the Netherlands hired travel promoters to wear promotional t-shirts in airports and on flights. The shirts, which were clearly designed to showcase some 'tude featured sayings such as "Suckers! I'm flying to Barcelona for 51 Euros" and "Haha! I'm flying to London for 35 Euros!"



There were even some stickers created for suitcases that had similar taunting messages of "Suckers! My owner got here for 51 Euros!"

It's an interesting promotion sure, but how focused on a website will you be when your flight's been delayed or there's a crying baby sitting in front of you? If there was more of a call to action on this campaign, I feel like I could get behind it a little bit more. Right now, these are just mean t-shirts.

Promotional Snowmen

Only fitting, the day after Punxsutawney Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter, we in the NY area woke up to a light dusting of the white stuff and a prediction of almost a foot expected this weekend. After just leaving the blizzard (read: 10 inches) that threw North Carolina into a state of emergency, I'm convinced that the snow is just following me. Need more tangible proof? Today's blog.



The Hotel de Glace, a new eco-friendly resort opening in Canada wanted a way to advertise their existance while keeping their carbon footprint as minimal as possible. What better way to do so than by using snow? Promotional snowmen were created and imprinted with the hotel's logo. It's advertising that will eventually disappear on its own, very eco-friendly. Sure, I could talk about the benefits of promotional eco-friendly items, but why would I? Every single one of these snowmen is simply brilliant and you should all want one of your very own. Warning: All logos were printed in purple. If you see a snowman with a yellow marking, it's not a logo. And you shouldn't touch that.

Introducing Our Top Picks...

Motivators is constantly finding the latest and greatest promotional products. It's for this reason that we offer nearly 50,000 promotional items on our award winning website. We strive to offer the best items around, but we know that it would take days to sift through our site and find the perfect one for you. It's for this reason that we're proud to introduce our Top Picks.




Our Top Picks include items chosen by our staff who work with promotional products day in and day out. These items are ones that customers just like you have chosen time and time again, and this distinct selection is chosen because they truly are our Top Picks. So take a look, and enjoy our recommendations.

Our Top Picks section will be updated somewhat frequently, so you can check back and see what's hot! Here's just a sampling of the current selection:



Grow Cup
Show your customers that you are environmentally friendly with this custom imprinted grow cup. Eco friendly images surround your company logo for an eye catching promotional giveaway. Now business will bloom as your logo is seen on windowsills everywhere.




Uniform Hand Sanitizer - Tie Design
When you fasten that tie and hit the trade show, you know your hands are going to be seeing some action. One booth to the next, hands will be outstretched begging for your grip. These custom imprinted Uniform Hand Sanitizers with cool Tie Designs are so attractive because you know you can use them and they're design is so unique



Appreciation Talking Pen
Thank your employees for their hard work and dedication with this custom imprinted Appreciation Talking Pen. This promotional pen is a fun item to keep on your desk with the company logo or message on it.

Those are just a few of our recommended promotional products. Be sure to keep an eye on our Top Picks to see everything!

Doormatvertising Gets a Resurgance

Just last week we blogged about the Not Welcome doormats that were done in Israel to promote awareness about homeless teens. Apparently, the same idea applies to babies. In addition to homeless teens, there are also many abandoned babies. So using the same method of doormat-vertising, the organization First Hug created babies in baskets to leave on doormats. Granted, people will feel bad about throwing out what looks to be a baby, but still it's not a winner in my opinion.

Green Santa Gives Sustainable Gifts All Year

Santa caught the red eye to the Caribbean soon after his stocking stuffing was over just about a month ago. He has since been enjoying a wonderful array of elfish cocktails and has spread Christmas jolliness from the deep tropical sea to the tops of coconut trees. However, while vacationing, one Spruce Tree's Christmas list leaked onto the internet.

Unfortunately, over the holiday break, when mistletoe hung over every doorway and wrapped gifts filled each room, this particular Spruce, lost his entire family to a vicious attack. Right before his very eyes, his mother, father, sisters and brothers we're chopped down and lugged away by criminals. The attackers concealed their identities with gloves, ear muffs and hats and giggled the entire time, masking their real voices. The lonely Spruce then, with all the might he had left, wrote Santa a letter, and wished that no more of his family members would be taken from him.



While Santa can't play the God card, (Santa and Jesus have previously battled over Christmas bragging rights.) he decided he must do something. He enlisted some very nice people from Europe to create some beautiful holiday greeting cards. Each was made from eco-friendly materials and included an all green replica of jolly ole' St. Nick. Each was imprinted with, "Save X-Mas Tree," and included a wrap around component. Each was made to be attached to the recipient's Christmas tree.

It urged people to use artificial trees since 95 million trees are cut down each year for Christmas in the United States and Europe alone. This sustainable idea caused mush debate on internet forums and opened recipient's eyes to the wastefulness associated with chopping down trees only to be displayed for a week or so. It gives you even more reason to use environmentally-friendly products.

Happy Holidays: Save a Tree

Here at Motivators, we're all about saving trees. That's why, when the holiday season rolls around its really hard to watch all those Christmas trees being chopped down. Luckily, the good folks over at Saatchi & Saatci agree with us. Using recycled cardboard and some fabous design skills they created a custom ornament out of a eco-friendly Christmas card. He's an eco-friendly Santa who hugs your tree. Could anything be cuter?

Does Anyone Even Care Anymore?

With the economy in the toilet, it's understandable why advertising spending has been cut back so much within the past year. With companies on the verge of bankruptcy, it's really not surprising that multi-million dollar advertising campaigns are being reduced to ones that fit a much tighter wallet. But for the love of all things promotional people, show you care a little bit.




What was once a promotional t-shirt has simply become the world's cheapest advertising billboard. The poor person wearing this probably feels dirty because the promotional t-shirt they're wearing is clearly whoring itself for the world to see. I mean essentially, t-shirts are walking billboards, but they're not as shameless as this one seems to be. Poor shirt.

Not Welcome Mats

To promote the vast amount of homeless adolescents living in Israel, the Organization Youth in Distress created custom doormats that simply said Not Welcome. On the back of the doormat was information about the campaign, and how people could help. It's definitely a well produced promotional product, but I wonder if the message is really getting across. After all, the only people who see it are the owners of the apartments and homes that these mats are being placed in front of. Everyone else who walks by in the time being, simply things the homeowners are jerks.




What do you all think? Great idea or back to the drawing board with this one?

FBI Billboards Make Criminals Unsafe

Like the blog name says, we're about Alot More Than Just Promos. Over the years this blog has highlighted advertisements from all sorts of media, including print, video, and ambient. We've showcased the good, the bad, the ugly, and many times the hilariously funny. But today's showcase is no laughing matter.



In a most unusual partnership, Media giant Clearchannel has paired with the FBI to bring images and information about their Most Wanted Criminals. The FBI now has access to 400 video billboards in 33 cities, so that they can display images of wanted criminals believed to be in the area. Additionally, they can use these boards to post emergency messages or highlight missing persons.

It may not be a promotional product, but it works.

Flying Foxes are the Anti Christ

OR that's what thegreycross.org's latest attempt at an awareness promotion might mislead you to believe. Grey headed flying foxes (which are more commonly known as fruit bats) are close to becoming an endangered species because the NSW is still issuing permits to shoot them. While I'm of the belief that killing any animal for sport is wrong, I know that there are millions of people across the world who choose to hunt and I respect that.



However, the aforementioned organization's logo and most recent promotional stunt doesn't seem to work out all that well. They hung upside down grey crosses from trees to draw attention to the numerous shootings of grey flying foxes going on. Ok yes, when bats sleep upside down and then spread their wings open they look like upside down crosses but the upside down cross is also a widely recognized sign for something else: it's a common symbol of satanic groups associated with the occult.

Regardless of how similar fruit bats may look like to this, I think I'd have to advise a logo redesign before purchasing promotional items.