Weight Watchers: Oh, They Went There!

Just an interesting job done by Weight Watchers about how good a promotional decal can really make a mark. It's an interesting take on diets. I give it a 10. Wait no, I give it a 7. No maybe an 8. There's that yo yo effect...

But promotional decals are good to have and can advertise your business the right way with the right slogan. We actually have a few samples of some removable bumper stickers that everyone has stuck up in their cubicles. The accounting department is a fan of "4 out of 3 People Have Trouble With Fractions". Many of the ladies proudly display "Born to Shop. Forced to Work." I think however, everyone's favorite has to be: "It's Been Monday All Week!"

That's all for now, Happy Three Day Weekend Everyone!

If Apple Took Over The World...

So I posted about how everything in the world is becoming an iPod speaker (i.e. Man's Best Friend), but while discussing blogs at lunch with Mike in the art dept, he passed something along to me that I found absolutely hysterical.



I suppose if Apple ruled the world, we could all get these at Sears. But I wonder...is this what Steve Jobs bathroom looks like?

Motivators Begins Breast Cancer Awareness Donations!

With Breast Cancer Awareness Month just a month away, we're proud to announce a new program. For every order you place on items in our Breast Cancer Awareness category, 10% of the proceeds will go to the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund. Known to the world as the mother of Hollywood's Baldwin brothers, Carol Baldwin was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990. After a long struggle and a double mastecomy, she started this fund in 1996, in an effort to help find a cure. All money raised by the fund goes to breast cancer research grants at Stony Brook University Hospital on Long Island, where Carol Baldwin raised her family, and also, where Motivators is based. So why should you purchase Breast Cancer Awareness items , aside from the fact that part of the proceeds will go to Breast Cancer Research? Here are some common facts about breast cancer:

1. According to the CDC's more recently published statistics 181,646 women died of breast cancer in 2003.
2. It is estimated that 178,480 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2007 alone.
3.Early detection and screening is the best prevention.

For More information, click here to see our official press release.

Here's to You Helvitica!

It's clear from this promotional notebook thats selling for $22, that Helvitica is underrated. Sure it's a great font, but what makes it so wonderful? Is it the fact that it's a universal font that everyone knows? Yes. Is it the fact that it can be printed on almost any promotional product out there? Sure. Is it the fact that it's clear and anyone can read it? That, too. Helvitica is an all around great font to use on a promotional product , end of story. Here's to you Helvetica. Here's to you.

More Bathroom Advertising!

So to ad to my ever growing collection of blogs dedicated to restroom/toilet advertising, here's another one for a courier company in Zurich. The message was printed on the inside of the toilet paper roll, so that when the last sheet is used, the reader uses the message. Somehow I don't think that this is really an effective form of advertising. If ads are designated to get people to take action, who's going to sit and wait for a courier company to deliver a new roll of toilet paper! Personally, I think if you're going the public bathroom route, the key way to promote is with hand sanitizer!

Lay Off The Crack, Man!

So Red Cross in San Fransisco wants to prepare people for earthquakes. Problem is, Bay Area residents are used to earthquakes. But the American Red Cross still felt the need to lay out this giant crack. It's surrounded by caution tape and doesn't look very real to me. Perhaps instead of tossing hundreds or thousands of dollars to the their ad agency, they could have purchased promotional emergency kits. This way instead of having a giant, unrealistic "crack" in the middle of the street reminding people to go out and get emergency supplies, they would just have emergency supplies. Just a thought.

Does anyone even use headphones anymore?

A few weeks ago, I was over at our sales manager Tony's house for a BBQ. As we sat around outside, he plugged his iPod...INTO HIS COOLER.



The sound quality was ok, and at first I thought it was a little weird, but it works for a picnic or if your at the beach. Last week I was at Bed, Bath and Beyond and while mourning the loss of my youth walking through the Back to School section I noticed several iPod related products. The iHome has about 8 million different variations, from a regular clock radio shaped system, to a pencil cup (which Keri has on her desk). I recall for Christmas I bought my cousin a Pirates of the Carribean iPod speaker pillow. And look, here's an iPod compatible backpack, approved by Apple and everything!



And here's an umbrella with speakers in it, courtesy of the MIT advertising lab.



And in case Fido's barking is ever getting on your case while you're walking him, fear not. You can now turn your dog into an iPod speaker as well.



Does anyone use the freaking headphones anymore? Technology is making it easier for people to be just as obnoxious as the few who walked around in the 80's with the giant boom boxes. I really don't know what I hate more: the Nextel bleepy bleep's that allow me to here every conversation or the fact that everything on the planet earth can be converted to be an iPod speaker.

Make your Car a Matchbox!

I always check out the fun things that Volkswagen sells in there showroom. You know, besides cars. Because as much as I would like to buy a new 2008 Eos fully loaded, I don't feel like its in the cards for me. But occasionally in the service area, VW sells some imprinted merchandise like sweatshirts, hats, and even mini matchbox cars! I saw the Golf, and the GTI but alas...no Jetta or Eos. I'm really not in any desperate hurry to see what my car would look like as a Matchbox, I'd actually just like it back from the shop. But knowing that people like cars, both big and small, Matchbox capitalized on that idea by creating custom binoculars to show what regular cars would look like as Matchbox cars. And the perfect place to hand these binoculars out? A car show. Tricky, tricky matchbox.

Pick Me! Pick Me!

I'm a theatre nut, or at least I used to be. I'm always intrigued by advertising campaigns that go above and beyond the typical "pay a college student on summer break a minimal amount to pass out flyers in NYC." So while on Ads of The World today, I happened upon this ad and it cracked me up. Giant afro picks in shrubbery? Brilliant! Since the play was about barber shops, I wonder if they gave out promotional hairbrushes at opening night?

Rollercoaster Fanatics Rejoice: the Ultimate Amusement Park Accessory

So last week, I took a little vacation, with a couple friends to Hershey, PA and brought with me something that proved to be the most valuable accessory that an amusement park fiend could have. As Keri, (our art director and said trip's driver) pulled up she laughed and pointed to my Motivators Drawstring Backpack. "I brought mine too," she exclaimed. And aside from the fact that our other two road trip buddies called us dorks, everything else was good! Our first stop was Camel Beach water park, where our bags got stuffed in lockers. Because these bags have no gussets, we had no problemo contorting them into the teeny size they needed to be to fit into the tiny lockers that we paid $8.00 for. I hate amusement park fees.

Two days later as we arrived at the greatest and chocolate-iest place on earth, Keri and I were once again toting our drawstring backpacks. They got shoved into lockers once again, until the end of the day when we checked out of our lockers and brought our bags on Canyon River Rapids. The other two bags which held important things like money and electronics and the ever so important car key, were stuffed in the center bin of the ride of they wouldn't get wet, and Keri and I were stuck holding our drawstring bags (which held our dry clothes). These bags aren't water proof so we knew they wouldn't stand up to the heavy drenching under the 3 waterfalls we were going to go under.

But they did! Well, sort of. A couple of things in Keri's bag got wet, but mine was basically dry. And that was handy, seeing as I wasn't going to head on over to Chocolate World with wet clothes on.

So my pick of the week is the drawstring backpack. It's an amusement park fiends best friend.

Custom Ski Packaging!

I like skiing. I know how to use chopsticks. If I ever received this promotional mailing, I would be happy and I would go skiing. Granted this promotion was targeted to the Japanese market so the chopsticks are for sushi, but I would go with Chinese food. I'd still go skiing. Maybe not in Japan, but skiing nonetheless.

Promotional Stationary's TRUE Impact

Yes you have Post It's on your desk imprinted with your company's logo. And so do 10 million other people in the world. And don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with custom Post Its or custom journals. All of the aforementioned items have saved my butt more than once. Where it's me scrambling desperately for a pen and pad to jot down a number all the while forgetting that I can type a phone number on my computer or I'm bringing in a free notebook that I've received to an impromptu meeting, they're definitely helpful. But are they actually having an impact on your branding? HSBC has made a way to make them that way! They imprinted their logo on the bottom of these custom notes that are unbelievably sarcastic and make people aware of the importance of insurance. Here's just one of them, but click on the picture for more!

Ahh Snickers!

The benefits of outdoor advertising can be vast, especially if you know what you're doing. Manhattan is one of the best places to see some clever billboards, since those creating them know A. How much they cost and B. How much competition is out there. So why do something ordinary? Snickers chose to break away from the mold, and go with this interesting billboard.



Of course the best way to combat hunger, is to get a hungerectomy! Granted, Snickers doesn't need to give out samples but I go with the fact that everyone loves free food, so I could definitely stand getting some promotional candy!

A Huge Marketing Ploy by Drambuie!

Ok, so you really want your brand out there? Bring back the dead. It'll definitely get people talking, but not in the "Ahh! Oh my God that zombie's trying to eat my face kind of way, but in the "Ohhh. Well that's just plain brilliant" sort of way. The agency for Drambuie liquor (which I have never heard of until today) brought back Prince Charles Stuart to go to local pubs around Australia and get the Drambuie flowing. The Scottish playboy (obviously not the real Prince Charles Stuart) made his way around some pubs and ordered the drink and showed people how to make it, not revealing his real(fake) identity. He was just a guy who wanted a Drambuie. Fast forward to days later when he showed up with his entourage and people started paying attention. Not because Drama and Turtle were in on it, but because the $300,000 Audi and the chauffeur he showed up with really made people take notice. And now people in Australia drink Drambuie. I still don't know what it tastes like, but if you check out the image below, note the promotional golf balls and the personalized stationary. Even fake dead royals know the value of promotional products!

Free Paper with a Side of Advertising

So after searching AdRants, a popular blog dedicated to the advertising industry I happened across an interesting new advertising genre. It's a different type of print ad; one aimed at college students and it's certainly has it's benefits. Free Hand Ads will place your ad on the top of a college ruled sheets of paper (4 sheets to a pack), which will be distributed to college and high school students for free. Of course, I don't know how well it will work for advertisers who are looking to actually make a profit off these students. After all, they're probably looking to the free note paper because they don't want to pay the $7.00 for a notebook. Although Easy Mac and Ramen could probably make a killing! With all the money they make off college students they could probably splurge on some imprinted Post It Notes, to go with that free paper!

Custom T-Shirt!

Promotional t-shirts make my day, and I love seeing ones with funny messages. And while the above ad is not exactly a promotional t-shirt, it's a t-shirt that was custom made and they made it for the print ad to promote a bar called Mickey's Hangover, located in Scottsdale. Their slogan is: "Get Real" and they promote themselves as an alternative to all the hip and trendy clubs that the A-Listers go to. They have some other fun print ads as well, but I loved this one. Custom t-shirts really do say it all and they're great for any occasion. And this one certainly does have some truth to it, especially since the episode of Scrubs that I watched yesterday had the following exchange between Donald Faison's character Dr. Turk, and Zach Braff's character, Dr. John "JD" Dorian:

Woman: Hi! Can I buy you a drink?
Turk: No, I'm good. Thank you.
J.D.: You see that? You see that right there? That has never happened to me - a girl has never asked to buy me a drink. Apple-tini please - easy on the tini.
Bartender: No problem, lady.

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!!

Diet Coke with Vitamins: It's Almost Healthy.

So Coca Cola has jumped on the American health craze by promoting yet another variation of Diet Coke: Diet Coke Plus. It's got vitamins in it! I'm now convinced that soft drink makers don't really care about the stastics of how obese Americans are. Of course, I guess you could be that person who goes to Wendy's and orders a Biggie Sized Baconator (aka Heart Attack on a Bun) with a Diet Coke Plus. That way you could have your vitamins while clogging your arteries! I'm sure that balances out just perfectly.

Encourage employee health programs. Please. Hand out imprinted water bottles encouraging to drink more (yes, I know it's a shocking thought) MORE WATER! This holiday season give out an imprinted fitness kit instead of a basket of goodies. While it is tempting to hand out somethig delicious, it's much better in the long run to hand out something healthy!

Monkey Hidin Hats!

I'm just in love with this story! I love it when people beat the system, and this is one that takes the cake. According to AP, a man from Peru recently traveled via the airlines with a monkey. While pets are allowed on planes, they're usually recognized by the airlines and designated to a special section of the plane. Not this little guy. Apparently said monkey hid under this guy's hat, and eventually perched himself on the man's ponytail. Passengers asked the man if he knew the monkey was on his head. I would like to meet those people. How can you honestly think that someone would not notice a monkey ON any part of them? It's a MONKEY! It's not like it's a fly or a spider. This man had to have known that he was bringing this monkey aboard the plane.

I guess now airlines are going to make people take off their hats when they go through security.

Eco-Friendly Designers!

It's not Prada. It's not Fendi. But it is the hottest new bag trend, it costs about $15.00 and it's the hottest craze in England. With the recent live earth concert and everyone talking about going green, it's not surprising that designer Anya Hindmarch had sold 20,000 of her newest tote bags by 9am on the day they launched. It's a cotton grocery tote that is embroidered with the words "I'm Not a Plastic Bag". According to Time Magazine, the bags were produced as an effort to reduce the dependence on plastic grocery bags, which can take about 1,000 years to decompose. However, Hindmarch isn't the only designer to launch an eco-friendly bag this season, but she seems to be the most cost-effective. If you want to go the designer route, Louis Vuitton's retails at abot $1,700. Or of you want to go the promotional route, Gemline's retails at about $6.00 and is available eco-friendly promotional tote bags.

Flying Coffee

I think this would be my dream come true. If I walked out of my house and saw something falling from the sky, only to realize that it was a bag of coffee. The caffeine addict that I am would be thrilled. While this is an awesome coffee promotion, I would hope that they tested the parachutes before they said "Bombs Away". Getting hit with a bag of coffee. Well, that could pretty much kill someone. If you're in the business of parachute design or can find someone who can do this, go for it. But if you'd like a promotional that’s potentially less deadly, check out our section dedicated to coffee promotions.

Grilled Dessert? Yes Please!

So there really isn't anything that I like more than my new BBQ. I love grilling kabobs, especially. So on this nice relaxing friday morning, I thought put a twist on my typical blog and pass along a fun recipe that I found on Yahoo. I was in the mood to grill last night and it sounded delicious, so I went for it and it was fantastic! Thank you Art Smith, these were yummy!



GRILLED FRUIT KEBABS
Makes 8 Servings

3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 bananas, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 peaches or nectarines, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 (1-inch) slices pineapple (canned or fresh) cut into chunks
2 pears, pitted and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 apples, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

Stir the oil, lemon juice, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.

Thread various kinds of fruit alternately onto 8 skewers. Brush kebabs with the oil mixture and place on the grill over medium heat. Turn frequently until fruit begins to brown, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from grill and let cool briefly. Serve warm to room temperature.

It was so tasty, but it's easier to make when the grill is totally clean. Sometimes a little carcoal residue gives a nice flavor to a steak, but it doesn't really taste so nice on a peach. And extra tip, try and get peaches or nectarines that aren't perfectly ripened, because it's hard to skewer them. :) So why not hand out some picnic promotional items at the next company picnic?

Starbucks Brews Up The Bucks!

So according to AOL today, Starbucks released it's third quarter fiscal earnings and they've earned 12.8 million more than they did last year at this time. I don't doubt that part of that was because our office relocated to a building around the corner from a Starbucks. It's true...us Motivators enjoy being caffeinated. While I doubt that we were solely responsible for the profit margins, I still find it hard to believe that with a yearly growth as big as they had, they still needed to up the cost of drinks by 9 cents. Increasing dairy costs, they say. Cows are getting raises perhaps?

Anyway, I'd be more than willing to suck up the 9 cents and get my favorite drink. Although I think with my new Motivators tumbler that I received, I can help the environment by saving paper cups! Although I will cave in December, as I do enjoy the holiday cups!

Valet Park Your Car without Having to Tip!

Ok, so I'm not the most adapt at parallel parking and I avoid it whenever possible. So that's just another reason why I want to get the new Lexus LS sedan. It can parallel park itself. It moves the wheels, the steering wheel, and all you have to do is break. Plenty of cars out there are now designed with backup cameras so that you don't hit cars behind you, trees, children, puppies, the elderly....you get the picture. But the LS sedan is the ultimate in proving that having enough money can totally pay off.

The LS is just one of the cars featured in Forbes list of the top High Tech Luxury Cars. As if these cars need any more promotion, manufactures could splurge a little extra and hand out a nice gift with purchase. Maybe a USB stick loaded with a user manual? I know I would appreciate one since, I only figured out my cruise control last year!