There's nothing quite like the Friday before a three day weekend and I've noticed that when I've participated in the Happy Hour festivities on these specific occasions, that the bar always seems to be a little bit more crowded. I'm guessing that tonight will be no exception. Everyone usually heads to their favorite haunts to enjoy 2 for 1 drink deals and anyone who favors the outdoor bars knows that this is the weekend to go. Labor Day categorizes the end of summer, and while some locations who have outdoor patios will stay open through September, for some this is their "last call."
An interesting promotion was done by Guinness Draught to encourage responsible drinking. This promotional door mat was created. It looks as if it's giving dance instructions, but if you follow the steps you simply appear to mimicking someone who's falling down drunk. While door mats are not usually seen as common promotional products, this one gets the job done. It sends it's message clearly and effectively.
Right Guard developed an interesting ambient promotion for their deodorant. Custom emergency boxes were designed to be placed on buses and other forms of public transportation. The copy reads In Case of Emergency, Break Glass, Push Button. As someone who has taken the NY subway system quite often, I find great humor in this. The only thing that could have been better would have been handing out promotional first aid kits equipped with Right Guard inside them. That way people could actually use the deodorant, since no one would ever break the glass, regardless of how smelly someone was.
With Breast Cancer Awareness month just a few weeks away, it's important to start planning now for your giveaways. Whether you're fundraising, participating in a Breast Cancer Awareness Walk or just want to spread the word about this disease that will affect 1 in 8 women in their lifetime, breast cancer awareness giveaways are the perfect way to do it.
5. Awareness Ribbon Keep-It Clip Every time you use this promotional pink clip in the shape of the widely recognizable awareness ribbon, you will be reminded of the struggle that women with breast cancer face every day.
4. Custom Breast Cancer Awareness Bracelets Originally made popular by Lance Armstrong, these custom Breast Cancer Awareness Bracelets will let everyone know just how much you support finding a cure.
3. 3" Pink Cowbell These promotional pink cowbells can be imprinted with the ribbon image and passed out to walkers participating in walk-a-thons.
1. 18oz. Water Jug This pink breast cancer awareness water bottle is great to sell for fundraising or give out at walk-a-thons.
And remember, for every breast cancer awareness order place, Motivators will donate 10% of the proceeds to the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund.
Every winter Brazilian companies take part in the Warm Winter Campaign, a program dedicated to collecting clothing for the homeless and less fortunate. This past year, the company responsible for advertising the campaign created different ways of advertising the campaign. Instead of hanging posters, promotional sweatshirts were imprinted with the phrase "This poster will be donated to the Warm Winter Campaign. Support It Too."
Most inventive use of promotional apparel that I've seen this week. But then again, it's only Tuesday.
According to the World Wildlife Federation, only 20% of the turtle population remains in Indonesia, which is home to 6 out of the 7 species of turtle. Turtle eggs are stolen daily, as a source of food and turtles are killed to be made into soups or satays.
The WWF took a stand against this and created an ambient promotion targeted towards restaurants in Jakarta. Cut-outs of turtles were placed in between chopsticks on tables in restaurants. Printed on the back of the turtles was information about the endangered species.
It's a unique promotion to say the least and the fact that they listed the web address on the back makes the call to action easily trackable. The best way to track a promotion is to create a web address specifically for it. That way when people recieve the promotional products and head to the website, tracking will be simplified.
Each year, Inc Magazine releases it's list of the 5000 fastest growing private companies in America. This past Wednesday, the list was officially published and out of the 5,000 fastest growing companies, Motivators ranked 1,168! In addition to that, Motivators ranked 58th out of the Top 100 Consumer Product Comapnies and 93 out of the Top 100 Comapnies in NY!
This is a great accomplishment and everyone here is extremely proud of it. Plus, being highlighted on the Inc 5,000 is just another motivator for us to keep providing quality promotional products and services to all of you! To check out our full profile, on Inc.com, click the link below.
Stella Artois certainly knows the benefits of utilizing technology in their promotions. The company created branded PSP's and sent them to sales representatives in black velvet pouches embroidered with the Stella Artois logo. the goal was to increase sales to beer and pub managers. In addition to branding the logo on the PSP, information about the brand including a brief history of the company was uploaded onto the PSP. The operating system and icon settings were also modified to represent branding. Plus, PSP's are wi-fi capable so sales reps could easily download new marketing materials right to their devices.
In addition to this being an awesome promotion, it's even eco-friendly. However, it didn't come with a small price tag. If you want the same kind of exposure and the same kind of reaction form a highly technological promotion, check out custom USB flash drives. They're more affordable than a custom PSP and Motivators can upload all of your promotional marketing materials for you. You might not be able to may Call of Duty, but at least you'll be providing potential clients and customers with a useful promotional product.
This folding chair with carrying case is perfect for the beach or a tail gating party. It's light and convenient. The carrying case makes it easy to transport. The mesh design makes it ideal for the beach since sand and water slide right through. It's extremely comfortable and easy to set up. In terms of branding, 2 imprint areas (on the chair itself and on the carrying bag) allow for dual exposure of your logo. This item is great for camping trips and perfect as a giveaway at company picnics.
Check it out when Motivators' own Anthony takes it to the beach!
Last week I blogged about DHL's unique way of advertising their online tracking services by putting a giant cursor on a van that weaved through city streets. Totally inventive and an interesting way of promoting their services, to say the least. I didn't think they could get much more inventive than that, but they did. In addition to seeing the giant cursor on vans you can also see it on people.
It looks like this DHL carrier has it attached to his promotional messenger bag. It's not hard to spot DHL carriers anyway because their attire consists of the recognizable red and yellow promotional apparel, but now with the addition of the giant cardboard cursor it's really easy to spot them!
I've been fortunate enough to be blessed with long eyelashes and it's something that I've always appreciated. I understand that not everyone is as lucky as I am to have long lashes and I've seen the useless commercials for mascara which promises to make lashes longer, thicker and fuller. If I didn't have long lashes, I don't know if I would buy into it. Sure you can put on enough to make your eyelashes look plump, but the commercials look so unrealistic it's ridiculous. mascara has just always been one of those products that does not affect me with their advertising. until now.
This unique ad for Clinque mascara was in a Chinese magazine and creates the idea of thick full lashes by slicing the paper into shreds to look like individual lashes. There are few types of products that are difficult to advertise using promotional products and mascara is one of them. Sure, you can get free samples of it stuffed in promotional bags but there's not exactly a mascara stress reliever. That's why I like this ad so much. It's inventive and it gets the message across without using digital imagery or fake eyelashes like they do on TV.
This print ad for dental floss is extremely amusing. At first glance, I didn't grasp the entire concept, but upon closer inspection it's hysterical. It is what it is...a piece of string between two pages of a magazine that are designed to look like teeth. As someone who has a terrifying fear of the dentist, I'm happy with this ad. I feel like fun promotional dental products, like the Fara Floss It Dispenser don't actually terrify me as much as they could.
The one goal that everyone shares at trade shows is attention. Whether you are exhibiting at a trade show and want to draw attention to your booth or you are attending a trade show and want to draw attention to yourself, attention grabbers are key.
Having been to several trade shows recently, I can honestly say I've noticed a common trend. At one time or another throughout the day, I hear a weird loud buzzing noise. Now if I didn't know what the noise was, I would probably investigate. But I know that the sound is one of the most popular trade show giveaways that we offer. The sound is Sonic Rocks.
Sonic Rocks are simple and easy to use. They're two very powerful magnets that come in a case, which can be imprinted with a company name and logo. When thrown together in the air, they attract and create a loud buzzing sound that you can hear from a distance. Check out sonic rocks in action on Motivators TV, as Anthony demonstrates how these unique trade show giveaways work.
Top 10 Reasons to Use Sonic Rocks
10. Unique giveaways always attract attention. 9. Case has a large imprint area with four color process. 8. Promotional noisemakers are excellent attention grabbers. 7. They double as magnets! 6. People will want to show their friends, and when they do those friends will see your logo. 5. Great price point! 4. Sonic Rocks are unlike anything anyone has ever seen before. 3. Great for kids and adults. 2. Fun!
And the number 1 reason to use promotional Sonic Rocks...
The internet has made so many things possible, like this blog for instance. This blog is brought to you by the internet. Well, the internet and Motivators.com, which is also brought to you by the internet. But one of the greatest inventions since the internet is (I'm not going to say Twitter) is the ability to track things online. Like packages. Remember the days when you'd have to mail away from something and just wait and wait for it to arrive? No longer.
This DHL van reminds people that they can track their shipments online. Of course, it's a little creepy to be driving around and seeing a giant computer cursor on the side of a van, especially for someone who works around computers all day long. Regardless, the design would look great on some custom promotional products.
As I pulled into work this morning, Z100 was talking about the release of Madden '09. While the official launch for the release was last night at midnight, stores will still be jam packed today with people dying to get their hands on their pre-ordered copies. I missed the release and the hype because, while the Entertainment Software Association reports that 45% of gamers are women, I'm not one of them. I have an ancient Playstation 3 that I only bought for the Dance Dance Revolution games. Aside from that, the only other game that I'm relatively decent at is Burnout 3, where the point of the game is to crash your car. Being that I have absolutely no control of direction when driving cars in video games, that one works for me.
So in honor of the release of one of the most highly anticipated video games in 2008, I went back...waaaaaaaay back to 1989. Back to when promotional merchandising was peaking and the video game stars weren't football players but two Italian plumbers by the names of Mario and Luigi.
This promotional shower head was created with a feature that will stop the water if it gets too hot, something that's perfect for children. Interesting merchandising to say the least, but I think that the $59.99 that the seller is asking for on eBay is a bit much. Of course, if you have your heart set on it, I'm sure you could even find some Nintendo promotional towels like the one below to complete your shower experience.
I find with Target ads, most are really hit or miss. I hate the Hello Good Buy commercials, but I enjoy the ads online where you have to pop the target bubbles. This ad, however, I absolutely adore.
A truck was designed to advertise the Target Toy Sale, claiming that it was "Australia's Biggest Toy Sale." With claims such as "Makes Real Engine Sounds" and "Comes with Real Driver," the design of the truck is completely in tune with the contents inside and the feel of the event. Now all they need are some replicas of the truck to sell in Target. How funny would that be? Promotional toys replicating promotional trucks that were promoting toys in the first place.
The importance of being eco-friendly cannot be stressed enough. Daily changes to your lifestyle are encouraged in order to live more sustainably. And the words, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," are fueling the movement. Denver Water is all about the conservation of water. That's why they've launched an ad urging people to use their washing machines less frequently. However there is no mention of the word washing machine in the ad. Instead there is this image.
The comical spin on re-using clothing in order to use the washing machine less, and in turn waste less water is effective. However I don't know how practical it is to be using the same boxer shorts for four days in a row. Regardless, there are many organic promotional products that aren't harmful to the enviornment. Making the change to organic apparel is one way to go green.
With so many eco-friendly promotional products to choose from, businesses everywhere can spread the eco-friendly lifestyle through the products they use and distribute. Denver Water is just one business that's working for a more sustainable earth. And Motivators is following their lead with it's partnership with American Forest's Re-Leaf. For every eco-friendly promotional product order, a tree will be planted. Now that's going green. Minus the dirty boxers.
There's nothing more versatile than promotional drawstring backpacks. Yesterday, I saw at least 50 of them when I was walking around the city. These lightweight bags make the perfect accessory when traveling and our customers love them. So without further adieu, here are the top 10 reasons why your next promotion needs to be a drawstring back pack.
Top 10 Reasons Everyone Should Use Promotional Drawstring Backpacks
10. In 2007, promotional bags accounted for 7.05% of promotional product sales, approximately 1.3 billion dollars. 9. Drawstring backpacks are available in a large variety of colors. 8. Drawstring backpacks will be appreciated because they're lightweight and portable. 7. Drawstring backpacks at their most expensive, are still moderately priced ranging from $1.45 for a non-woven sports pack to $11.50 for an larger version made of organic cotton. 6. Imprint areas are HUGE which means that your company name and logo will be easily spotted. 5. Drawstring backpacks work for a variety of occasions; birthday parties, sporting events, breast cancer walkathons, school functions and more. 4. They can be filled with other promotional materials to create kits or take home bags. 3. Drawstring backpacks get used by everyone for a wide variety of occasions, meaning your logo will get maximum exposure. 2. Reusable bags are eco-friendly. 1. People keep things that are convenient and there's nothing more convenient than a drawstring backpack!
July 27 through August 2nd marked Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Maybe it's America's fascination with Jaws or maybe Shark Tale was a really good movie, but Shark Week was hugely publicized. It worked though. When I signed online on July 27, I couldn't help but notice that my best friend's away message simply read "SHARK WEEK!!!"
Hey, even I'd be exciting about watching shark week if I was walking down the street and saw this building.
Or if I was on a beach and I saw that this had washed ashore.
But I would definitely watch shark week if I had gotten to ride in one of these.
Kelvin Air Conditioners Warn You to Beware of Polar Bears
Anyone who purchased a Kelvinator Air Conditioning System in India recently also received a fun treat. Promotional signs were attached to gates of the houses that had those systems. The signs read Beware of Polar Bears, implying that houses cooled by Kelvinator systems were so cold that they kept polar bears for pets. These fun promotional products made me think of a hilarious moment from Scrubs, which I simply had to share.
Apparently L.A. is so hip and trendy that it deserves its own beverage. Having been to L.A. I can agree that it's a great place and it's extremely unique. While NYC is much more business, L.A. is much more relaxed. And really nothing says cool and relaxing than a delicious blend of Acai, Acerola, Pomegranate, and Blueberry, the new mixture that makes up Absolut Vodka's latest flavor: Absolute LA. According to Absolut's website:
The blend is a nod to the city's trendy, environmentally forward, and health conscious ideals.
So why does LA get it's own Absolut flavor? According to their website, $250,000 of the proceeds will go to benefit Green Way L.A., a Los Angeles based environmental charity. Here's more:
Green Way LA is an organization dedicated to restoring nature’s services while providing for the health and welfare of the community. The ABSOLUT® donation will be used towards the “Green Streets” initiative.
Absolut is even promoting the city's new flavor with a giant bottle outside the infamous Kodak Theater.
It's great to see big companies giving back to the environment. Your company can do it's part by purchasing eco-friendly promotional products from Motivators. We'll plant a tree for every order placed.
Milk's Favorite Cookie Takes a Ride in an Elevator
I'm always up to showcase the good use of promotional decals and this ad definitely falls under that category. Oreo, whose new slogan is "Milk's favorite cookie" designed a promotional decal of one of their widely recognizable chocolaty cookies and stuck it on an elevator. At the bottom of the elevator, they stuck a promotional decal of a glass of milk. So every time the elevator returns to the bottom floor, the cookie appears to be dunked in a glass of milk.
For almost thirty years we have provided the highest quality Promotional Products and the best prices. Our knowledgeable and friendly promotional consultants will help you choose from over 40,000 promo items available online
drinking. This promotional door mat was created. It looks as if it's giving dance instructions, but if you follow the steps you simply appear to mimicking someone who's falling down drunk. While door mats are not usually seen as common promotional products, this one gets the job done. It sends it's message clearly and effectively.
drinking. This promotional door mat was created. It looks as if it's giving dance instructions, but if you follow the steps you simply appear to mimicking someone who's falling down drunk. While door mats are not usually seen as common promotional products, this one gets the job done. It sends it's message clearly and effectively.
