Custom Potholes ala KFC

Here's a new one. In Louisville, Kentucky, KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is reaffirming their commitment to freshness by fixing potholes. How are the two connected? Well, after the potholes have been fixed, they're then spray painted (with temporary chalk) with the phrase "Re-Freshed by KFC." While it may not seem like it makes much sense, anyone who has ever driven through a pothole can attest that when they get fixed, you are eternally grateful to whoever fixed it. I don't know if you can consider these pothole promotional products, but I'll tell you this much. It's making me want a biscuit.

Make it Obvious

Did you know that in a survey done by the Advertising Specialties Institute (ASI) it was revealed that bags deliver the most impressions per month (1,038)? Did you know that the majority of people keep promotional products because they're useful? Here at Motivators, we know these statistics and plenty of others because its our job to know them. We wouldn't expect the average customer to know these statistics, but sometimes businesses get a little to involved in their message.



Take for example this bag created for Clothes in Closets. The giant sale logo and coupled with the brass knuckles probably has something to do with the fact that when they are sales, some people will do whatever it takes to get their hands on the items they want. This conclusion comes after thinking about this one for awhile, and reading the comments reading the ad over on Ads of the World. But let's just say this customized bag were to make 1,038 impressions per month. Would people get the point? They'd just see sale and nothing else. So while it may seem like a great idea to the team who designed this bag, the idea may fly right over several people's heads. So think carefully about your message before you send it.

A Treat Every Day

Here's perhaps one of the best custom calendars I have ever seen. Not shocking, that it's an advertising agency's self promotion (isn't everything lately?). These custom calendars provide recipients with a more interactive experience because each day has a scratch off. It's an interesting concept to say the least, and it's definitely one of the most memorable customized calendars I've seen thus far.

Targetting the Rats

Before anyone gets slightly to moderately offended by the title of this post, let me clarify. It's actually about targetting rats. Masa Pest control created mini magazines for rats (although if you ask me, the animal on the cover of Home Decor looks like a hamster).



The idea behind it was to inform home owners that there could be unwelcomed guests in their homes who were making themselves comfortable. The idea generating 20% more calls in the first two weeks of the campaign. It's an interesting one, but what's to say that if the homeowners didn't immediately take the call to action that these mini magazines wouldn't just be thrown away? It might have been better to send some sort of promotional item as a supplement.

Breast Cancer Stress Ball Makes It Real

It's not often that I look at a promotional product and say wow! After a few years you feel like you've seen one pen, you've seen them all. But occasionally a promotion comes along that just hits the nail on the head so well, it really makes those of us in the industry stop and realize that this is it. This is the way promotional products can be used to market a cause. This is one of these products.



These promotional stress balls were custom made to promote breast cancer awareness among women in Portugal, where 4,500 new cases are diagnosed annually. Inside the seemingly common stress ball were deformed stones, meant to represent tumors. So when anyone squeezes the stress ball, they feel a lump inside it and they know something isn't right. That's a strong promotion right there, but its even better with the imprint that reads: "You Don't See Breast Cancer. You Feel It."



There are millions of breast cancer awareness promotional items available, and we're proud to support the need for research and funding for this disease. That's why, with every order for breast cancer awareness promotional items we donate a portion of the proceeds to the Carol M Baldwin Breast Cancer Research fund. But occasionally, we need to just stop and highlight the best promotions out there. And this is definitely one of them.

Brave Promos...

David and Goliath, an independent ad agency based in El Sugundo, California believes in being brave. In fact, that's what their whole mantra is about, being brave enough to overcome the obstacles of advertising. So far, they're on the right track. These custom promotional items were created to reflect the agency's mantra and serve as general advertisements given to potential clients. Nice to see a full set of custom promotional items reflecting a brand. It's always great when people choose promos as their medium of choice and advertisers should know better than anyone that keeping your logo in front of people is the best way to advertise. Just look at the assortment of items: stickers, patches, hats, buttons and hoodies.

Boxed Water Better for the Environment?

Here's a unique take on the ever growing plastic water bottle problem. A company in Grand Rapids Michigan has created boxed water. According to the website boxedwaterisbetter.com:

About 90% of the Boxed Water container is made from a renewable resource, trees, that when harvested in a responsible, managed, and ethical way serve as an amazing renewable resource that benefits the environment even as it's renewed. Our carbon footprint is dramatically lower as our boxes are shipped flat to our filler and filled only as demand is created, opposed to most bottled water companies that ship their empty bottles across the globe to be filled, then shipped back for consumption. The flat, unfilled boxes we can fit on 2 pallets, or roughly 5% of a truckload, would require about 5 truckloads for empty plastic or glass bottles. Our cartons can also be broken down to their original flat state, are recyclable in most areas, and will be everywhere shortly. We're also giving 20% of our profits back to the resources our product is composed of - water and trees. Not only does it simply make sense, but we really enjoy supporting water and forestation organizations as it's part of our company's ethos and way of thinking to give back and participate.

Unique approach to a growing problem that has been talked about at length by envoronmentalists. Plastic water bottles take years to break down and every day thousands more end up in landfills. Here at Motivators, we like to believe that the answer can be found in custom water bottles, especially eco-friendly mugs and drinkware, but there is something to be said about this approach. Maybe this boxed water trend will make it national, causing plastic water bottles to be absolete! Well...one can dream, right?

Since Vamps are the New Black

In case you haven't heard or have been living under a rock, vampires are the new black. Seriously. It's true. These blood suckers are the new "it" thing amongst everyone, although with the Twilight series they happen to be very popular among teens and tweens alike. So popular in fact, that when HBO premiered its new series True Blood in Auckland New Zealand, they created this ambient promotion with vampire stakes. While they're not exactly conventional promotional products, it's a fun promo. That is, as long as no one actually gets staked.

Make It Last...

There's something that has always plagued me about certain types of advertising. Commercials and print ads, more specifically. They don't last. What's the point of spending (in some cases) millions of dollars on something that can be gone in just a few seconds? Unless it's a really memorable commercial or a print ad that's worthy pf Picasso, it's going to be gone. And while it may bring in some customers, for several businesses it's hard to quantify how many people are truly influenced by the advertising.



This is perhaps one of the biggest examples of advertising that won't last. In fact, that's the whole point. The sand on the beach is molded to form the words "Everything gets washed away except memories." Considering the fact that the product being advertised is a waterproof USB memory stick, thats seemingly an excellent tagline. Except for the fact that this tag line will last approximately 3 minutes (at most) and then nothing is left. If someone is standing there watching this happen, then brava. Otherwise, failure.

That's why promotional items are such great advertising methods. There's quantitative data to back up the fact that they work too. Like the fact that 84% of people remember the advertiser on an item they receive. Or that 62% of people have done business with an advertiser on a product after receiving it. But the most impressive fact of all, is that in a survey more than three quarters of respondents admitted that they had the item for more than seven months. So you do the math. Thousands of dollars for something that only last seconds or do you want to be constantly reminding them for months at a time?

Greenify Your Logo

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all the Irish out there. And you know what they say, Everyone's Irish on St. Patty's Day. Motivators would like to take this time to focus on the importance of celebrating the holidays by getting your logo in the spirit of things. Choosing to modify your logo to celebrate a holiday or an event is an excellent way to gain additional exposure for your company. It's especially useful for people who see your logo on a regular basis because the change will make them do a double take (and pay even more attention). But don't take our word for it....everybody's doing it!



Choosing to change your logo and imprint it on promotional items is a great way to draw attention to your branding.

Quit Pulling My...Ear?

According to the description of this ambient promotion, these customized mugs really do have a meaning behind them. In Turkey, pulling a child's ear is a traditional method of punishment. this credit card company (aimed at people age 18+) used the slogan "Aimed at those who cannot sit still" and created the mugs to show the effect of pulling someone's ear. I feel like this one is missing the mark. I understand what they're trying to get across with the concept, but I truly feel that this is a bit of a stretch.

Product of the Week: The Ad Stool

It's been a while since we've featured a product of the week blog because there's been so much great ambient advertising to discuss during these tough economic times. The work that has been coming out of agencies all over the world has been some of the best, as companies struggle with tightened budgets and agencies themselves try to hold on to clients for as long as they can.

And while we've focused majorly on the work, we haven't forgotten about the promotional products. After all, they are what we do best, the heart and soul of our company, the very things that "motivate" us the best of all. So without further adieu, the return of the Product of the Week.



Product Name: The Ad Stool

Item Number: 39419

Why It's Awesome:

A recent study done by the Advertising Specialties Institute (ASI) concluded that 84%of promotional product recipients keep the item because it is useful and this is definitely one of the most useful items to come out of the industry in a while. This convertible stool easily folds flat for easy storage and can hold up to 300lbs. It's a unique giveaway that can be kept in the kitchen, pantry, garage, basement and just about anywhere else. Anytime someone needs a little extra height, they won't have to pull out the big bulky step stool. Instead, they grab the Ad Stool (by it's convenient handle) and they're to good to go. Plus the added benefit for you, as the advertiser is the product's large imprint area of 7"W x 3/4"H. Your logo will definitely be seen every time they reach for this handy item.

What You Don't Want Them Seeing...

Now here's a promotion that will definitely be remembered. The International Society for Human Rights wanted to draw attention to the fact that, in several countries, the press is censored. You could say they wanted to "highlight" this fact. What better way to do that than with a promotional highlighter? However, this promotional highlighter had a twist.

The florescent yellow ink cartridges were removed from these highlighters and were replaced with black ink. When users would try to highlight something, instead they would be blacking it out. The marker boasted an imprint that read:



IN MANY COUNTRIES THE PRESS IS CENSORED EVERY DAY. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE: WWW.IGFM.DE



It's extremely important when advertising, to send the most pertinent message you can to your target audience. So consider that when choosing promotional items and even when deciding on corporate gifts. The message you send is the most important, so think about how you want to say what you want to say. It'll pay off in the long run.

At First Glance...

You know the old adage, if at once you don't succeed, try try again. It holds true in the advertising world as well. Several times ad execs fail the first time around, and it seems that the most common type of failure is creating ads that are too hard to explain. Take for example this ambient promotion for Iodex, balm for back relief. The sign simply reads "Bless your Back This Christmas." Takes a few to figure out that the bottom of the tree is not decorated due to back pain.



Or this ingenuity wines design. The company had specially designed imprints on the spines of the magazine that displayed a wine bottle when the magazines were correctly organized. However, at first glance this will not be noticed and secondly, who actually takes the time to organize their wine magazines by month anyway?



Or there's the ophthalmic institute of Curitiba in Brazil who created giant eyeglass models and left them around town with a poster that reads: "You may have left your eyeglasses somewhere in your home. Donate it to us." The tag line nor the promotion itself does the campaign justice.



What's my point? Well while the creative department may think that they have hit the nail on the head, try and get an outsider's opinion. For the hundreds of thousands of dollars that were probably spent on this campaign, promotional items could have been purchased and distributed. And while it seems that I do always think that promotional products are the answer to everything, consider this: nearly 84% of people remember the name of an advertiser on a promotional item they receive. How likely do you think they are to remember you if your ad confuses them?

Get Creative

Now here's something Jerry Seinfeld could have used. We all remember the infamous episode when he wakes up in the middle of the night to jot down a funny joke and then falls back to sleep. He awakens the next morning unable to read his "killer joke" and enlists everyone's help to try and figure it out.

As everyone knows, ideas come in the strangest of places and times. Occasionally, they'll pop up in the middle of the night. Sometimes it's early in the morning. And sometimes it's when you're driving down the highway. Creativity happens when you least expect it.



The people at the School of Visual Arts know this and that's why this campaign encourages people to be prepared. By creating custom napkins, sugar packets, place mats and even toilet paper, the creators of this campaign are encouraging people to be prepared. And while several people have had the answers to come to them while on the bowl (just think of the Janitor's "Epiphony Toilet" on Scrubs), I don't know if many would be so interested in the custom toilet paper.



Regardless, it's an innovative campaign that shows that with the right creativity behind you, anything and everything can be the perfect promotional items for your message.

Save the Trees

Here's an interesting promotion. This tissue dispenser was created to look like a tree trunk, and was imprinted with a statistic about how many trees are used to create tissues every year. While 270,000 is a lot of trees, the fact of the matter remains that it doesn't seem that high in comparison with a statistic like "Starbucks uses 2.3 billion paper coffee cups per year." And this promotion would have been much more effective if they had a hand dryer in the bathroom, thus allowing people an option to use that rather than the tissues.



Bottom line, there are several eco-friendly promotions and hundreds of eco-friendly promotional products that could have done better.

More Car Promotions...

Yet another example of companies advertising by placing things on people's cars. This time the culprit in question (Armor All Wax and Polish) placed white flags on the windshield wipers of cars. The imprint read "Your Car is Defenceless Without It." In theory, great idea. In execution, horrible. How many times has it been said that no one likes things being put on their cars? While it may not have seemed as creative to give out some promotional auto accessories or samples of the product itself, chances are the team behind this promotion thought that just wouldn't be memorable enough. People will remember it now...and they'll remember being mad at the folks at Armor All for touching their cars.

What a Bright Idea

It's not surprising that this is another ad agency self promo. These promotional nightlights were sent to clients instructing them to go to the agency's website for a free presentation about the agency's services. Clever imprints, such as the one on this night light which reads "Have no fear, the dark times shall pass," are always a great way to garner attention when handing out promotional items.

Sticking Maglites Up Your Nose

It's not classy, but according to Maglite's latest ad campaign, it can be done. Promoting the Maglite Solitaire as the smallest Maglite ever, the ad shows a rather happy little scamp who's all too excited to have a flashlight up his nose.



This ad reminds me of an episode of House, where the grouchy doctor is repeatedly visited by a toddler who has been sticking things up his nose. First House removes a tiny fireman toy. Then on the second visit, he removes a fire truck toy. Then on the third, he removes a police officer toy. Finally, he realizes that the boy is sending in the cavalry. He uses a magnetic tool to suck a tiny metal cat out of the boy's nose and sees that the boy is sending in the troops to rescue the cat.

Regardless, Motivators is proud top offer the promotional Maglite Solitare flashlight for all your branding needs. Please do not encourage children stick it up their noses.

A Promotion...with a Heart

Here's a great look at how promotional stress relievers can be implemented as a giveaway. This blood bank chose to use anatomical heart stress balls as their giveaway of choice. It was unique, yet it makes complete sense within the context of the event.

Drawing the Last Straw...

Here's one of the most unique promotional products that I've ever seen: an imprinted straw. These custom straws were imprinted to look like electrical plugs to promote a new energy drink. When the user drinks, it looks as if they're plugged into the can, thus showing that it is the drink that is powering them.



I'm not entirely sure how much I'd like this if I actually recieved it. I'm sure I wouldn't think to question it, but looking at it now it makes me wonder, just how sanitary is it? I think I might prefer some other promotional items, just in case.