A Promotional Executive Chair: With a Twist

The business magazine, Wirtschaft Woche of Germany has joined forces with the wild West to create one amazing advertising opportunity. The World's First Executive Chair Rodeo. Now all you business ladies and gentlemen lace up your steel toe boots and get the lasso ready. We're in for a wild corporate ride.

In a brilliant effort to illustrate that Wirtschaft Woche is Germany's leading business magazine, they had an inflatable bull riding ring created with one major alteration. No bull. Instead, mounted in the middle of the promotional item was a sleek, black executive chair.

At business fairs across Germany, passersby were invited to take a ride on the bouncy executive rodeo chair. Imprinted on the blow up rodeo machine read, "Wirtschaft Woche. Stay on top." The slogan encouraged every "rider" to stay on top of the chair, just as Wirtschaft Woche stays on top when it comes to business news and information.



The road show attraction created a buzz that induced heavier traffic at the business fairs and a greater number of subscriptions to the leading business magazine.

At a recent bar show in New York, some of the great Motivators staff had their own run in with the rodeo. Except this time the inflatable rodeo was stocked with a big ole bull. In between handing out custom imprinted sunglasses and promotional bottle opener key chains, the Motivator's found themselves faced with the mechanical bull challenge. They faired well...but given that we sit in executive chairs all day, I bet they'd do even better when put to the World First Executive Chair Rodeo challenge.

Tasty Promotional Products

Who likes shopping? Who likes eating? If you answered yes to either, then you’ll love the Waterfront Shopping mall. That’s what the advertising company kept in mind when creating the “Food meets Fashion” ad campaign. The exclusive shopping mall in Denmark is gaining even more business since the publishing of these advertisements in May.



The images are created to combine fashion (products) with food in a tasteful and beautiful way. Included in the ads is sushi being held with makeup brushes (chopsticks.) And a luscious apple growing on assorted belts (branches.) It’s a really cool and creative way to encourage people to shop and eat. Spend your whole day/night at the mall.

Almost all of the products shown can be found in variation at Motivators promotional products. Imagine promotional flash drives being used as spoons for a delicious frozen yogurt. Or a custom tote bag with a spaghetti strap. Even a custom sports bottle with a yummy candy straw. Oh the possibilities.

The Eye-Catching Promo Ad

Once again, Amnesty International has released an awesome campaign. In an effort to raise awareness and help prevent domestic violence, posters have been placed around public areas in Germany.
The poster displays a man throwing a punch at a woman. But once the viewer looks at the poster directly, the poster changes and displays the man and woman pretending to be happy together. The poster conveyed that while couples may seem happy, it's what happens when you look away that is the problem.




This is the first use of "eye-tracking" for a poster, ever. A camera, concealed in the poster, picks up the eye signals and sends the message to the digital poster. This is an awesome promotional idea that really affects its viewers.
Motivators has an exclusive category for custom awareness event products. Domestic Violence awareness month is October. There are many promotional electronic items that can expose more people to the problem at hand or choose a popular promotional auto ribbon magnet to stick on car bumpers and gain greater awareness. No matter what promotional product you choose, lives can be saved when you raise awareness on domestic violence.

Passing the Baton for great Advertising

An advertising agency in Japan found an inexpensive and effective way to promote the Special Olympics. The “Message Relay” began last July and plans on never ceasing. A red baton was engraved with information about the Special Olympics and a web address for the “Message Relay.” After being handed the red baton, recipients are asked to report their status on the website and continue to pass on the baton.

This idea helped to inform people about the empowering Special Olympics while creating a hype. People love checking the website to see where the baton has made it and receiving the baton has been called a “warming moment…as if it were a present from a stranger.”



The promotional baton cost $42 to make but has accounted for an approximate $112,000 of free publicity. Motivators has many custom sports and outdoor items that could similarly give off free publicity. Products like promotional bags will constantly be advertising for your business because they aren’t going to be stuffed away in drawers.

Consider following this innovative way of advertising your business with a traveling promotional product. I’ve heard of those teddy bears left at airports with notes saying, “Mail a letter to this address with your story of where the bears traveled with you. Then leave him in a public place for the next person.” The same deal goes for the, “Where’s George?” website. Sign in. Enter the code on your bills ($1 to $100 bills) and trace back to find its past recipients. Cool ideas like this help to connect people. Making bonds is incredibly important and celebrating the awesome Special Olympics is a rare example of beautiful human interaction.

We Got the Beat on Promotional Products

An advertising agency in Korea won a Cannes Lion award at the International advertising festival this week. Their goal was to create awareness of one of the leading causes of death in Korea, heart disease. With a focus on the importance of a beating heart, the “Listen” campaign was formed by the Korea Heart Federation.

A studio was set up where visitors could put on headphones and place a monitor over their hearts. A special listening device then played the sound of their heartbeat. This reminds me of what I did, (and what I assume other kids did) with those child play doctor’s sets. But instead of fighting over who gets to play doctor with the stethoscope, the “Listen” campaign recorded each person’s heartbeat to an MP3.

Next, songs were recorded to the beat of the captured heartbeats and digital art was created to compliment it. People could then visit the “Listen” campaign website to here and see the miracle of their heartbeat through art and music. The promotional head phones were imprinted with the “Listen” campaigns logo. That way, the “Listen” campaign gained great recognition. We’ve got a ton of electronic promotional products that can be imprinted for optimum exposure.



Motivators applauds creative advertising ideas like this. We especially support any awareness campaigns and offer an abundance of promotional awareness event products. Immediately, I thought of all of the great promotional stress reliever that could help promote heart disease awareness. A fun heart shaped stress reliever inscribed with an encouraging message like, “love your heart,” would definitely spread the word and encourage healthy living.

This campaign was the greatest success in the history of Korean health. It goes to show that when you get out there and talk to people, they’ll listen. I’m very interested in hearing the songs created by the “Listen” campaign. Who would’ve thought? The stethoscope and turntable united for one great awareness campaign.

Ewww

There's really no other way to describe this ad, except to say ew. Honestly, if I opened up a magazine and water squirted at me, water that was supposed to be boogers, I think I would gag. With all the promotional item options out there, from promotional bags to flash drives, you really went with a booger-esque ad? Really?



It's not that I'm not a fan of creative advertising, because I really am. It's just that this is...well, gross.

Beach Towels, Take Two.

Just last week, we featured these great beach towels for Preventable.ca and in the summer spirit, we've got more promotional beach towels. Do you get the point?



Can you tell that these custom beach towels are supposed to represent a puddle of blood? In theory, it's an excellent idea, but in execution it misses the mark. I envision recipients being confused as to why their free beach towel looks like it was made from scraps of other towels.

Stand Back, This is A Crime Scene

Gum bleeding. It's not pretty. It's not something that people want to talk about. It's not something that you want to bring up in conversation. It's not like you head out and just chat people up about gingivitis. So how do you market a toothpaste that specializes in preventing these types of problems?



With the cutest little crime scene ever. The chalk outline of a murdered tooth is surrounded by the recognizable crime scene tape. It's simple, and while it's not a promotional item that people can take home with them, it'll still stand out enough and be memorable.

Does Your Advertising Have a Call to Action?

When you visit the website, Preventable.ca, you're met with the following statement:

Preventable injuries are the #1 killer of British Columbians between the ages of 1 and 44.

These injuries are preventable because they're often the direct result our attitudes and behaviours. They don't "happen" to us. They're caused by us, however inadvertently. We take unnecessary risks and don't even realize it, because we get away with them. But if we need to start asking ourselves, what if, one time, we don't.

Powerful message, right? It clearly gets the point across once you get to the website. But how do you get to the website?



Check out these promotional towels. The imprint reads (disturbingly): "You're Probably Not Expecting to Drown Today" followed by a link to their website.

They're absolutely right. Whoever saw that towel is probably not expecting to drown, but it puts the idea in their heads. And seeing something as unique as that is most definitely a call to action. When I saw this towel, I had no idea what the site was all about, so I checked out. And that's what they wanted. That was the point. Bottom line: promotional products work, even if you're only seeing a picture of them online.

So it begs the question: does your advertising have a call to action?

My Business Card...Is a Ninja

So I keep relating back to our good friend who was so obsessed with his $4 business card that took him 25 years to design, that doesn't fit in a rolodex because it doesn't belong in a Rolodex. And it really makes me appreciate this business card because it's a Ninja Star. And Ninja stars can take people down. Hard. Talk about taking out the competition. This business card may not be foil stamped. It may not be debossed. But it could whup your butt!

Artwork: Made By Turtle

The above artwork certainly has nothing to do with promotional products, although you could technically consider any work of art to be custom imprinted. The above painting, made for the Donghua Univiersity Art Design Institute has absolutely no promotional qualities at all. It hasn't been screen printed. It's not highlighting a company's logo. And it's not exactly a product. But it was painted by a turtle.

The Institute, which wanted to increase the number of students turned to animals as their next masters of the craft. Turtles, earthworms, and snakes were exposed to non-toxic, eco-friendly inorganic pigments and then given canvases to "express themselves." The designs came out wonderfully, and considering that no animals were harmed in this process, it's an excellent way of promoting the school and enticing new aspiring artists. Because, if a turtle can do it...

It's not surprising that during the exhibit, enrollment to the institute increased by 11%. These designs are pretty impressive. If they really wanted to capitilize on this, I think I would be down with adding this artwork to some custom mugs.

Dual Function Apparel

There's nothing better than items that serve dual functions. Whether it's a keychain that's also a flashlight or a flashlight that's also a radio, dual functionality is a quality that several people look for in custom imprinted items. Bet you never thought you'd see dual function apparel though, did you?




These custom t-shirts were created for Leader Clothing Store in Brazil and in addition to solving that pesky nudity problem, they also serve as a calendar. 12 shirts, each one designed differently for each month. Only problem with this is that they're pretty much useful for that month only. You don't wanna be that guy who's walking around with a February '09 t-shirt on in July of '10. It's like the days of the week underwear. You can't wear Wednesday on Saturday.

The Promotional Finger. Innovative or Creepy?

When looking for job opportunities, some join job search websites, others go door-to-door filling out applications and some find work through friends and family. Then, of course, there are the people that think out of the box and seek work in more abstract ways.

In this case, Xose Teiga thought very outside of the box and mailed prospective employers something very special- inside of a box. His finger. Now don’t worry, he didn’t pull a Picasso. They are in fact fake fingers.



If I were to receive this I’m not sure what I would do. I’m compelled to seal the container, throw it in the fridge, bring it to work, and toss it in the microwave for lunch tomorrow. It looks microwavable safe.

Or I could do what the enclosed paper suggests. “I send you something very personal. My finger. The one that thinks, the one that creates, the one that attracts, the one chooses, the one that differentiates, the one that begins, the one that causes. If you want to know the rest: http://www.xoseteiga.com”

There is no doubt that he’s created a very unique promotional product. I’m just thinking that he’s going to have to send them to other very “unique” people in order to find a job. Then again, if he were to mail out custom imprinted sports bottles he may risk seeming too ordinary and it’s clear that this creative concepts, graphic designer does not want to be mistaken for ordinary.

Motivators prides itself in many ordinary promotional products because they are our best sellers. But perhaps we should get inspired and really start advertising for promotional humans. Launching such a product would be a risk. Just like the promotional finger, we'd have to ask ourselves. Is this the work of an innovative genious? Or is it downright creepy? You decide.

My Cup O' Soup

One of my absolute favorite lines from the TV Show Bones, is when Zack (forensic anthropologist turned murderer) figures out a murder weapon during lunch. In typical Zack fashion he recounts how he came to his conclusion.

"I solved it in my head, while having my Cup O' Soup." His co worker's only response: "Wow."




Bones love aside, I thought of Zack when I came across this promotional giveaway this morning. Knorr (you know them, they make all those delicious noodles) did a custom promotion to their target audience, busy individuals who only have a small amount of time for lunch. Their Cup O' Soup promotion included a promotional lunch bag, a promotional mug, a napkin, and of course, their product.

It's a simple custom giveaway that's done well. There's no reading into it, there's no need to figure anything out. It is what it is: a nice gift that people will appreciate and use. And the more they use it the more the company's logo is exposed.

Tweets on Tees

Everyday when I'm updating the Motivators twitter, I also get sidetracked by those little definitions that they show over in the corner. the most recent one, and probably one of my favorites has been Tweets on Tees:

Tweets on tees
n. awesome crowdsourced shirts by Threadless.



Why am I not surprised that promotional t-shirts are just one part of the growing phenomenon that is Twitter? Little know fact, Motivators has been on Twitter for well over a year! We may have been there before Ashton, but not entirely sure. We were definitely there before Oprah. It'll be interesting to see what gets voted on as the next best twitter t-shirt. And Threadless is giving the people the power. If your tweet is chosen and printed on a t-shirt, you win $500. However if you submit someone elses tweet and it gets printed on a t-shirt, you win $140.

Why $140 you ask? Because a tweet can be no more than 140 characters.

Time to Get Healthy

If this ad for Golds gym is any indication, it's definitely time to get healthy. With the summer just a few days away, it's the perfect time to invest in some sports promotional products. They're sure to be a hit during the summer, and they'll get people outside. And trust me, using a pedometer is a lot easier than what this guy seems to be attempting. Sure it's just a sticker, custom designed for an elevator. Doesn't mean it doesn't look freaky and it isn't somewhat inspiring.

Promotional Drivers Licenses

Not that we're promoting the use of fake IDs or anything, but these promotional drivers licenses for the new Toyota Prius are pretty awesome. The entire point of the promotion was that the Prius is now equipped with a new system that enables it to park itself. Personally, they shouldn't even need any custom auto accessories for this bad boy because a car that can park itself...well, that just speaks for itself too.

Make a Point with Non-Working Promotional Items

Sure, there's plenty of things to be said about promotional items that do their jobs and do them well. There are custom mugs that easily hold coffee and provide caffeine to those who need it. There are imprinted wall calendars that hang and let people know what date it is. But some of the best ones, are the ones that make their point, but not doig their intended function, like this clogged straw.

Greatest Promotional Product Ever

And I'm so sad it's not real. This student ad was created for a project, and it has made a pole vault mat into a giant replica of Peppridge Farm bread. That's just fantastic. I don't feel like creating a category of promotional products dedicated to pole vault mats, because I'm no expert but I'm just guessing it's not the biggest market. But that doesn't make this any less awesome. Because this is awesome.

Crash and...Well Just Crash

There's nothing more fun than promotional toys. Well, that brazen statement could be debated, but the fact of the matter is that promotional toys, in all their various shapes and sizes are fun. In fact, "push puppets" are some of the most fun ones to play with. Remember those? A little figurine held together by elastic that would collapse when you pushed the bottom of it, and then magically take back its original form once you let go. They bounce, they snap back, they're an all around good time. And they're also awesome for advertising demolition companies.

Goo on the Loose: A Little Bit Twisted

If there's one thing I love, it's candy. If there's another thing I love it's a clever direct marketing campaign. Congrats to Cadbury Creme Eggs for incorporating the both of them. All you need to do is read the letter that is imprinted on the inside of the specially packaged box, and you can see that this is clever. Bravo for custom promotional candy. Bravo.

Is Bigger Always Better?

There's the age old saying: "It's not the size that counts; it's how you use it!" It definitely applies to this giant fork. The large utensil was constructed to advertise Tibits, a Vegetarian restaurant in Brazil. Eye catching? Yes. Effective? Yep. But I would love so see something more tangible like maybe some custom imprinted kitchen items.