Taking Flight with a great Book Promotion

Ask any child what super power they want and you'll hear, "I want to fly!" multiple times. In fact, you can ask most adults that and they'd say the same thing. It's glorified in movies and the thrill of it is sought out by bungee jumpers, parasailers and skydivers. These activities give participants a weightless feeling that in a way, mimics flying.

A promotion for a new book in New Zealand, Maximum Ride, has created the thrill of flying, without making the participant lift a toe off of the ground.

The book is about a group of children who have the ability to fly. This summer, a large decal was placed in a public park, to mimic the view from up top on a sky scraper. The uniquely designed and well executed decal made the viewer feel like they were standing on the edge of a building- just like the children in Maximum Ride actually do.

There are a ton of custom imprinted books to personalize for the reader, and the creators of Maximum Ride have definitely gone above and beyond with this one. This awesome ambient marketing is better then the typical promotional products used to create a stir about a new film or book. By staying original I think they've created a successful campaign.



If you're tying to learn how to fly check out our promotional magic books. But just incase things don't go as planned, and your abracadabra turns into a screeching “aaaaaaaaaaaaaah,” no worries, we've got all the imprinted health giveaways you could ever want. That includes a plethora of custom first aid kits. But sorry, we sell no promotional pride. You'll have to work to get all of that back.

The Sharks Are Here...and They Have Bicycles

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.



Shark promotional products are fun.

Water Filled Piggy Bank

This unique promotional piggy bank was custom designed to promote the message that the RBC Blue Water Project wanted. When change was dropped into the piggy bank, it causes a box at the bottom sink, making the water level inside the bank rise. The message? Your Donation Creates More Clean Water. When done correctly, custom promotional products can send the perfect message.

Promotional Snack Table Advertises MacBook Air in the Friendly Skies

I'm not sure what airline did this joint promotion with the Mac Book Air, but bravo to whoever it was. As anyone who flies knows, during take off and landing your tray tables should always be in the upright and locked position. However, when you fly with this airline and you put it down, you notice that it's designed exactly like the Mac Book Air, the thinnest computer ever made.

Mac Book Air in the friendly skies? Yep, that will work. Apple never ceases to amaze me with their inventive promotional products.

Pedal Power

If there is one thing I've learned recently, it's that true cyclists do not mess around. True cyclists train hard and ride harder.




This promotional sign advertised the Tour De France in Australia and did so powered by one of the aforementioned serious cyclists. The promotional sign displayed scrolling ads, that appeared on screen as the cyclist pedaled to power it.

So bravo to all the serious cyclists out there, and bravo to our own Greg Hill who just last week participated in the Livestrong Challenge, riding 100 miles in support of the fight against cancer. I myself could never have done that, and I would have opted for advertising an event with the Gemline Endurance Radio Pedometer Kit. Actually I would have probably advertised the event with any promotional products, as long as it meant I didn't have to ride the bike!

Custom Ice Cube Trays Advertise Fiat Air Conditioning

I'm not exactly all that sure why Fiat's are advertising that they have air conditioning because I thought that all cars came standard with AC these days. None the less this custom ice cube tray is a fun promotion. Nothing says refreshing and cool like ice cubes. Custom promotional products are always an interesting gift, since recipients do not expect them, and they're unlike anything else.

Wimbledon Goes Green with Grass Photograph

How do you properly advertise a sport which has been famous for hundreds of years in today's eco-centered world? Easy. You do it with grass.



Wimbledon and HSBC teamed together to advertise the tournament this year, and their approach was definitely a unique one. Instead of wasting paper to create print advertisements, they literally grew their own ad. According to Ads of the World, which posted the piece, here's how it works.

By projecting a black and white negative image onto a patch of grass as it grows (in a dark room) they use natural photosensitive properties of the grass to reproduce photographs – thus using grass as a living photographic medium.

From far away, the image is seen, but when looked at up close, all that one can see is blades of grass. Next to the ad, they have information about the three chosen for the photo and once again, Wimbledon went with a very unique approach. Instead of choosing well known professions that are widely recognizable, they went with 3 people who deserved to be recognized: a woman who qualified, the head groundsman at Wimbledon, and a coach for the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative.

This is by far one of the most eco-friendly promotions that I have ever seen and who knew that grass could be used as an advertising medium. Be careful where you step, you might just be crushing one of the next hot promotional products.

Holy iPhone Batman

About half an hour ago, I was cleaning my desk when an IM came through from Annand, one of our web developers. Normally, I'm right on top of anything he sends me but I glanced at the link and saw the words iPhone launch, and went back to cleaning. It's not that I didn't care, but I haven't really been able to find my desk in about a week and I needed to install my new speakers.

I searched Ads of the World to find the latest and greatest promotional products that were being used by companies, when Sarah (the other one...and just to clear things up, yes there are two of us, yes we work in the same department, and yes we share an office) walked in and said, wow Annand really wants an iPhone. The link he sent me popped into my head and went back to the IM window. Sure enough, it was regarding the iPhone launch but I wondered to myself, what's the big deal?

And then I clicked the link.

Holy iPhone launch Batman! The pictures at engadget are insane. This has to top anything that anyone has ever waited on line for. This is bigger than Black Friday, bigger than the Wii, bigger than PS3. This guy even brought his baby!



Luckily Apple store employees identified themselves by wearing bright orange promotional t-shirts. Apparently, at 8:11 this morning they came and stood at the doors of the Apple store on 5th Ave in NYC cheering like maniacs. They were on hand to answer any questions and apparently to congratulate people who stayed up for hours to get this thing.



I'm especially loving what's going on, or rather what went on in Sydney Australia. People took this camp out seriously and made an Apple promotional tent. See, apparently all you need is some masking tape and spray paint and you can make your own promotional products.

Serial Killers Use Cling Wrap, Too

Or at least that's what the FX channel wanted the media to believe when they sent this promotion advertising the launch of the second season of Dexter. Dexter Morgan is a serial killer who only hunts other serial killers. Several possibilities come to mind about what promotional products could be used to advertise this show. One could go the inexpensive route and go with blood drop stress relievers. Or maybe something a little more expensive and classy, like a promotional carving set? The possibilities are endless, yet the promotion team decided to go a different route and chose some promotional wrapping paper. And who knows better about what to wrap dead bodies in than a serial killer? According to the imprint on the package sent to media outlets, Saran Wrap is the perfect accessory for serial killers:

"Due to it's impermeability and adhesion, keeps the victim well wrapped and the floor free of blood spatter."




Funny, I just used cling wrap for left overs. Good to know that not only can it keep my lasagna fresh, but it can also serve as an important tool in any future crimes.

Feeding Hungry Children is Still Easy

Last week, I blogger about promotional decals in shopping carts that raised awareness about hungry children. Apparently, Germany put a different spin on the idea that was originally used in South Africa. Instead of promotional decals, promotional inserts were put into shopping bags. Once again, it's the image of a hungry child and it's equally moving, especially if the person is bagging their own groceries. While these inserts are custom promotional products, they work just as well.

Giant Carrots and Antenna Shish Kebabs

Clearly, it's a promotion done for the Farmer's Market. With summer in full swing, I have nothing but the utmost appreciation for this promotion. There's nothing better than some fresh fruit and veggies. Trees were turned into giant carrots and car antennas were made to be shish kebab skewers. I would enjoy seeing an assortment of fruit stress balls and vegetable stress balls available in various places around town as well. I'm sure the imprint would look excellent on an avocado stress reliever or perhaps a corn stress reliever.

A Promotional Pillow for Professionals

One of the best parts of working in the promotional products industry is seeing the creative designs developed by clients come to fruition on the products that they've chosen. Sometimes, it's not that exciting for us because we're surrounded by these promotional products all day every day. Sure, there's the occasional logo on some promotional pens that will be extremely eye catching and the design will truly stand out. But for us, it's seeing the creative and inventive ideas that people have that excites us.



For example, this promotional pillow was created in Brazil, for the company Radio Banda B. The design fits well so that when someone lays on the pillow it looks as if they're wearing headphones. Radio stations generally feature promotional items such as promotional bumper stickers, promotional t-shirts, and promotional hats. It's unique to see a promotional pillow being used to promote radio. It's also always refreshing to see another advertising medium using promotional products. It just goes to show that there's really nothing better.

Promote Yourself...And Spell Correctly

One of the things that we here at Motivators stress most when placing an order is the importance of proof reading. Always make sure that your company name is spelled correctly, and that all the information that is going to be printed on your product is just as you want it. It's happened before where someone will reverse two letters or numbers. That same person will receive the proof and approve it, after only a quick glance. And then they'll receive their products and notice the typo that they made, except instead of just being on the computer screen it's on about 150 promotional bike bottles. It's something that happens to the best of us, and we all have things that we spell wrong. For instance, I consistently type "taht" instead of that. I know how to spell it, but when I'm speeding through a blog post or an article, I often type it too fast. I catch it before it's published, but only because I proof read.




This promotional pencil is a great example of a creative use of promotional products in advertising, and I really enjoy that it's promoting a proof reading service.

Make me laugh and I'll be your loyal consumer.

In the world of advertising, you need to know who you're targeting. You aim, you shoot. And if you're not focused on what's current, smart, and witty, chances are you'll miss.
The same thing goes for promotional products. If you're at a trade show handing out promotional shoe laces- well you might as well tie it all together and sling yourself out of the convention center window. Because you're not going to attract crowds with your shoe lace. Think hip. Promotional USB memory sticks are something that everyone can use. They're fitting with the technological advancements of the time and they're especially attractive to workers on the go.
Likewise, the advertisement Sirius Satellite radio has released is also hip. Satellite radio is making its mark in the world of radio. And with more choices they're attracting more people.
But what links USB memory sticks and Sirius Satellite radio? Humor.

I found a memory stick in the form of a robot. And as insignificant as one may think a robot is in the large scale of things...in the moment a robot makes me chuckle.
Likewise the advertisement that Sirius has launched was created to make people from all over join together in laughter.

Everyone in our crazy world has unique interests. Clearly the man in this ad fancies Radio Disney, Court TV Radio, and Strobe disco. Knowing that there are many options to choose from, and realizing that the people behind Sirius Satellite Radio have a sense of humor, I would be interested in joining their listener fan base.

And if I was at a trade show and saw a robot USB flash drive with your company's name on it- I'd take it. And I'd look forward to doing business with you.

Get Lost

Everyone in the Motivators' offices loves Lost. Well, I shouldn't say everyone because I don't, but that's not for everyone else's lack of trying to get me to watch it. I just can't get into it. However, if I had run into this promotion, I really might have.

The Madrid train station in Madrid Spain boasts a beautifully designed indoor garden that is a spectacle to anyone who sees it. However, just prior to the season 3 premiere of Lost, the flowers looked slightly askew. Perhaps it's due to the giant piece of a plane that's sitting in them?




The advertising agency responsible for Lost created a life size version of Oceanic Flight 815 (the plane that crashes in the show) and built it among the jungle-like atmosphere of the tropical garden.

Promotional products aren't usually used with an advertisement of this magnitude. Seeing as how the ad got over 100,000 daily impacts at the station and Lost premiered number 1 in it's timeslot, I guess that's ok.

Fire Bus

My stomach is running today's blog. Normally, I use my keen knowledge of marketing and promotional products, but when hunger hits, it takes over. It's been a long morning and everyone in my general area is hungry. My Starbucks Mocha latte didn't cut it. And thanks to this promotion, I want some buffalo chicken pizza.

The ever famous Tabasco sauce proved that they're "hotter than ever" with this promotional bus. A typical city bus was designed to look like a fire truck with a giant picture of Tabasco's widely recognizable bottle on the side.

There doesn't really need to be anything else to say, except "It worked." And with that I'm off to go get some lunch.

I've been shot. Nope, Just kidding.

Amnesty International has often been recognized for it's creative use of promotional products. This promotional decal was created to look like a gunshot wound, and was used on National Human Rights Day to raise awareness about the use of the death penalty in Hong Kong. According to the case study on Ads of the World, significant awareness was raised within 3 hours, because all the gunshot stickers had been taken. The message of the powerful ad seems to be lost when the stickers are removed from the posters. And then there's this man, who appears to be ridiculously happy that he has been shot.

When Gorillas Attack...Don't Look Them in the Eye

Here's some helpful advice from a health insurance company:





If a gorilla ever escapes from the zoo, do not look it in the eyes. Apparently, a gorilla named Bokito attacked a female visitor when it escaped from the zoo. The visitor had made frequent trips to the zoo the week beforehand and often made eye contact with Bokito. So the insurance company handed out these promotional glasses to help solve the problem. I'm sure that the children who had nightmares about the people with the freaky eyes at the zoo were not factored into the equation when this promotion was in the developmental stage. Also, if a gorilla does escape how much will these glasses really help? What if you turn your head to talk to a friend and the glasses are facing the gorilla? How fast can you run away when you can only see through those teeny eyeholes? Something to think about, isn't it?



Additionally, my initial assumption is that the female visitor was at the zoo on the day of said attack. If she was not, then the insurance company should have given out some promotional products that will help you conceal your identity from gorillas at the zoo. Because apparently, they know where you live. So don't look them in the eyes. It's just as dangerous as giving them your social security number. They'll show up at your home or your job and they'll attack. Bokito will find you.

Gorillas don't mess around.

Promotional...garbage?

To promote their new zero calorie soda, Mineirinho Zero created an interesting promotion. Empty sugar packets were imprinted the the company's logo and left on tables in restaurants. So...promotional garbage is the way to go? Leaving trash on tables is a good way to get brand recognition? Personally, the theory works but it's too easy to overlook. Who reads empty sugar packets? And if you put empty sugar packets in with all the full sugar packets...well that will just make people angry. Personally, tangible promotional products work better than ones that will thrown away.