Posted on
June 28th, 2011
Welcome to this week’s edition of “Trending Topic Tuesday,” where we share our take on what’s going on in the world and what promotional products would appropriately (or inappropriately) market the subject matter.
According to movie critics, the 2006 animated film Cars was not much of a success – at least not for Disney-Pixar, which put out 6 movies before the release of Cars and never received anything lower than a 91% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. According to that site, Cars only managed to please 74% of critics and 80% of audience members. It wasn’t a failing grade, but it also certainly wasn’t the sort of feedback Disney-Pixar was used to getting.
However, while Cars-inspired promotional products earned Walt Disney Co. more than $8 billion in retail sales of everything from toys to toothpaste and bed frames to bubble gum, a sequel was produced (along with 300+ new Cars 2 branded toys and other items). Despite the fact that the movie has received positive reviews from a mere 33% of critics and 66% of audiences, making it the first Disney-Pixar film to be deemed a “rotten tomato,” Disney expects its Cars 2 promotional products to surpass the $2.8 billion in sales that Toy Story 3 earned last year. Counselor magazine notes that this would make Cars 2 “the largest branded merchandise program ever related to a single movie release.”
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Posted on
June 27th, 2011
The All England Lawn Tennis Club is celebrating its 125th year as the official host of the Wimbledon Championship. The Tennis Club isn’t being shy about their achievement, either. In celebration, Wimbledon has opened its doors to several commemorative events as well as produced a variety of memorable promotional products featuring the 125th year logo.
The dedicatory products have been spotted all over the tournament. Every one from ball boys and girls to line judges can be seen wearing the promotional apparel, stylishly adorned with ‘125 Years’ or the new 125th Wimbledon logo.
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Posted on
May 19th, 2011
Springtime is yard sale season, but don’t put your Ronald McDonald promotional products up for sale just yet – they could soon become collector’s items, as the McDonald’s corporation is feeling the pressure from childhood obesity activist groups to retire its fast-food-loving mascot.
A group of pediatricians, physicians, parents, and other concerned citizens – many of whom helped put Joe Camel back in his stable in the 1990s – have asked McDonald’s to stop marketing its food to children by eliminating the 43-year-old Ronald from its campaigns, including television commercials, digital and print advertisements, and promotional products. The group, which calls itself Corporate Accountability International, argues in an open letter to McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner that “contributors to today’s health epidemic are manifold and a broad societal response is required. But marketing can no longer be ignored as a significant part of this massive problem.”
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Posted on
May 9th, 2011
Prince William and Kate Middleton – or, should I say, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – are happily married and back to their “normal” lives by now, nearly two weeks since the Royal Wedding; however, the craze over their marriage hasn’t ended, as is evinced by the auctioning off of twenty promotional gift boxes full of “rubbish” collected from the streets surrounding Buckingham Palace shortly after the nuptials occurred.
These promotional gift boxes are attractively branded Perspex constructions filled with commemorative items from candy wrappers to newspapers collected by individuals representing Altitude London, an entertainment venue that is currently auctioning off the boxes to raise money for charity. And as they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Proceeds from the auction will benefit Centrepoint, a charity for the homeless of which Prince William is patron.
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Posted on
May 6th, 2011
Japan’s favorite animated kitten has been recruited to help raise funds for disaster relief efforts in her homeland.
Hello Kitty’s parent company Sanrio has partnered with Ty (creator of the original Beanie Baby) to produce a limited-edition Hello Kitty promotional toy wearing a pint-sized nurse’s uniform imprinted with the message I ♥ JAPAN. Ty alone has pledged to donate $1 million to disaster relief efforts by the American Red Cross to help boost American aid to Japan.
In addition to these cuddly promotional toys, Sanrio has also designed a t-shirt and tote bag that will retail for $10-20 and are currently available on its website as well as in Sanrio boutiques around the United States.
Sanrio and Hello Kitty aren’t only creating cute promotional products to benefit the character’s home country – it has also placed a link on its website encouraging visitors to donate to the American Red Cross and has funneled more than $50,000 in donations to the organization.
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Posted on
May 5th, 2011
Olé!
Every year, millions of Americans gather together to celebrate Mexican culture on May 5, or Cinco de Mayo. If you plan to host or attend a fiesta this year, you’ll want to make sure to include the following in your celebration:
- Mexican beverages, or bebidas, from margaritas and palomas to refreshing horchata.
- Traditional Mexican food: tacos, enchiladas, tamales, burritos, fajitas, and of course, guacamole and salsa.
- Mexican and Mexican-inspired desserts, like paletas (frozen ice pops) and flan.
And, of course, don’t forget your sombrero!
Traveling with all of these essentials may seem daunting, but there are some handy promotional products that can make it easy. With the right promotional coolers you can pack up all your fiesta gear without having to worry about spills, spoilage, or making 15 trips to the car! Promotional coolers come in a variety of sizes and styles and feature multiple compartments, handy wheels, and fun extras such as a retractable bottle opener, allowing you to organize all your items so beverages stay icy cold and warm dishes keep their temperature – no one wants cold queso!
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Posted on
April 27th, 2011
The royal wedding is this Friday! Check our blog for daily updates featuring our favorite promotional products that celebrate the marriage of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton.
Were your dreams of marrying Prince William crushed when he officially announced his engagement to Kate Middleton last November? Well never fear ladies (or gentlemen…); with the slew of Kate Middleton promotional products that have been produced to promote the upcoming nuptials, you can at least pretend to be Her Royal Highness Princess William of Wales.
The promotional products started innocently enough with replicas of her 18-carat sapphire and diamond engagement ring, but now there are even bed sheets printed with the bodies of Kate and William that let you pretend to be the royal duo as they appeared at the press conference announcing their engagement. The actual dress she wore (a $600+ blue Issa London dress, featuring a gathered waist and a pleated front skirt) sold out in under 24 hours after Kate was seen wearing it, and though not exactly promotional products, there are several knock-offs now on sale that let you copy her look for a fraction of the price.
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Posted on
April 18th, 2011
Two weeks ago, I participated in Walk MS, an annual 5K race sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to raise money for research to find a cure for multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating neurological disease that affects between 2 and 150 per 100,000 people, depending on the country or specific population.
I have been involved with the race for several years and have witnessed its evolution into a successful, well-attended event. From warm-up activities like yoga and dance-offs to closing ceremonies with prestigious guest speakers, each year has proven to be more exciting than the last, and the promotional products given away as prizes help spur fundraisers to raise more and more money for the cause. Read full article…
Posted on
April 4th, 2011
You know its spring time when the azaleas begin to bloom and those four golfing days in Augusta we call the Masters are only days away.
If you are one of the few and fortunate who have tickets to this year’s tournament, stylishly protect yourself from the elements and follow your favorite players with the following essential, seasonal products.
To keep cool and protect your skin from the sun, consider the Nike Tech Basic Dri-FIT UV Sport Shirt. The “dri-FIT” technology wicks perspiration away from the body keeping you comfortable. And, if you are sensitive to the sun or just want to have that added protection, the shirt has 30-UPF protection built right into its’ fibers.
For the die-hard observer, keep track of the player’s stats with a custom golf pencil with eraser. If your business or family happens to be a patron, consider distributing your badges with one of these handy golf pencils, available in three colors.
Some other great essential seasonal products include the lightweight personalized lunch bag. This bag is well insulated so it can keep all your perishables cold. Similarly, the PEVA lining prevents spills from leaking. Another great feature is the drawstring strap, which allows you to keep your hands-free!
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Posted on
March 30th, 2011
With social interaction gaining prominence in today’s society, it is important to have the right promotional cameras to effectively contribute to this interactive realm. Whether you or your organization are interested in directly interacting with individuals through Face Time, Twitter, Facebook, or Foursquare to name a few, personalized promotional cameras can provide you with this opportunity all while promoting your organization!
Skype, the “real-time-face-time” software application has become a big hit in the educational world. Teachers are using this tool to connect with other educators and specialists around the world in order to bring guest speakers and field trips directly to the classroom. To help teachers network more easily, Skype launched its newest network for teachers, Skype in the Classroom, on Tuesday. Using this new platform, teachers create profiles centered around the subjects, language, and age groups they teach, allowing them to more efficiently search for relevant subjects.
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