Requests for travel souvenirs have changed quite dramatically here at 4imprint. My co-workers used to ask me to bring back chocolates when I was heading home to London. These days, they’re all about Percy.

If you haven’t yet been introduced, Percy Pig® is an international superstar of the confectionary world.

Percy Pigs® were introduced by British retailer Marks & Spencer back in 1995 as a simple gummy confectionary. Percy’s rise to stardom is quite a story. Marks & Spencer wasn’t really known for its confectionaries at the time. The desserts it offered were higher-end chocolates and the like. Candy was considered something for children. But, this children’s product caught on with adults. And, over time, the product’s loyal following grew.

Seventeen years later, Percy Pigs® have spawned all kinds of additional products. The preservatives-free candy comes in flavors like raspberry, strawberry, cherry and grape. There are the lemon –flavored Penny Pigs® (Penny also happens to be Percy’s girlfriend), and the smaller-sized Percy Piglets®. There’s also Phizzy Pig Tails®, Percy Pigs and Pals®, and Reversy Percys®. The list goes on and on. In fact, the appeal of this little, cute, smiling pig is so strong that Marks & Spencer has extended their offerings into tote bags, umbrellas, key chains, and even Percy Pig piggy banks.

Percy proves that sometimes all your customers are looking for is something fun. And, perhaps that’s the real reason my co-workers have come to love Percy, too.
-Suzanne

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Pig
http://www.marksandspencer.com/Marks-and-Spencer-Percy-Gift/dp/B007TDK1W8?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_2&nodeId=42966030&sr=1-2&qid=1340117012&pf_rd_r=1E2SN5AC0GV1267SCPYY&pf_rd_m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_i=0&pf_rd_p=215485807&pf_rd_s=center-3

Branding is all about giving your business a distinctive look or identifying feature. It revolves around the characteristics that identifiy a certain brand, company or product. One way this can be accomplished is through packaging, motif, color, logo design, font, symbols, etc or all of the above. Apple® computers, Nike® shoes and Pepsi® soda all demonstrate the effects of highly successful branding. Their logos and ads pop right into your mind, don’t they?

One of the easiest ways to promote your brand or image is with full-color imprinting. Picture-quality personalization hits almost any color or image your company wants to be associated with. Also, full-color imprinting usually shows much finer details, eliminating many of your design constraints. Here are a few great full-color branding opportunities:

Check out the review of these oxo-biodegradable bags from Lyn at Snohomish:

What a brilliant way for your audience to put faces with names! Even if you can’t afford to have your name on all your merchandise, you can afford to put it on your packaging.

Or print your band album cover, scenic resort landscape or family reunion photo on a picture-quality T-shirt. And starting at $5.35 each, they’re not as expensive as you might imagine!

Full-color imprinting on these mints is a cost-effective way to increase brand awareness for your hospitality business, dentist office, hiring agency, catering company, music label, electronic retail store or other business.

Now that you’ve got the idea, check out our selection of full-color promotional products and use your imagination. Or call our toll-free number and one of our reps would be happy to brainstorm with you!

~Jessica

Take a look at these fun napkins I came across during a recent stop at Caribou Coffee.

These whimsical napkins, as it turns out, were designed by Caribou employees themselves. Some even feature the original handwriting of those who contributed!

According to Colle+McVoy, the Minneapolis-based agency behind the newly redesigned Caribou brand, the sayings and drawings on these napkins and coffee cups are called “bou-isms.”  They’re fun, positive quips that stem from the tagline, “Life is short. Stay awake for it.” Each one was collected from employees on note pads and repurposed to use on napkins and cups.

What a great example of using art and employee ideas (for something as simple as beverage napkin!)  to create something customers will remember.

-Suzanne