The humble paperclip has gotten a makeover. And, it’s ready to add a little style to your whole desk.

Take our new Clip Ball for example. The top of the orb twists on, so you can toss this office essential around when you’re brainstorming. On a strictly practical level, you can easily tell when you’re running low on cool, colorful clips.

Likewise, the Slide a Clip holder marries form and function. The bright-colored case with slide-out try keeps a stash of matching paperclips nearby.

Or, share a smile with your customers by giving them the Bob ‘N Magnetic Clip.

This is the kind of desk accessory your customers will love to get, because it never gets lost in the shuffle. And, knowing that your logo will be seen again and again on these promotional products should make you smile, too.

-Suzanne

While traveling, this packaging caught my eye.  The design for over-the-counter medicine (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, bandages, etc.) is a signature style for the brand help®.

Both the packaging style and design are eye-catching.  The text – I have a headache. I have a blister. I’ve cut myself. – is unusually customer-focused.  And, complementing it all is a bright, colorful shape demonstrating what’s inside.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the way the company sets itself apart, encouraging consumers to take less™.  That package design supports that message.

This packaging would stand out on its own.  But, it is particularly noteworthy because they are so different from competing products.

They’re also a great example of how a bright colors, imprinted on a white shape can be really cool.  And, that’s an idea you could apply to promotional products.

-Suzanne

PS – Here’s a blog post about the packaging design: http://mocoloco.com/archives/026188.php

A few of the artists on our team came together to have some fun with a project coordinated by the Oshkosh Area Economic Development Council (OAEDC) to design banners custom banners for the light posts in the downtown Oshkosh area (the main street area was recently renovated and looks great!).

They created a little ‘internal competition’ and came up with some very cool designs for the downtown committee to consider.  They were given a small ‘brief’ to work from and then came up with lots of creative banner ideas. These guys are really good at what they do – and they are some of the very same folks who work on your 4imprint orders (and are willing to help you with any associated design challenges!) – so I thought you’d enjoy taking a look.

Want to know which one the downtown committee picked? Just drop me a line and I’ll let you know which one they thought was tops!

When LG introduced the new GD900 Crystal phone last year, the phone’s transparent touchpad design grabbed lots of attention.

The glass-like keypad gives the phone a very modern look.

LG GD900 Crystal Phone (product photo by LG)

If this eye-catching design is something that would appeal to your customers, take a look at the Sleek-n-Slim Clear Calculator and the Sleek-n-Slim Clear Calculator / Curvy Pen Gift Set.

Much like the GD900 Crystal phone, this calculator features a translucent keypad and an ultra-slim design.  The crystal keypad on these solar-powered calculators updates a classic promotional product, giving it visual interest customers will love.

-Suzanne

PS – If you need a quick turnaround, the Sleek-n-Slim Clear Calculator is also available in our 24-hour store.

Sometimes adding just a simple bit of artwork can transform a promotional product into something eye catching, or even turn the product into something new alltogether (like a ‘to-do list!). Here the our design team has come up with several ways to make Post-it notes ‘pop’!

You can see a whole range of these Post-it designs here.  Need help adding fun or innovative design elements to any of our products to include with your logo? No problem – just say the word!

On a recent trip to Target(TM) for washing liquid and shampoo, I took a little walk around. (As a shopper and a merchandiser, Target is an important barometer of trends and product development.  So, I like to keep an eye on what they’re doing.)

I was absolutely delighted to find Target has discovered Orla KielyTM and come up with an affordable line of housewares that is the perfect backdrop for Orla’s recognizable colorful graphics.

A quick check on Google shows me two things.

1. 1) I’m a few weeks behind in noticing this
2. 2) our local store only has about a third of the range!

Left: Orla Kiely in Target, Oshkosh, Wisconsin
(before I bought anything!)

Below: A few items I ‘had’ to purchase

If you don’t know about Orla, then you are about to find out as this range rolls out to the US. Click here to see the whole collection.

Orla is Irish by birth, graduating from London’s Royal College of Art in the ’90s. Her individual style has resulted in success predominantly in the UK and Asia.  While she has her own line, she has also completed projects with key British retailers such as Habitat, Millets and Sainsbury’s. Prior to the Target collaboration, products were found solely in the US at fashion retailers such as AnthopolgieTM and PiperlimeTM. It will be interesting to see what happens now.

–Suzanne