Want a trade show giveaway that will grab the attention of conference attendees?

Here’s a sneak preview of a promotional product that will make trade show attendees stop and take a second look.

These are a new promotional product called Sketch Messenger Bags. These promotional bags are designed to look like they’ve been ripped from the comic strips—or like they’ve jumped from the page of a graphic novel.

These bags make a great conference tote bag because they instantly grab attention and get peoples’ minds turning. Best of all, this promotional item will get the same reaction from everyone who sees it.

-Suzanne

Here’s a new product we’ve just recently rolled out, the Paws ‘n Claws Sportpack.

These animal-style drawstring backpacks are available in wide range of animal styles – pigs, ducks, penguins, lions, elephants, cats and more.

They complement our existing line of sports-themed drawstring backpacks, adding a fresh set of fur and feather faces to the product line.

There are so many different ways you can use these. Here are just a few ideas:

• If your middle or high school has an animal mascot, these backpacks would be a great way to build school pride. (Imagine a couple hundred kids walking down the street wearing one of these!)
• Likewise an orthodontist’s office could pack these with giveaways like toothpaste and toothbrushes and give them to tween and teen patients getting braces.
• Libraries could use these promotional products to launch a teen reading program.

What other ideas do you have?
-Suzanne

The quintessentially British ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ phrase seems to be popping up everywhere: posters, plaques, home décor, tea tins, greeting cards and more.

The slogan has also attracted some variations, like 4imprint UK’s tongue-in-cheek ‘Keep Calm and Carry On … Shopping’ promotional totes and Keep Calm Drink Tea mugs.

The fact you can append it with a clever ending is just one reason it’s so popular. The heritage theme is also appealing because it is so clearly of a different era but and yet timeless in its message.

Thames & Hudson has unearthed more of these vintage gems in a new book called Fit Men Wanted. The volume draws its clever title from the ‘Every Fit Man Wanted’ recruitment poster. Among the other vintage posters highlighted in the book:

‘Beer – A Necessity to the Strength of Britain’
‘Victory is in the Kitchen’
‘Women Versus the Submarine’

The book draws its material from The Imperial War Museums’ repository of more than 30,000 posters developed during the first and second world wars. Now, you can browse some of these and learn the stories behind them with the Great British Posters from the Second World War, Volume 1 iPhone® or iPad® app, from The Imperial War Museums.

These posters are popular here in the US, as well. (Rosie the Riveter may well be the best-known image.) Design for Victory: World War II Posters on the American Home Front showcases 150 World War II-era posters from the US Office of War Information that called on Americans to step up and do their part at home, using colorful and includes classic slogans like:

‘Remember Pearl Harbor – purl harder!’
‘When You Ride Alone You Ride with Hitler’
‘This is American … Keep It Free’

Which one is your favorite?

- Suzanne

PS – Of course, if you’d like to adapt the ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ message on your promotional products, we will happily create something for you.

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

Perhaps you’ve seen the Rockhopper Backpack.

But, did you know where it got its name?

This 4imprint exclusive backpack is based on your participation in our first-ever Facebook promotional products name game.

We had a blast with this project—it was so fun to involve our customers in this way and the office was buzzing with excitement as the votes came pouring in. On behalf of the team, thank you for your input. We hope you love this backpack as much as we do!

For our new customers out there, be sure to ‘Like’ 4imprint on Facebook to participate in future contests like this and others and to share your input—we always love to hear from you.

-Suzanne

They say necessity is the mother of invention. If you’ve never tried it before, it’s kind of fun to think about a problem or something that is missing and try to come up with a product that would fill the gap. Here are a few promotional inventions that are not only thoughtful gifts, but also make you think, “I wish I would’ve thought of that.”

Problem: Umbrellas like to flip inside-out in the wind.

Solution: Aerodynamic, wind-vented umbrellas. Our ShedRays version even offers UPF 50+ sun protection. This umbrella is helpful, come rain or shine.

Problem: You’re tired of lugging all the different bags you need for your daily supplies and work lunches.

Solution: A versatile cooler with a removable lining. It’s a cooler AND a duffel. We have a personalized 12-can and a 24-can version. Problem solved!

Problem: You open a can of beans or dog food and only use half. You want to store the leftovers.

Solution: This three-step lid fits over the three most common types of human and pet food cans. Genius!

Problem: Buttering your sweet corn on the cob is messy and awkward.

Solution: The Champion Corn Butterer evenly coats your cookout fave without getting hands greasy.

Instead of offering simple common giveaways at your next event, impress your guests with an imprinted gift that is truly inventive.

~Jessica

If you feel like you are seeing animal prints everywhere these days, you’re right.  And, promotional products  are no exception. The zebra and leopard prints gracing fashion runways are now transforming promotional items as well.  

Take a look at these Totes mini umbrellas.  These would be great giveaways if your customers include stylish women who want to mix a funky accessory into their wardrobe from time to time.

Or, complete the look with a full set of  animal print accessories from shoulder bags to photo frames.

But, the trend doesn’t have to stop with women. Kids will get a kick out of the animal prints, too!

Add your logo and these sportpacks make great giveaways as parting gifts from summer camp, for animal-themed sports teams or even after-school activity groups.  Go wild!

-Suzanne

We can all think back to the days when filling a jumbo coloring book was our top priority, and the biggest worry we had was that the green crayon would go missing. (How would we color the grass?)

Now, regardless of your age, there’s a tote that sparks your inner artist. Dubbed the Color Me Activity Tote, this nifty bag can be ordered with or without crayons.  The color-able surface on the promotional tote bag’s exterior is made of craft paper and backed with durable polypropylene. 

The bag is literally a blank canvas, ready to be filled in with imagination.  Just think of all the possible places this could make a splash in. From banks to supermarkets, fitness centers to schools … this tote isn’t just for children. Adults will have fun with it, too!

Consider the ways your company could turn these into great promotional products:

• Give it away blank (except where your logo is imprinted on it, of course) with the small box of crayons at a trade show or other event. Hold a contest to see who can decorate their bag most creatively. Then, award the winners with a special grand prize.
•  Add a picture or other graphic to the bag first. Then, give it out to customers, clients or staff members to color in the images and shapes. Think creatively here, using a photo they’ll think is funny, interesting or unique (maybe a caricature of your CEO ).

In fact, we have something fun planned here at 4imprint for this tote.  Stay tuned!
-Suzanne

PS – If you end up ordering this tote, please e-mail me a photo of how you or your customers have decorated it in style.  You just might see it in a future blog post!

If you’re pulling together a project team for your organization and looking for a creative way to build excitement and energy and inspire leadership, these new promotional tote bags might be just the right promotional product.

The bags come in two high-quality fabrics.  One is a sweatshirt/hoodie-like fabric.  The other is a made with the same material as a sports jersey.   And, they’re available in several styles: a messenger, a tote and even a sportpack.

Hand out these products at your kick-off event.  They’re so cool you may get a few more volunteers for the team!

-Suzanne

Over the last year, Subway® has been giving away mini-tote bags with the purchase of a SubwayFresh Fit For KidsTM Meal. 

The current promotional item features a Little League® baseball tote.

What a great idea!

The bags Subway is using are made of polypropylene and they aren’t insulated.  They’re simply offering them as an alternative to the usual throwaway plastic bag.  If you like this idea (or you like the idea of a smaller tote because your budget is tight), take a look at these.

The Tiny Tote lives up to its name.  This 7 ½” x 8 ½” x 2 ½” tote bag is made of polypropylene and comes in these colors: black, white, red, green and blue.

The Celebration Shopping Tote – 10” x 8” is a bit larger.  It’s made of non-woven polypropylene that feels like cloth.  This mini-tote is available in a wide range of colors: black, white, burgundy, red, orange, khaki, yellow, lime, hunter green, blue, navy, royal blue and grape. 
 
-Suzanne