Product Spotlight

Putting Your Logo on M&Ms

Custom Printed M&Ms with Your Company LogoMy favorite candy? Yep. You guessed it. They’re M&Ms. I just love them. Plain. With peanuts. All the cool colors. Anytime. Anywhere.

And I was even more excited when I found out that we could now sell M&Ms custom imprinted with your logo. Tons of colors to choose from so that you can pick the perfect assortment of colors for your next promotion. And custom packaging is available as well. Your next promotional campaign is sure to be a hit when you include customized M&Ms with your company’s logo.

Click here to view our M&Ms catalog with all the juicy details! (Approximately 8MB PDF but it’s worth the wait.)

Do you know the history of the candy? This is from Wikipedia: Forrest Mars, Sr. founder of the Mars Company, got the idea for the confection in the 1930s during the Spanish Civil War  when he saw soldiers eating chocolate pellets with a hard shell of tempered chocolate surrounding the inside, preventing the candies from melting. Mars received a patent for his own process on March 3, 1941. Production began in 1941 in a factory located in New Jersey. One M was for Forrest E. Mars Sr., and one for William F. R. Murrie, President of Hershey’s Chocolate. Murrie had 20 percent interest in the product. The arrangement allowed the candies to be made with Hershey chocolate which had control of the rationed chocolate. When operations were started, the hard-coated chocolates were made in five colors: red, yellow, brown, green, and violet. They were served in a cardboard tube (similar to Smarties). The practicality of the candies during World War II caused an increase in production. During the War the candies were exclusively sold to the military. In 1948, the cardboard packaging was replaced by the black cellophane packaging. In the same year Mars bought out Murrie’s 20 percent stake. (Read more here.)

Maple Ridge Farms

Maple Ridge Farms Make Excellent Holiday GiftsCan you believe the holidays are right around the corner? We have many great ideas about holiday gifts for your customers and employees. One of our favorites? Maple Ridge Farms. We’ve worked with them for years, and they’ve never let us down.

Some of my personal favorites include the gourmet brownies and cookies gift baskets, and the gift boxes with nuts and chocolates. Maple Ridge Farms offers an incredible variety of edible treats and presentation choices ranging from wooden gift boxes to towers. And not only do they have tasty treats, they have ham, cheese and assorted gift tubs.

Follow this link to their online catalog for tons of great ideas, then just give us a ring and let us know what you need!

Glow in the Dark Flying Snow Monkey

Glow in the Dark Flying Snow MonkeyI am so pumped. Imagine the excitement, when out of the dark comes the Glow in the Dark Screaming White Snow Monkey. A promotional item sure to catch their imagination and attention. Why monkey around with boring promotions, when our Flying Shrieking Monkey will help your message soar?! Shoot it across the room and it screams back at you!

Click here to open the full sales literature (145kb PDF).

To see my original post about my Flying Marketing Monkey, click here.

2010 Holiday Catalogs Have Arrived!

2010 Holiday CatalogsLooking for some great gift ideas for your customers, employees or prospective clients? Well look no further. We’d be happy to send you a copy of The Gift Book 2010. This catalog features hundreds of promotional products and corporate gifts at many price points. Just a few of the products featured include custom wine bottles, holiday gift tins, chocolate boxes, desk accessories, clocks, photo frames, watches and art glass. Fill out and submit the catalog request form to get your copy today!

Think Pink Sports Products for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Help spread the word, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And if you’re supporting a charity or local fund-raising event, we have the perfect products to help you promote your business and raise funds for breast cancer awareness. Often these fund-raisers include golf outings and other sports events. Here are just a few ideas for incorporating pink products in your next event.

Think Pink DrinkwarePink Aluminum Sports Bottle: A PBA-free water bottle is perfect for 5k fund-raising runs and walks.

Pink Foam Hockey Puck: Hockey teams at all levels can give out pink foam hockey pucks with information on breast cancer awareness.

Pink Mini Replica Baseball Bat: Bats can be sold at games or online. Neat fund-raising product for baseball teams to raise money and call attention to the cause.

Pink Boxing Gloves: Boxing promoters can use these gloves in a promotion to “punch out” a cure for breast cancer.

Pink Polo Shirt: Real men wear pink, and polo shirts are ideal gifts for October golf tournaments.

Pink Tie: Corporations big and small can provide pink ties to male employees to wear during October.

Golf Balls with Pink Ribbon: A great tee gift giveaway at golf tournaments.

Pink Mini Football: Pro, college, high school and club teams can raise awareness by selling logoed footballs or by tossing them into the crowd during halftime.

Auto Racing Kit: Includes sunscreen, pain reliever, antacid, wet naps and earplugs, all in a pink pouch. Hospitals, doctors and breast cancer awareness activists can hand the pouches out at race tracks during October races.

Custom Vintage Distressed Embroidery

These are sure to become your favorite sweatshirts! These top-quality Comfort Colors garment-dyed sweatshirts are pre-shrunk and made of super-soft 100% ringspun cotton. The pigment-dyeing process infuses each garment with unique character. They are designed to become more aged and relaxed with each use and after each wash. And best of all, check out the vintage distressed embroidery. Very nice! (Click on the image for more information.)

Custom Vintage Distressed Embroidery

Click here to open the full sales literature (1146kb PDF).

Summer Lovin’ with Summer Promos

Woke up this morning and checked out the forecast. It looks like we’ll be in the ’90s again today. Yikes! Now that we’re officially in summer, we have a few cool products to recommend for your next promotion.

Promotional Beach Towels

Beach Towels
Available in a many great colors, beach towels are appreciated gifts. Your clients will use them for years to come. My favorite beach towels are the 70″ x 40″ heavyweight towels that are decorated with a tone on tone technique. They’re stylish, durable and effective promotional gifts. Very nice indeed.

Promotional BBQ SetBBQ Sets
Ideal for company picnics or just a unique summer promotional gift, BBQ sets are a personal favorite of mine. They come in all shapes and sizes, from a practical 3-piece set wrapped in a nylon bag to this awesome 24-piece Executive BBQ Set which includes a beautiful metal case. Makes my head swim just thinking about this arsenal of BBQ-ing utensils. Or combine a BBQ set with a custom decorated BBQ Apron and you’ll make any grill master flush with excitement.

Promotional Beach BallsBeach Balls
Fun at the beach, the lake, the pool or virtually any outdoor event, promotional beach balls are a cost-effective giveaway and a classic summer favorite. Available in a variety of sizes and color combinations, let your imagination run wild. One of our most popular summer promotional items.

Promotional UmbrellasUmbrellas
Promotional umbrellas can stop the rain or protect you from the sun. And this year in Kansas, we’ve already needed protection from both. Umbrellas come in a variety of sizes, and virtually every color combination imaginable. Mini umbrellas are a fun giveaway and can easily fit in a briefcase or glove box. Standard sized umbrellas are useful fundraisers and can be sold at outdoor events. And if you’re sponsoring a golf tournament this summer, the 60″ golf umbrellas provide a huge imprint area for your logo and promotional message.

Remember that not all umbrellas are created equally. My personal favorites are Stromberg Umbrellas. They’re very well constructed. Are available in many great colors, sizes and styles. And can be decorated with your logo.

Promotional Water Bottles

Sport Bottles
Traditionally used during the summer, promotional sport bottles have become popular year round. And talk about variety — there are tons of options for materials, styles, sizes and colors. Nalgene Bottles and Camelbak Bottles are BPA free and are made from an incredibly durable material called Tritan copolyester. Soft-sided bike bottles have followed the trend towards BPA free materials, and are now typically made from recyclable PET. Aluminum bottles are light weight, competitively priced, and carry a high perceived value. And if you want the cream of the crop, stainless steel water bottles are durable and stylish.

Promotional FlyersFlyers
Custom flyers are among our most popular summer promotional items. They come in several sizes and tons of great colors. The most popular size is the 9″ flyer, but my favorite is the 117 gram 9.625″ Ultimate Flyer. It’s heavier and more durable than other promotional flyers and is available in an eco-friendly option made from 100% home recycled material. Other options include a Dog Safe Ultimate Flyer, Foam Flyers, Glow-in-the-Dark Flyers, Collapsible Flyers and Fling Rings.

Promotional Koozies and Can CoolersCan Coolers
Koozie remains the premier line of can coolers, and the Original Koozie Can Cooler is still our most popular style. Made from high-quality durable foam, the Original Koozie can maintain your beverage can at 40-degrees or below for 35 minutes. Koozie offers a broad line of can coolers including Collapsible Koozies (ideal for mailings), Metallic Reflections Koozies, Koozie Jersey Can Coolers, Metal Koozies and a cool Football Koozie. But we don’t stop there. Another popular style of can cooler is the Neoprene Collapsible Can Cooler. Neoprene is a scuba-like material that insulates well and is very durable.

Promotional Sun ScreenSun Screen
Help your customers protect themselves from the harsh rays of the summer sun with promotional sun screen. One of our most popular styles is the Shady .5 oz. Carabiner Bottle. Your choice of SPF 15 or SPF 30 sun screen, this product is both water-resistant and sweat-resistant. A smart promotional giveaway.

Promotional Insulated Bags and TotesInsulated Bags and Totes
From a simple insulated lunch sack to a rolling insulated cooler with a 34″ extending handle, insulated bags and totes make great promotional gifts. With prices that range from a couple bucks to $50 each, you can find the right style to fit any budget and promotion. One of my favorites is the Koozie Kombo Kooler. This combination backpack and kooler is ideal for sporting and recreational activities. The mesh upper compartment and spacious lower compartment makes this bag very user-friendly. Available in red, blue and black.

Sales for Organic Products on the Rise

Organic Economy Tote BagsSales of organic cotton apparel and home textile products increased 35% in 2009 to $4.3 billion, according to a report released this week. Over the past decade, beginning in 2001, the annual average growth rate for organic cotton sales is 40%. “Many people thought the recession would mean an end to all things organic, but the market reacted in quite the opposite way,” said LaRhea Pepper, senior director of the Organic Exchange, which produced the report.

Organic Exchange, which released the 2009 sales data, projects the global organic cotton market will increase an additional 20%-40% in both 2010 and 2011, resulting in an estimated $6 billion market by next year.

While the list of top organic cotton buyers features retail giants like Walmart and Nike, it also includes a few of our favorite promotional products, including the Organic Economy Tote. Made from 100% organic cotton, we liked these totes so much we bought them for our own self promo.

Promotional Clogs and Footwear

Sandals, flip flops and clogs make fun promotional gifts. Ideal for travel agencies, resorts, or to promote an upcoming event, promotional footwear will make a unique impression on your customers. And some of them will even make a unique impression in the sand.

Kauai Flip Flops -- Promotional FootwearKauai Flip Flops
The Kauai are high-quality custom leather flip flops. Made with an 18mm EVA/rubber sole, embroidered nubuck leather straps and leather insole with recessed foot bed, arch support, and toe lift. The Kauai is available with the optional die-cut talking “Logo Footprint” that leaves an impression of your logo in the sand. Excellent for President’s Clubs, high achievers, or any customer who wants the very best corporate custom logo flip flop. Similar to Rainbow® brand sandals.

Clogs -- Promotional FootwearClogs
These custom logo clog shoes are made with a lightweight quality EVA foam, and are waterproof and anti-bacterial, similar to Crocs™ brand footwear. Custom printed straps will showcase your name or logo. Comfortable and durable, these clogs also feature non-slip traction sole, perfect for all outdoor activities, and are a unique corporate logo gift, for school fund raising, or for corporate travel. Printed in the USA.

Tourista Flip Flops -- Promotional FootwearTourista Flip Flops
The new domestic custom logo Tourista flip flop sandals are designed for those with limited budgets and high expectations, and blow away other inexpensive flip flops. Utilizing a quality PE rubber non-slip insole and real rubber straps (no pvc!), the comfortable Tourista makes a unique custom corporate gift, for school fund raising, gyms or for other clients wanting to buy bulk budget custom logo flip flops. Printed in the USA.

Just call us for more great ideas in promotional footwear. Your feet will be glad you did.