PPAI Media is looking back on the year’s most impactful news and trends in a four-part series on the stories that shaped the branded merchandise industry over the past 12 months.
In the series’ second entry, we share articles that proved promotional products are universally valued and essential to every brand.
Click through to this year’s top Promotional Products Work! articles.
Delivery Challenges Undermine Dunkin’s Viral ‘DunKings’ Merch
The most buzzworthy promotional products campaign of the year hit a major snag in the spring, indicating the difficulty that comes with e-commerce.
Many customers still hadn’t received the viral streetwear that they ordered some two months after Dunkin’s “DunKings” commercial – featuring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Tom Brady in matching Dunkin’-branded tracksuits – stole the show at Super Bowl LVIII.
All three items sold out in 19 minutes, making it the “fastest collection to sell out in Dunkin’ history,” Boston.com reported.
How The Grammys Chooses Gift Bag Products
Performers and presenters at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards received gift bags filled with the hottest products on the market, selected by Rachael Honowitz Cosgrove, founder of Los Angeles-based Gift Bags By Rachael.
- Partnering with Los Angeles-based marketing agency Distinctive Assets, Cosgrove has curated and assembled these Grammys swag bags for the past decade.
PPAI Media caught up with Cosgrove ahead of music’s biggest night to learn more about the curation process, the most popular products and the importance of branding.
Oscars Toast Features Tiny Custom Bottles Of Tequlia
Anyone who watches Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show knows that his sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez, loves tequila. Premium brand Don Julio enlisted his help to bring its spirit to the Oscars audience with a seemingly impromptu toast toward the end of the ceremony.
Sporting a shimmering gold tuxedo jacket and holding a full-size 750ml bottle of Don Julio 1942, Rodriguez lifted his cocktail glass and invited the rest of the audience to raise their own miniature versions of the tequila brand’s slender brown bottle and join him in a rambling toast.
Promo Offers Plenty Of Lead-Free Drinkware Options
After being the hottest promotional product of 2023, the Stanley Quencher faced scrutiny this year due to concerns over lead contamination.
Stanley quickly weighed in, saying in a statement that an “industry standard pellet” of lead is used during the manufacturing process to seal the vacuum insulation, but the area is then covered with a durable stainless steel layer. However, if that barrier is compromised, which a Stanley spokesperson says is possible but rare, then consumers could come into contact with the lead.
Drinkware is a perennial top seller in promo, and there are plenty of other options, whether brand names or promo-only products. Promo suppliers are well aware of the new Stanley controversy, and many offer their own take on the 40-oz. tumbler, plus a variety of other trusted retail brands.
GQ Declares ‘The End Of Merch’ While Advertising Branded Bucket Hat
We had a good run with branded merch, but it’s over, folks – according to GQ writer Samuel Hine, anyway. In May, the men’s fashion and culture magazine published an essay by Hine titled “The End of Merch” in which he describes “the rise and fall of wearing your interests on your sleeve.”
But there’s a twist: The page features an ad for a bucket hat emblazoned with the GQ logo as an enticement for new subscribers.
More Trending Promotional Products Work Articles From 2024
MLB Players Call Fanatics Jerseys ‘Cheap’
End Of An Era: Tiger Woods Leaves Nike, Appears Ready To Launch Apparel Line With TaylorMade
How A Promo Pullover Became A Piece Of History
