Throughout our coverage in 2025, we’ve tried to stay true to the ethos that the print and promotional products industries aren’t as separate as some might believe. Print, decorated apparel and branded hard goods exist within the same ecosystem, and distributors and decorators are expanding their business to include wider varieties of service and products to match. If last year – the first of Print & Promo Marketing being part of ASI Media – was all about introducing the promo world to print, 2025 was about continuing that mission of showcasing everything print has to offer for the promo industry and vice versa.
With that, we’ve compiled the top 10 stories from the world of print and promo from 2025.
1. Washington State’s Unexpected Push To Ban Most Printing Inks … Again
In early 2025, Washington state released its latest Safer Products Report, which included inks commonly used in the commercial printing and decoration industries, sparking concern amid industry groups like PRINTING United Alliance, which has a strategic partnership with ASI. The Washington Department of Ecology pushed to ban inadvertent polychlorinated biphenyls in inks, claiming that non-chlorinated options exist.
2. ‘E-L-G-S-E-S’: Philadelphia Mayor’s Spelling Error Lives on With Merchandise
Philadelphia loves its Eagles. When the birds made it to (and won) the Super Bowl last season, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker led fans in an Eagles chant but flubbed the spelling. Of course, since the gaffe was televised, fans and merchandisers took advantage of the moment with some “E-L-G-S-E-S” gear leading up to the game.
3. 3 Branding Takeaways From Marvel’s Massive ‘Fantastic Four’ Promo Rollout
2025 saw another reboot of Marvel’s “Fantastic Four” franchise. The film’s commercial rollout, full of co-branded tie-ins with popular consumer brands like General Mills and Snapple, showcased how packaging and labeling can be part of a major brand rollout, and fun gimmicks like blue milk demonstrated how brands can use unique ideas to get attention.
4. USPS Announces Refined Service Standards for First-Class Mail
The United States Postal Service (USPS) announced in April that it would make changes to multiple first-class mail services, affecting about a quarter of first-class mail. The new standards will maintain the five-day service range for first-class mail while shortening delivery times for other mail types. This followed a period of uncertainty with the USPS, as early in President Trump’s second term he weighed absorbing the USPS into the Commerce Department, and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced that he would step down.
5. Little Leaguer’s Controversial Bat Flip Celebration Becomes Commemorative Pin
After a Little Leaguer was suspended (but later reinstated) for a particularly spirited celebration, the moment was immortalized with a collectible pin for the Little League World Series. Pin exchanges are part of the culture of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA, and the pin played into the idea of creating fan engagement and using limited quantities to drive demand.
6. Buc-ee’s Files Flurry of Lawsuits Over Trademark Infringement
Buc-ee’s, a popular Texas-based convenience chain, sued three businesses for trademark infringement, arguing that the gun-toting, cowboy hat-wearing and tattoo-loving beavers sold by these vendors were rip-offs of its iconic logo. In each of the lawsuits, lawyers for Buc-ee’s argued that the specific beaver imagery the company used was linked to the brand and the services and goods it provides, and that the defendants unjustly profited from creating designs that consumers would associate with Buc-ee’s.
7. Koozie Group Launches Contract Decoration Service Through Partnership With SanMar
Through a new partnership with Counselor Top 40 supplier SanMar (asi/84863), fellow Counselor Top 40 Koozie Group (asi/40480) launched a new contract decorating service from its Red Wing, MN, facility. As part of the deal, distributors will have free next-day shipping from SanMar to Koozie Group with no restocking fees, allowing Koozie Group customers to gain access to more than 350 additional bags that can be decorated with one-color screen print, full-color and embroidery.
8. Trump Issues Executive Order Phasing Out Paper Checks Issued by Government
In March, President Trump signed an executive order mandating electronic funds transfer for essentially all federal payments by Sept. 30, 2025, in what was characterized as an effort to minimize fraud and inefficiencies. Despite this claim, transactional mail has been a reliable form of income for printers, who continually add security features to limit the possibility of check fraud. Those features can be opportunities for larger or more profitable orders for the printer.
9. Marc Simon Retires as CEO of HALO; Jim Hilt Named as Replacement
Marc Simon stepped down as CEO of Counselor Top 40 distributor HALO Branded Solutions (asi/356000) in August after a quarter of a century, and having led the company from bankruptcy to becoming one of the most successful distributors in the industry. Simon was replaced by Jim Hilt, who most recently served as CEO of Asset Marketing Services. Hilt laid out his vision for the company’s future during a one-on-one interview with ASI President and CEO Tim Andrews at the 2025 ASI Power Summit in October.
10. Scammer Tries To Swindle Distributor Out of 12,000 Tumblers
A scammer posing as an employee at Ohio University contacted a distributor requesting a quote for 12,000 insulated water bottles that, it was said, were to be used for fundraising purposes. The distributor recognized inconsistencies with the request and flagged it as spam, though other distributors have been the target of similar attempts at scams over the years.
