It’d be weird for a company to say they don’t want you to buy their merchandise. On the surface, a video game developer CD Projekt telling fans to avoid buying promotional apparel online seems counterproductive to their mission, but really it’s trying to protect its customers from scams while looking out for its own future…
Read MoreAuthor: Brendan Menapace
Why the Merchandising Scene in ‘Spaceballs’ Is Even Funnier Than You Remember
You probably remember the scene in “Spaceballs” where Mel Brooks’ character tells us that “it’s all about the merchandising!” What you might not know is that, ironically, all of that merchandise never saw the light of day, thanks to an agreement Brooks made with George Lucas.
Read MoreRevisiting the U.S. Flag Merchandise Debate (Thanks to Nike, Colin Kaepernick and the Governor of Arizona)
If you’ve been anywhere on the internet today, you’ve likely seen that Nike is pulling a new July 4 shoe design after Colin Kaepernick pointed out that some people might find the “Betsy Ross Flag” design offensive. Reaction from both sides of the political spectrum has been, predictably, intense, but it’s a good excuse to revisit the debate over how the American flag is used in branding…
Read MorePeople Are Not Happy About Kamala Harris’ New Campaign T-shirt
There is a very fine line between a clever and timely commemoration of a noteworthy moment and going too far. In the case of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, her latest T-shirt release is teetering on that line after her campaign team created a T-shirt that references a rebuttal directed toward Joe Biden during the…
Read MorePromo Company President Sentenced for Price Fixing Scheme
Gennex Media LLC (aka Brandnex.com and PMGOA) pleaded guilty to price fixing in the promotional products industry. The company’s president, Akil Kurji, was sentenced to eight months in custody, a $20,000 fine and three years of supervised release for his part in the scheme following his guilty plea in April. Additionally, Gennex was forced to…
Read MoreBudweiser Promises Can-Shaped Promotional Phone Cases for 1,000 Retweets, Gets 1,600
Brand Twitter is weird. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it refers to how normal consumer brands have taken to Twitter to bust out millennial-friendly lingo to try to earn young people’s dollars. Remember that whole Steak-Umm weirdness? That’s a perfect example of Brand Twitter. Last week, though, Brand Twitter gave us something sort of…
Read MoreEllio’s Pizza’s ‘Summer of Swag’ Is Here With Retro-Inspired T-shirts, Sunglasses, Beach Balls and More
Nowadays, no matter what product you make, whether it’s apparel, electronics or food, you are an everything company. That means that you can no longer specialize in just one thing anymore. The Amazons and Walmarts of the world made sure of that. Even if you’re a frozen pizza company, you need to make sure your…
Read MoreThis Band’s Promotional Fragrance Will Ruin Your Clothes (On Purpose)
The modern music merchandise game is a game of creativity, co-branding and innovation. Long gone are the days of a T-shirt being enough to complete a band’s merchandise portfolio. The dawn of e-commerce and a saturated music market has forced artists and marketing firms to think outside the boxy T-shirt. Weezer’s Black Market was the…
Read MoreChocolate Packaging Study Has Some Neat Implications for Custom Packaging in Promo
A new study focusing on chocolate packaging has some encouraging results for promo companies looking to provide custom packaging as an upsell for clients. Researchers published a report that found that people had different reactions to the same chocolate depending on its packaging…
Read MoreNew Additions and Old Classics in Promotional Drinkware
Look around you right now. Chances are there’s at least one piece of drinkware within arm’s reach. The chances are even higher that there’s a logo on it. Be it a coffee mug from your trip to San Antonio, your water bottle you got for free when you signed up for the gym, or a…
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