Southern Plus, Hartwell, Ga., announced that it has acquired the Aqua Sheen brand and its assets for an undisclosed amount, and will sell Aqua Sheen’s rainwear products as an extension of Southern Plus’s current product offering. “We’re excited to continue the legacy of the Aqua Sheen brand and to be able to offer customers rain…
Read MoreAuthor: Brendan Menapace
Promotional Product Price Fixing Investigation Yields Fifth Guilty Plea
A fifth promotional products professional has entered a guilty plea in an ongoing investigation of price fixing. The companies involved had conspired to fix the prices of branded items such as wristbands, lanyards, temporary tattoos and buttons. The latest guilty plea came from Akil Kurji, owner and president of Gennex Media. According to the U.S.…
Read MoreWhat’s Really Going On With This ‘Worklife’ Staples Rebrand?
Staples just rebranded, giving itself an aesthetic makeover and billing itself as “The Working and Learning Company.” It has a new logo, with the staple now front and center. It’s all very 2019 and very Silicon Valley buzzy…
Read MoreNew York Times Partners With Everlane for Earth Day Apparel
For traditional print media outlets, creating merchandise has become a popular means of marketing themselves and earning some extra cash in uncertain times. It’s not just limited to smaller alternative publications. Legacy brands like the New York Times have been right alongside newer, nontraditional media outlets like Buzzfeed and Vice when it comes to creating…
Read MoreWhy This Sustainable-Apparel Subscription Service Has a Long Waiting List
The last few years have been all about subscription services. We sign up for services that deliver shaving equipment, cleaning supplies and pet toys on a regular basis. They’re great because we don’t have to do anything but check the mail, but the problem is they do accumulate a bit of waste. That’s why Kristy…
Read MoreMarine Corps May Add Umbrellas, Earrings to Uniforms
The U.S. Marine Corps uniform board is considering changes to the marine uniform, including the addition of (optional) umbrellas for male Marines and silver earrings in dress uniform for female Marines. According to Marine Times, female Marines were always permitted to carry or use small black umbrellas while in dress or service uniforms, and male…
Read MoreHouston Astros Fan Sues Team Over T-shirt Cannon Injury
We’ve been saying for a while that T-shirt cannons are the most fun and exciting means of delivering free T-shirts to fans at sporting events. But it’s impossible to…
Read MoreMarket Watch: Distributors Discuss Selling to Six Top Promo Products Verticals
Let’s play a game where you’re a new distributor who has never sold a promotional product in your life. This is likely untrue if you’re reading this story, but stick with us for the sake of the thought exercise. You’re brand new to the industry, and you’re at a point where multiple trails begin in…
Read MoreMarc Jacobs’ Wedding Swag: Embroidered Sweatshirts and Vape Pens
Weddings, or any events for that matter, are different in 2019. There’s no longer just one person taking pictures. The music is probably different. And at some weddings, the gifts for attendees are things like vape pens and personalized hoodies. That last one is at least true for Marc Jacobs and his now-husband Charly Defrancesco.…
Read MoreThere’s a Community Dedicated to Hating Those Targeted Custom T-shirts Ads From Facebook
Anyone who spends even a little bit of time on Facebook (so, most of the population) is probably familiar with those weird targeted ads that want you to buy custom T-shirts personalized with your name. Usually they’re in the template of some common phrase or something. For example, I barely use Facebook, but I still…
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