The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last week filed a complaint, charging that Staples Inc.’s proposed acquisition of Office Depot Inc. would violate antitrust laws by reducing competition nationwide in the industry for “consumable” office supplies, including writing instruments, notepads, folders and paper products, sold to large-business customers. “The commission has reason to believe that the…
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This month, at a seminar in Beijing, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that Chinese pens felt “rough” compared to those made in Japan, Germany and Switzerland, and added that China’s manufacturers should focus on innovating their technologies. According to Marketplace, this wasn’t the first time…
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After much anticipation, “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” opens in theaters this week. In all of the hype around the blockbuster, promotional items from T-shirts to fruits have hit shelves. Here are six “Star Wars” promotional items that stood out to us. 1. BB-8 Oranges One of the new droids that we’ve seen…
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The U.S. Coast Guard warned mariners in the San Francisco Bay area to navigate with caution after a cargo ship lost 12 large containers in heavy seas last week. According to the SFGate, the Manoa, an 810-foot cargo…
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Newell Rubbermaid, Atlanta, announced on Monday that it will acquire Rye, New York-based Jarden, a rival company with multiple brands related to the promotional products industry, including Sunbeam, Rawlings and Coleman, for $15.4 billion. USA Today reported that Newell Rubbermaid, which also makes Sharpie, Paper Mate and Irwin products, is purchasing Jarden for a combination of…
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NBA star LeBron James has signed a lifetime endorsement deal with Nike, which has endorsed the Cleveland Cavaliers forward since 2003, when he signed a $90 million contract. Now, according to BBC, his lifetime deal is the first lifetime contract from Nike, and USA Today speculated that the deal may be worth more than $500 million.…
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Last year, the Brazilian Football Association gifted World Cup officials Parmigiani watches worth more than $24,000 each. Now, after ordering officials to return the watches, the FIFA ethics committee will donate them to charity. According to The Guardian, the Brazilian Football Association gave FIFA officials 65 watches during a FIFA Congress in Sao Paulo. The…
Read MoreThe Brooklyn Nets celebrated Hanukkah with Jewish Heritage night when they played the Philadelphia 76ers last week, and planned to have T-shirts that said “Represent Brooklyn” in Hebrew. Unfortunately, the Nets made a mistake with the Hebrew spelling. According to the New York Post, “Brooklyn” was misspelled in Hebrew, and the Nets had to fix…
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Taylor Swift’s birthday is approaching, and this year she wants something more than well-wishes from her gigantic stable of famous friends. According to The Washington Post, swift is looking to trademark her birth year, 1989, which doubles as the title of her last album. The blog Tantalizing Trademarks posted…
Read MorePromo Marketing’s Video Battle pits two industry videos against each other for the chance at the ultimate bragging right: Being declared our readership’s absolute favorite. (Next up: It feels like spring outside! We’re fine with winter taking it’s time getting to the East Coast.) Last week, Webb Company emerged victorious again, and will now face off…
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