Some suppliers have seen an increase in athletic apparel as distributors have pivoted to work-from-home kits and employee wellness-outside-of-the-office programs for their end-user customers. Here are some leading trends in athletic and performance apparel and tips for increasing order value in this category…
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We Now Have More Details on Those Consumer Mask Certification Standards in Development
In November, we reported that ASTM International, an independent organization that develops and implements technical standards, has been working with manufacturers and health experts to develop a set of standards for consumer face masks. We now have a better idea what those will look like…
Read MoreSamuel Adams Commemorated Its Super Bowl Ad With Another Ad Announcing ‘2021 Beer Commercial Champions’ Merch Line
For all the people who only watch the Super Bowl for the commercials, Samuel Adams went all out commemorating its “your cousin from Boston” Wicked Hazy IPA Super Bowl ad with an entire merchandise line that includes a DVD of the original 30-second commercial and a lot more…
Read MoreA Wu-Tang Parody T-shirt Sparked an International Incident Between China and Canada
Last year, a staffer at the Canadian embassy in Beijing reportedly designed shirts parodying the Wu-Tang Clan “W” logo, with “Wuhan” written in the middle of the logo. Months later, the shirts caught the attention of Chinese government officials, forcing Canada to apologize and explain…
Read MoreBAMKO’s Gifts By Design Acquisition Is a Look at the Post-Pandemic Future of Promo
On Monday, BAMKO LLC announced that it acquired Gifts By Design to operate as its awards, recognition and incentives division. The move is noteworthy not just for the size of the two companies, but for what it says about the post-pandemic future of promo, at least in the near term…
Read MoreBiden Administration Considering Plan to Send Face Masks to Every U.S. Household
President Biden’s COVID-19 Response Team is working on the logistics of sending millions of face masks to U.S. citizens. The plan is still in the early stages, but some of the administration’s top health experts have been discussing its viability. It’s similar to a plan the Trump administration considered but ultimately scrapped in 2020…
Read MoreSonic Buried a Branded Merchandise Promotion at the End of a 9-Minute Video of a Guy Eating (and It Still Sold Out)
You know how people stay until the end of a movie, mostly Marvel movies, just in case there’s a fun post-credits scene? If you sat through a nine-minute video of a guy eating a Fritos Chili Cheese Jr. Wrap to the end, you’d have been rewarded with the news that Sonic was selling a giant fleece wrap for only 99 cents…
Read MoreTide Introduced ‘Jason Alexander Hoodie’ for Its Super Bowl Ad, Opening the Door for Viral Merchandise Frenzy
Tide is airing a commercial during the Super Bowl where a kid refuses to wash his “Jason Alexander Hoodie,” which goes through the ringer during its lifetime. The internet masses are already asking if they can buy one for real, and Tide might be missing out on a big opportunity for merchandise sales…
Read MoreLady Gaga Launched Branded Oreos to Promote Her Latest Record and People Are Going Nuts
What is it about promotional Oreos that just makes everyone go … dare we say … Gaga? (You’ll laugh in a second.) First it was Supreme dropping branded Oreos. Those sold out immediately, which is no surprise for Supreme. Now, Lady Gaga launched branded “Chromatica” Oreos, and those are impossible to find, too…
Read MorePPAI Appoints Interim President, Announces Executive Search
The Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) board of directors elevated executive vice president Robert (Bob) McLean, Jr., to lead PPAI as interim president while the board undertakes an executive search with search firm SearchWide Global to replace outgoing president and CEO Paul Bellantone…
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