The year was 1968 and the scientist was Dr. Spencer Silver, a scientist at 3M. Dr. Silver had been tasked with developing a stronger adhesive to be used in the aerospace industry, but what he developed instead would change the way quick messages were jotted down forever. Dr. Silver created an adhesive that would lightly hold to surfaces but not bond tightly to them. You’ve probably heard of this adhesive and used it countless times: the Post-It note. Learning about how something could be used so differently from its intended purpose had me intrigued and thinking about how, in a way, promotional products are no different. As different companies and brands take on a classic promotional product they redefine it and make it their own, even if it’s just by adding their logo. A great example of this is the ballpoint ben- originally different brands would add logos and send them out to clients; today brands will add styluses or even flashlights to one end of the pen, turning it into a new product altogether. Here are 3 examples of my favorite ways that brands and others have used promotional products in unique ways, while they may not be used completely differently than the original purpose they’re still some pretty unexpected uses.
#1- In a recent product presentation our team was looking at a new line of tumblers (like the one below) when it was mentioned that one of our presenter's favorite ways to use stainless steel, insulated tumblers is as an ice cream cup. Just think about it- it’s insulated which means your ice cream won’t turn into a soupy mess, pretty genius right? Try it out for yourself!
#2- Promotional products already make for one of my favorite business cards but these business cards are some of my favorites. First impressions matter and business cards are no different, these business cards are the ultimate for helping you cultivate a great image with prospective clients because they are the business card designed NOT to be kept. While the hope for most business cards is to stay in a handy spot until needed these are literally designed to be buried! These plantable business cards start out as seeds but are repurposed into temporary business cards that will one day reach their full plant potential!
#3- This particular promo product has made the blog before but I am adding it again today because, in my opinion, it’s pretty ingenious- a speaker used as an award. This OrigAudio speaker is great, not only because of its amazing sound quality but because it serves as an excellent and useful award to the recipient. The surface is fully printable which means you can make it look like an award while also giving the recipient more than shelf décor.
“If you change the way you look at things, the thing you look at will change.”- Anonymous
While these are just a few simple ideas for using promotional products in a fun way, the opportunities are endless! Creating promotional products that are new, useful, and different is the best kind of advertising to show your brand’s personality. What are your favorite ways to use promotional products?
Ready to start designing your next promo product? Let’s talk!