Blog on Promotional Items | Reviews, trends and product ideas

May you need lanyards for an event or daily use around the office or at work? Then you must purchase lanyards from Promotional Items for one simple reason!

Lanyards with a Safety Breakaway

The reason, why you must buy lanyards from us, is because our lanyards feature a safety breakaway. What is a Safety breakaway you may ask? Well, it is a small item that measures around 1.5 centimetres long and wide. This device cuts and intersects a lanyard and effectively acts as a bridge on the lanyard. When excessive force is applied to any length of the lanyard, this breakaway will cleanly snap into two pieces. When snapped into two pieces, the breakaway may easily be re-assembled so you can re-use the lanyard.

The safety breakaway, therefore acts as a safety device, to prevent choking or strangulation by the lanyard around a wearers neck.

Why Need it for a Custom Lanyard?

Many government departments around Australia require a safety breakaway. As part of a new set of rules and regulations around safety at the workplace and events having a breakaway on a custom lanyard is essential.

All lanyards provided by Promomotional Items now come with a free safety breakaway. Can you afford not to purchase your lanyard from Promomotional Items?

Promotional umbrellas have to be one of the hottest categories of products for corporate gifts. A quality umbrella is known to the user the moment it is held. A hooked handle umbrella has many advantages over regular umbrellas. If you are considering purchasing a company umbrella branded with your logo, then please read on.

Why Choose a Hooked Umbrella

An umbrella is preferable to a regular umbrella for a few reasons.

• Reason No.1: A hook umbrella looks spectacular. It provides a user with a classic retro look which is terrifically appealing. Your logo and branding will benefit from this.
• Reason No.2: Having a hook on the end of an umbrella makes it more comfortable to hold and more ergonomic. When it is raining, the person using a hook umbrella will be thankful.
• Reason No.3: An umbrella with a hook makes it more convenient when catching public transport, as one can just use the hook on railings and other general objects, to save you the effort of needing to hold onto it.

When considering purchasing a promotional umbrella, you need to think about these advantages associated with hooked umbrellas. For advice on what type of umbrella, works best for you, give us a call.... Your Friendly Promotional Products expert!

Check out our complete range of Promotional Umbrellas here.

The problem with printing t-shirts for the Super Bowl or any other championship game is that you can't predict the winner! For licensed manufacturers to have promotional t-shirts ready for Superbowl Sunday, they need to print a run featuring both teams as "winners" just in case. Obviously, this year with the Philadelphia Eagles winning their first Super Bowl, there's going to be a lot of New England Patriot championship t-shirts left over and in need of a home.

The good news is that there are organisations such as Good360 and other international charities dedicated to scooping up all these logo-emblazoned shirts and giving them to people overseas in dire need of clothing. Rather than having all manner of t-shirts, hoodies, jumpers, and hats go to waste simply because of the design printed on them, these charities can distribute tens of thousands of items every year to impoverished countries.

In the past, most of these shirts considered unsellable in the US have gone to people devastated by natural disasters (such as post-quake Haiti). So while it's unfortunate that only half the t-shirts produced for these big sporting events tend to get sold because of the print, we can take heart in the fact that no shirt will go to waste and perhaps somewhere in the world, someone will be wearing a shirt emblazoned with a 2018 Patriot win.

First spotted here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/29884/what-happens-losing-teams-championship-shirts

We love our summers here in Australia and we love the great outdoors... but we also have the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. So it is essential we protect ourselves from the harmful effects of the sun. Health professionals agree that sunscreen is an essential part of any sun safe protocol. For the promotional industry, this presents the perfect opportunity to offer a product that sends all the right messages:
•    we are informed
•    we understand
•    we are forward looking
•    we care
•    we take action and...
•    we put our money where our mouth is!
And when you ARE thinking promotional sunscreen, look no further than...

Cubic Promote Outdoorplus SF50+ SUNSCREEN

We sell the  #1 SUNSCREEN IN THE PROMOTIONAL INDUSTRY TODAY because...
•    it is 100% Australian Made!
•    it is TGA approved!
•    it is tested SPF50+ sun protection!
•    we carry good stock levels
•    we offer a superior in-house print service and...
•    super competitive pricing on product and printing!
Don't trust anything less than Cubic Promote's TGA approved, Australian Made, SPF50+ Sunscreen with your logo or brand!

One of the great things about promotional polo shirts is that they are available in all manner of colours and styles. This year we're happy to note that our range of available shirts now includes men's and women's branded polo tees in the PMS colour of the year, Ultra Violet.

What makes Ultra Violet such an exciting colour to have is that it's the latest in a long line of Pantone colours drawn from current world printing themes and trends. Ultra Violet is designed to be innovative, uplifting, and creative - with the colour heavily inspired by artists such as Prince, David Bowie, and Jimi Hendrix.

If you're looking to make your staff uniforms or expo outfits really pop, then grab your polo shirts in an authentic PMS 18-3838 shade! We recommend branding your shirts using either full-colour embroidery of your corporate logo, or a nice one colour screen print (in white or a similar light shade to really contrast with the purple). Contact our friendly sales team to find out more about colour matched shirts for your next promotional event.

Aussies love slipping on a pair of promotional thongs or slides over summer and relaxing, but Balenciaga have brought out a new pair of branded flipflops that put all others to shame. These special "pool flats" are no different from any other promotional thong or sandle we might see on a daily basis, but with the Balenciaga logo branded on them these limited edition promo products retail for a staggering $837 AU!

The company is currently going through a marketing push involving traditional promo products such as calico tote bags branded with designs and slogans that are anything but standard or traditional! We probably won't be shelling out for these slides any time soon, and will likely stick with our regular (affordable) promo flipflops.

Slides first spotted here: https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/balenciaga-670-slides/

If your organisation needs to have a look that can be both playful and corporate, this logo and promotional product rebrand for the Mexican creative agency, Caudal, should provide you with plenty of inspiration. Because the agency works with clients from a variety of industries they wanted a simple logo that could be seen as both creative and corporate if need be.

To achieve this dual-function look the designer opted to craft them a new logo for their rebrand that is simple, geometrically inspired, and pushes the idea that this company crafts experiences rather than just marketing. The result is a single colour logo to utilises empty space as much as filled to look dynamic, modern, and engaging.

Using this logo on promotional t-shirts like the below right, makes for a very stylish shirt that recipients would enjoy wearing at home or at work. Similarly using a slightly different geometric design along with the standard text and logo combination on some calico bags means the Caudal promo bags look artistic enough to be designer, without seeming over-the-top or being impractical.

If you're thinking of rebranding or are looking to start a new marketing campaign, take a leaf from Caudal's book and go for something simple that can be replicated consistently across products and colour schemes without appearing too complex or overly corporate. If you're not sure about your next marketing campaign talk to the team here at Promo Planet and they can guide you through the design process, whatever your event or campaign may be.

Rebrand first spotted here: https://weandthecolor.com/graphic-design-branding-mariela-mezquita-caudal/94609

Whether you are giving a speech, making a demonstration or just setting up a stall, conferences are a great place to get your organization's message out. But it's one thing to get that message to potential clients and customers, and another thing to make sure they remember you. How can you make sure that what you say sticks? The answer is to follow up on your pitch with a tangible object that reminds people of what you said. Or better, use a range of tangible objects to remind people of your company, your message and your product.

Custom Printed Items for Corporate Functions

Having given your pitch verbally, make sure that people have your words in written form. Use our print services to ensure that you have quality fliers, pamphlets or even posters bearing your message. If you're giving a presentation, this is an extremely important step in consolidating the audience's awareness of your brand. To make sure these papers don't get lost, try tucking them into a printed folder.

Branded Pens and Notebooks

Yes, these are a bit of an obvious one. Branded pens and notebooks are used in promotions everywhere. But the fact of the matter is that there's a reason for that. After all, it's very difficult to have too many pens or notebooks, and this leads to a very high uptake rate when branded pens and lanyards are being handed out. People at conferences need to write notes and exchange contact details with colleagues, and so these items will often see immediate use.

Custom Printed USB Keys

The high-tech equivalent of the pen-and-notebook combo. USB thumb drives are always popular, and best of all you can order them with your presentations, prospectuses, catalogues and other files preloaded onto them. With your logo on the outside of the drive and your files on the inside, it will be hard for people to forget you.

Logo Printed Mugs

If there's one thing conference goers need more than pens, it's something to drink coffee from. Caffeine makes the world of a conference go round, and quality coffee cups will be taken back to many offices and kitchens when the conference is over. For extra impact, PromoPlanet also provides mugs with chocolates or candy inside them.

Promotional Tote Bags

Well, now that you've given the conference attendees all those things, they're going to need somewhere to put them! Conference tote bags have a large branding area which has the advantage of showing off your logo whever their owners go. A high quality tote bag will be in use for ages after the conference is over, used for shopping, trips to the library and other small tasks. This keeps your logo visible for longer, both in the mind of the tote bag's owner and anyone they pass in the street.

So next time you’re organising a conference, think of PromoPlanet. Remember: it’s not enough to be heard. You also have to be remembered.

Autumn is here already, so can winter be far behind? Better put those branded beach towels and stubby holders back in the cupboard for a few months. But don't let the cold weather cool off your next promotion. There's a whole range of possibilities for you to get your brand out there and visible all through the colder months.

Umbrellas

Once it starts raining, all the umbrellas go up. Is your logo going to be on any of them? Branded umbrellas are great as giveaways, prizes or promotional sales items. Everyone needs them -- but they're always constantly losing them. Umbrellas are the fourth most commonly lost item on public transport, so no wonder there's an insatiable demand for more. Save your customers from the torrential Autumn rains, and earn their gratitude.

Travel Mugs

There's nothing like a warm beverage on a cold day -- assuming that it's still warm by the time you walk back from the coffee shop. Insulated travel mugs are a great way to keep hot drinks hot, and we provide a wide range of these handy items, ready to be printed or engraved with your brand artwork.

Jackets

Branded T-shirts make great promotional items in the summer, but they're hard to see under winter jackets. So why not just put your logo right onto a jacket? If you have staff who work outdoors in the winter, have your logo printed or embroidered on their jacket. Order matching jackets to help your sporting team warm up before their morning run. And while jackets are a little pricey for giveaways, they make great promotional sales items.

Flashlights and Torches

Daylight saving is over. Better be prepared for dark evenings. Pocket flashlights are great in those months when people arrive at home in the dark. Why fumble with your front door or letterbox when you have a pocket torch to help you see. And if your business or organisation services rural or outer suburban areas, your customers will be grateful to have these fun, eco-friendly wind-up flashlights in case of a power failure.

Leather gives any accessory a luxurious look and feel, durability, and you an elegant appearance. Whether your item is genuine leather or faux leather, you’ll want to keep it functional and looking brand new. So how do you maintain that fresh, elegant look? Here are our top tips to care for your leather accessories.

Moisturise with Oil and Conditioner

Much like our skin, all types of leather need good, conditioning moisture. So while we need to keep our leather dry, we don’t want it to get too dry. What happens when leather get too dry? The fibres in the material break instead of stretching - which is particularly the case for fake or faux leathers, which against popular belief are less durable than genuine leathers. Once the fibres begin to break you will see permanent cracks on the surface, hence why it's important to take care of your compendium units early.

When applying any care product, a less visible patch of the material should be tested 24 hours before ensure there aren’t any undesired effects.

Apply Oil

Many types of oil, when applied to leather, will create a protective barrier from moisture-zapping UV sun rays.

Apply Conditioner or Polish

Dozens of products are available in the market for leather products. When applied, such products will keep the fibres soft and supple. Other benefits include forming a protective barrier against water and scuffs or scratches.

Keep Leather Dry

If you get caught in the rain or spill coffee at your desk, it’s possible to damage especially genuine leather by getting it too wet. When this happens, allow ample time for your accessory to dry thoroughly and slowly. Speediness in drying is more harmful to the material; normal room temperature air is best. Keep in mind, during the drying process your accessory should be stored in its natural position, so the material does not stretch the wrong way.

Clean Spots Gently

The best way to remove dirt and dust from leather is warm water and gentle wiping. Use of standard household soaps and chemical cleaning products is much too harsh but more importantly will have too much of a drying effect afterwards if your cleaning product isn't a moisturising one. Don’t forget to be gentle! High pressure can damage or remove the finish.

Removing Ink

When it comes to stains, warm water won’t work. There are many different tips for removing stains like pen ink from leather on the internet. No matter which method you choose, remember our first few tips to let it dry naturally and replace the moisture.

Protect from Sun and Severe Temperatures

The sun’s UV rays affect the molecules in the fibres, which can lead to cracking or bubbling of the finish. Severe heat or cold work similarly so you should not expose your leather to either for too long.

Don’t Overstuff

Leather, specifically genuine, stretches but does not stretch back. So it’s best to avoid adding overstuffing your accessories with too many items.

All Room to Breathe

Back to our first tip, a well-moisturised leather needs air and ventilation for the moisture to move and spread naturally through the fibres.