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 MoreAuthor: Brendan Menapace
BAMKO’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 MoreOverwatch League Ends Deal With Fanatics, Lets Teams Source Their Own Merchandise
E-sports are becoming a huge market for branded merchandise. And now, a rule change within the Overwatch League has allowed teams to source their own promotional apparel and products. Previously, the Overwatch League and its teams were bound by contract to Fanatics. This was pretty big news, considering Fanatics had only dealt with “traditional sports,”…
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 MoreWhat Dr. Fauci’s ‘Common Sense’ Mask Layering Means for Promo Orders
While the CDC is reportedly studying the effectiveness of double-masking and has yet to issue any official guidance on it, the support for it from Dr. Anthony Fauci and other public health officials could potentially lead to new demand from customers looking for face masks…
Read MoreThe Latest in Restaurant Merch: a Dunkin’ Theme Wedding and Outback ‘Steakwear’
How much do you love Dunkin’? Are you an everyday customer? Every week? Do you have a branded reusable cup? How about a T-shirt? Would you make your wedding Dunkin’ themed and purchase Dunkin’-branded wedding merchandise around Valentine’s Day?…
Read MoreFinally, a Face Mask With Built-In Bluetooth Earbuds
We’re not sure how it took so long to figure out, but finally someone thought of putting Bluetooth earbuds into a face mask. MaskFone, a face mask that not only features a Bluetooth headset and earbuds, but a five-layer filtration system. In short, it’s stylish and extremely functional…
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