Promotional Products


It’s business as usual “W


e are the people of England; and we have not spoken yet.”


Apologies to Chesterton, but by the time you read this, they will have – along with those of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We will be in the post-referendum era, and will either still be part of the European Union, or in the process of severing ties with it.


The run up to the vote has certainly given plenty of scope for merchandise to play its part. Brexit supporting publican Tim Martin, boss of JD Wetherspoon, put the case for Vote Leave on the back of 200,000 beer mats. Meanwhile, Vote Leaves website was offering a Leave the EU party pack complete with Union Jack strewn bunting, flags, cone hats and balloons. Whatever the result, the business of business goes on. Shall we see the dire predictions of both sides played out in the coming months and years? Only time will tell.


Latest innovations


inflated. They are also child-safe and EN- 71 Toy Safety tested. Heres the science bit. For a number of years now helium has become an increasingly expensive commodity, due to ever increasing demand and the rising costs of extracting it from the Earths surface. Priority is given for liquid helium to the medical industry for use in MRI scanners, and while there has been some controversy around party balloons being blamed for an alleged global shortage, in reality helium gas for balloons is actually recycled, impure gas, re-captured and saved as a by-product from such applications. Dont worry though. The balloons can still make your voice squeaky.


Good things happen


Another company that is doing good things for the planet is experimental fashion brand Ch8se – pronounced Choose – from Amsterdam. It has partnered with the Eden Reforestation project to donate its ad budget to plant trees or feed hungry children. Whenever a customer buys one of its garments, something good happens, paid for out of the now non-existent ad budget – a T shirt plants 51 trees or feeds 20 children. The company labels it an attempt to democratise consumer activism, and hopes that its good deeds will lead to word of mouth promotion.


Also in Holland, XD Design has created a whole range of colourful USB products in its Loooqs range, which encourage us to enjoy the little things. In this case theyre talking about pocket-sized gadgets that run off a


Helium Saving Valve balloons


So, after a couple of months hot air from all sides, its great to hear of the latest innovation from balloon specialist B-Loony. The company has developed a special valve that can save up to 30% of the amount of helium gas normally required to fill a latex balloon. The Helium Saving Valve, or HSV (international patent applied for) is inserted into the neck of a latex balloon, and works by drawing air into the balloon at the same time as inflating it with helium gas from a cylinder.


So wave goodbye to flaccid balloons – the HSV is designed to keep them bouncing and pert for longer. In fact, the balloons will float for at least six hours and feature a handy pre-attached length of ribbon so they are good to go as soon as


www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk


laptop or powerbank. Options


include a tiny but mighty USB fan made out of high- grade silicone material, a mobile


phone flashlight


that can help improve the quality of pictures that are taken in darker


environments, and a USB


USB fan from XD Design


LED light for when you are working or studying till late. The great thing is that theyre small enough to be easily stored and carried with you. Youre sure to hear a lot more about them.


A lot of noise


Something else that is small, but making a lot of noise is the Dube Shaker. Great Central Plastics has teamed up with former Manchester United, Aston Villa and England legend, Dion Dublin, on its latest project, the Dube Shakers.


Rather than going down the tried and tested route of punditry and pubs, when Dion hung up his boots, he started building his own business based around a percussion instrument he invented. The Dube is a cube-shaped drum that produces different noises depending how and where you hit it. Now, in a case of thinking small, Dion has launched Dube Shakers. These miniature cubes are cool, new cube percussion instruments, and available in several vibrant, eye-catching colours, each of which offers a different sound when shaken. And because they are square, they dont roll away when you put them down – maraculous! (Do you see what I did there?).


As a UK manufacturer, Great Central Plastics worked with Dion on product development. He gave the company a design to replicate and the task of playing around with different materials and contents to perfect the array of different musical sounds that the Dube Shakers offer. I wonder if Gordon Glenister managed to get some into the Champions League final on behalf of one of his members. The BPMA supremo was recently tweeting his visit to the Milan final to his many social media followers, including selfies with Rio Ferdinand and opera singer Andrea Bocelli. Maybe its as well he didnt or Gordon might have tried to accompany Bocelli on Nessun Dorma – enough to get us thrown out of Europe whatever the EU result.


July 2016 | 59 |


Despite the result of the EU referendum last month (June 23), for promotional product distributors it is business as usual as they continue to innovate and create new ways for companies to promote themselves. Promotional products commentator Stuart Derrick reports.


Dion Dublin and Great Central Plastic’s MD, Tony Phillips


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