The Promo Column
Pick a winner A
week is a long time in politics, and since my column is monthly, a lot has changed since the last one. Although I donʼt yet know the result, I can confidently predict that we will have the same Prime Minister as before the general coronation, I mean, election. Amid the upsets and unexpected results of the past couple of years, I donʼt think we need a crystal ball to see that – branded or otherwise.
I do love an election though, for the chance to see what merchandise the parties turn out to help get their message across. With the decreasing power of traditional media to deliver a message to an audience, political parties, like all brands, have to look elsewhere. Digital is a big beneficiary, but so too has merchandise – look at the amount that Trump ploughed into caps, T shirts and hoodies.
Caps and tiaras Itʼs improbable that weʼll ever see Theresa May wearing a baseball cap, unless it has a tiara on it. However, sheʼs not being left behind in the branded merchandise stakes. A range of products is replete with her slogan ʻA country that works for everyoneʼ. Unfortunately, itʼs only available in limited edition. Oh, the irony! Elsewhere on the site, there are a host of items replaying Tory slogans and ads from the good old days. No sign of the one about Nelson Mandela though – maybe itʼs sold out.
On the Labour site, the cult of Corbyn has been played down slightly since the halcyon days of, er, last summer, was it? Heʼs no longer the messiah, heʼs just a very straight talking boy, it seems. So, you can get your Jezza T shirt, tote bag and pint glass (hang on, heʼs teetotal – better make that a lime and soda). You can also get some humble but useful everyday items that are bang on the Corbyn trend – spoke reflectors, travel card holders, and travel mugs. Yours for a reasonable fee comrade. The SNP website is a little more aspirational and fun with items such as ʻNicola Says Yesʼ phone covers, a big foam finger, which could be handy for washing the car after June 8, and personalised T shirts that allow you to put your name behind the party. This is a canny way of getting around one of the perennial issues with election merchandise. What do you do with it when itʼs over? Especially if youʼre on the
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
This month Stuart Derrick talks political merchandise, imaginative ad campaigns and latest school playground crazes.
losing side, and looking at the changes of party leaders of late, that means pretty much everybody bar Sturgeon. I imagine that somewhere in the world, locals are walking around wearing remaindered Ed Miliband T shirts, sipping a drink from a David Cameron pledge mug, and peering out from under a Nigel Farage tweed cap. Like the Ed Stone, itʼs best if electoral merchandise doesnʼt outstay its welcome.
Ad campaign Anyway, enough electioneering – until IndyRef2. Isnʼt democracy exhausting? Whatʼs happening in the real world? Marvelʼs Guardians of the Galaxy 2, of course. You canʼt escape the soundtrack, not in my house anyway. Fans of the film will know that an ʻawesome mixtapeʼ plays a central role in the film. Cue Doritos with one of the most imaginative promotional campaigns for a long time. The brand has
Doritos’ ad campaign
created a bag of chips that is also a tape player that plays the soundtrack. Actually, itʼs an MP3
player, but the creative thinking is genius, and the fact that it made it from concept through, presumably, many layers of ʻnot possibleʼ, is a credit to all involved.
School crazes
Elsewhere, the latest craze to hit the playground is the finger spinner, an item that I was unaware of until I got an email from the school telling me that it was now banned. Thatʼs the definition of being old and out of touch! Anyway, for those who are still in the dark, these are plastic toys that fit into the hand and can be fidgeted
Xindao’s keychain powerbank
of the month is power, what better way to sign than with Xindaoʼs keychain powerbank? This wee thing is both handy and mighty useful, providing a 50% top up of your phone, which should see you to the nearest socket. So, remember, this monthʼs key points.
Finger spinner
A strong and stable merchandise item will see you through a campaign better than a chaotic, fashion led product. Choose wisely.
June 2017 | 41 |
with relatively unobtrusively. Some people claim that they are useful for pupils who find it difficult to concentrate in class, providing an outlet for excess energy. Well, they may be banned in schools, but that doesnʼt mean that us adults canʼt confiscate them. Sweet Concepts, which has some form in producing tactile products with its Mint Twister, is just one company that can supply them. Its hand spinners are available in six colours and can be branded, but beware “Theyʼll drive you insane” its marketing claims. Take a break from your stress balls and give them a try. Another option for
fiddlers is Baby USBʼs Fidget Cube. Imagine a stress ball, Newtonʼs cradle, and a Rubik cube all rolled into one. This ingenious little device is designed as a concentration aide that can help you focus on the task at hand, the supplier claims. It can also stimulate the flow of ideas and help with problem solving. Itʼs all about miniaturisation these days. As our world, and horizons, get smaller, then so do the products that we can use to communicate. Since the abiding theme
Baby USB’s Fidget Cube
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