The Promo Column Change lies ahead


The times they are a changing indeed. When two of the biggest users of promotional merchandise announce that they are radically altering their strategies, then you know that something is up. Read on to find out more with promotional products commentator, Stuart Derrick.


they are ditching their use of plastic toys as a promotional device. First to jump was BK, spurred on it seemed by an online petition by two schoolgirls who collected thousands of signatures for a plea that the quick service chain stops using products that provide a few moments of pleasure for children, and decades of headaches for anyone concerned about the environment.


I


ʼm talking about the recent announcement by fast food giants Burger King and McDonaldʼs that


out willy nilly in burger joints. The last time I was in a


Golden Arches, theyʼd swapped to this green alternative.


Another piece of sustainability, or green


Burger King has responded by saying it is stopping the use of plastic toys and kicked off the initiative with a campaign called The Big Meltdown that promised to collect any old fast food meal deal toys, including those of its competitors, in return for free food in store. The old toys are to be melted down to be turned into benches, trays and other recycled items. In all, the move should save 320 tonnes of plastic waste a year – well played BK. The non-recyclable ball was now firmly in the court of McDonaldʼs, which has said that it is heading on a similar trajectory. It is trialling offering customers non-plastic incentives with its Happy Meals, or a choice of receiving no gift, or something more wholesome, such as a bag of fruit. The company is also looking more widely at other plastic items in its restaurants, such as packaging, straws and balloon holders, with a view to all of its packaging being from renewable or recycled sources by 2025.


Major corporations like these often get a shoeing in the press for their wasteful practices, and with good reason. However, when they make moves like this, itʼs only fair that they should be given some credit. The way plastic bag usage plummeted following the carrier bag charge indicates the massive behavioural change that can be brought about when companies that we all use on an everyday basis start to act more responsibly, or are compelled to. The challenge for the merchandise industry will be to come up with products that can help brands respond to the eco concerns of their customers and society in general.


Eco products A great example is B-Loonyʼs cardboard balloon holder. This simple piece of cardboard engineering replaces the very unsustainable plastic sticks that were once a feature of the inflatables handed


| 46 | November 2019


messaging that caught my mind recently was from Cornish


B-Loony's new cardboard BalloonGrip


brewery Sharps. It has teamed up with Mercury Prize nominated artist Nick Mulvey to create the first playable record made from recycled plastic washed up on beaches. The track, In the Anthropocene, is in conjunction with charity, Surfers Against Sewage, and is being called ocean vinyl. It has been made from clear plastic washed up on beaches. The plastic has been processed and pressed with multi-coloured plastic shavings to create a mottled effect.


eco-friendly options. The base materials are fully recyclable and the items when laser engraved are still recyclable given this method of branding does not taint the product.


Of course, ʻgood for youʼ doesnʼt just refer to the smug congratulations you get when using such products. Our good friends at Popkakery may be best known for the scrummy cake pops that give them their name, but even these are getting a makeover for these #woke times.


A four piece Popcake box The Ocean Vinyl


Released in order to raise funds to protect British coastlines and reduce single use plastic, the proceeds from the record sales will go to Surfers Against Sewage, a charity that aims to protect the British coastline from pollution.


Cool, yet functional


Elsewhere, CEG Collection has produced a range of eco-friendly products including re-usable high quality metal telescopic straws which offer a better user experience than paper alternatives, stylish metal travel personal cutlery, metal lunch boxes and pill boxes, plus stainless steel ice cubes designed for reuse, saving on water.


The emphasis is on cool design, as well as functionality. All CEG Collection metal products have strong sustainable features that make them ideal to present as


You can now have a vegan cakepop, the Pop Noir. Other new products link to growing trends in healthy eating. Its energy balls are gluten free, dairy free and vegan, and the popcakes are gluten free as well. The company has also switched to paper sticks for popcakes. In house edible ink printing facilities, are able to tailor products to suit individual client needs. Conventional printing facilities enable the company to customise tags, and even the packaging of products, to achieve the high quality representation of brands. Finally, a reminder of the power of merchandise, from the other side of the Pond. Donald Trump made headlines for many reasons during the last presidential election, not least by the sale of his red ʻMake America Great Againʼ (MAGA) caps to raise funds.


The latest crop of hopefuls have taken note. Front runner, purely in terms of promotional clothing sales, seems to be tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang who has raised $2.4m by selling his MATH hats. Apparently, it stands for Make America Think Harder. Whether it adds up to electoral success remains to be seen.


Andrew Yang’s MATH cap www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk


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