The Promo Column
Cyclical trends O
A popular pastime
With cycling an ever more popular pastime in the UK, itʼs a great opportunity for merchandise of all kinds, whether youʼre chasing Strava personal bests, or just trundling to the shops. Preseli has introduced a timely collection of cycling ephemera to help brands get on their bikes. The range includes such everyday essentials
With yet another British winner of the Tour de France this year, in the shape of Welshman Geraint Thomas, it’s worth shining a light on one of the biggest promotional merchandise exercises in the world. Promotional products commentator, Stuart Derrick, reports.
ver the course of the three-week race, sponsors of the Tour hand out millions of pens, keyrings, T shirts, caps, flags, foam hands and all manner of other promotional products to the crowd. In 2016, 14 million objects were handed out by the caravan, the collection of 170 publicity vehicles that precede the race, and for some people are the main reason for observing the spectacle.
For decades, the French have been in thrall to this promotional cavalcade, with cycling fans literally fighting each other for the chance of some free stuff. This month sees the UKʼs smaller version of the Tour taking place. The eight-day OVO Energy Tour of Britain isnʼt quite on the same scale as its continental cousin, but it will see around 20 teams ploughing around the highways and plenty of sponsors handing out freebies.
global goal to collect and
recycle a bottle or can for every one it sells, by 2030. Merlin and Cokeʼs offer is fantastic news for any parents looking to keep the kids
entertained, but what of those of us cursed by the evil that is kidʼs
Coca-Cola’s reverse vending machine Preseli’s arm warmers for cyclists
as bike lights, seat and helmet covers, right through to more specialist items including neoprene chain stay protectors, arm warmers and multitools. With 2.7 million people cycling at least once a week and 25 million of us owning a bike, itʼs a far from minority pastime. An interesting aspect of the Tour de France was Team Skyʼs endorsement of the fight against plastic by aiming to eliminate single use plastics (SUP) from its business by 2020. The ridersʼ kit features Sky Ocean Rescue branding reflecting the Sky corporate mission to remove plastic from its overall operations and protect the seas. The shirts feature an eye-catching orca on the back and the hashtag #passonplastic to hammer home the message.
Sky was also recently handing out reusable shopping bags as part of its campaign. Westfield shopping mall in London saw the Plasticus campaign highlight how the weight of plastic in the seas could soon outweigh fish. They were then encouraged to make a simple everyday change to their behaviour and save the seas.
Stepping up to the plate
Another brand that is stepping up to the plate on plastics is Coca-Cola. The company has teamed with Merlin Entertainments to produce a ʻreverse vending machineʼ. Feeding a plastic bottle into the machine gives the recycler a discount of 50% on entry at 30 Merlin attractions, including Alton Towers Resort, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures and Legoland Windsor. The machines back Coca- Cola Great Britainʼs sustainable packaging strategy with a
| 78 | September 2018
car sickness in the drive to the attraction? Donʼt worry, because merchandise has the answer. Iʼm not talking about branded sick bowls, or wipe clean seats – although every little helps. No, French car company Citroën has the answer in the shape of travel sickness glasses. This isnʼt a wind up. Citroën advertising agency, Traction, has created the €99 Seetroën glasses that claim to solve motion sickness in less than 10 minutes in 95% of cases by rebalancing perception using an artificial horizon formed by coloured liquid moving in rings around the eyes. Manufactured in France, they are currently a limited edition only sold through the brandʼs online lifestyle store. The aim is to
ʻnurture the brandʼs DNA, which is comfort and mobilityʼ, according to Traction. Perfect for when little Jean Paul feels un peu malade after too many fromage baguettes. Cʼest magnifique!
Citroën’s Seetroën glasses The answer
Another challenge of the holidays is the perennial problem of forgetting all of the various chargers needed for our various essential devices. Luckily Chili Concept have just designed and launched a brand new product that is the answer. The BND832 Shimi Universal USB charging cable is a neat little device which includes connectors for all types of smartphones. The travel friendly product comes in nine different standard colours with the option of the ever-popular soft touch finish. And just when you thought there were no further accessories for your mobile phone, along comes another one to put you right in your place. Our good friends Boosters have added the Pop Socket to their range of smart phone options. The disk device sticks to the back of your mobile device and can be popped out when required to be used as a grip aid, allowing you to hold on to your device easier and more comfortably. The Pop Socket also doubles as kick stand for hands free viewing and can even be used as an earphones cable winder when required. The 40mm diameter face provides a full colour printed surface to display your brand.
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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