What belongs to you alone, but is used more by others?

Your name!

Okay, you've probably heard that riddle before. Hopefully the rest of this post will tell you something you don't already know.

We've discussed full color, digital decoration a few times before on the blog, but we've never mentioned incorporating variable data. 

The next time you order promotional products for a targeted campaign- whether internal or external- consider personalizing each item with the recipient's name. It's a minor addition, but it increases the item's perceived value and adds a personal touch.

Personalizing certain items, like deep-etched drinkware or embroidered fleece jackets, will add a run charge to your promotion. But, if the item will be digitally printed, like the writing utensil caddy in the above picture, the addition of a name is FREE. Just send us an Excel spreadsheet with a list of names, and we'll do the rest.

Digital printing is an excellent solution for all kinds of copy changes, not just name drops. Need 100 journals for your ad agency? Why not order 10 for each of your 10 largest accounts, and decorate the cover with the client's brand? So long as you use the same item and hit the catalog minimum, you can change the printed logo as many times as you like. Pretty neat!

Also known as "electronic pickpocketing". Have you heard of this?

Many of you probably received our email this week that contained a video featuring our favorite items for 2012. I also discussed several of these items here, here and here.

One item that I omitted from my blog recaps, but that deserves special attention, are these ID shield sleeves from 3M.

3M developed this product in response to the growing threat of electronic or digital pickpocketing. The sleeves, sized to fit your credit card, ID, building access card or passport, are waterproof and have a protective shielding. With an imprint opportunity on the sleeve top, this would be a great promotional item for companies in banking, security or travel.

Dealing with credit card companies over fraudulent charges is a total pain in the neck. I can't imagine how unpleasant it would be to sort out a stolen passport.

One of the neater things we've seen lately are these old school film reel viewers. 

Imagine our delight when Mallory discovered them being used as the dessert menu at Austin Grill. What a creative application!

Ugh, as if dessert isn't hard enough to resist on a normal menu. Imagine that brownie popping out at you!

If you're in a business where pictures speak louder than words (food service, design, architecture, contracting, property management, hospitality to name a few), these viewers are a great way to catch a client's attention. Give them to your salespeople to bring along on meetings or leave them in the reception area of your office for customers to browse while they wait.

Not recommended for plastic surgeons or dentists... nobody wants to see those before and after pictures in 3D.

What's the coolest promotional product you've seen lately? We'd love to hear about it!

Thus far in our recaps of the ASI Orlando Trade Show, we've reviewed new items in apparel and technology. This last post will be a bit disorganized. Let's just call it... everything else!



In drinkware, many vendors have expanded their capabilities in full color decoration. I'm a big fan of these Tritan plastic and stainless steel water bottles and thermoses. They're double-walled to keep your beverage hot or cold longer, and fitted sleeves (composed of neoprene or leatherette) keep your hands comfortable and dry. The imprint opportunities here are great too. Catalog pricing on the water bottles shown above includes a spot color imprint on the upper bottle and a four color process wrap design on the sleeve.



On the stainless steel tumblers with leatherette sleeve, pricing includes a spot color imprint on the stainless bottle and a deboss in one location.



Tervis is another supplier doing great things with decoration. Their American-made double-walled tumblers have been popular since 1946, and many people would quickly recognize their clear tumblers decorated with an embroidered patch insert. Check out what they're doing with graphic decals these days. I love that UPS cup in particular.

I thought this 4-in-1 kitchen gadget was pretty handy. Use it as a slotted spoon, spatula, knife or spoon.



Branded spiral bound journals are not a "new" item, but a creative design is always worth sharing. We love how American Airlines used a custom insert page to accentuate the journal's die-cut cover.



Have you seen seeded paper before? We love to use it for invitations, holiday cards, stationary, business cards, direct mail... you name it! Here's something new for 2012- seeded paper confetti. These would make fabulous party favors or table accents.



They call this item a Tee Shaker. When I saw the display and product name from afar, I half expected a T-shirt to be inside. I mean, crazier things have been done! Of course, the name refers to a more sensibly sized golf tee. Before teeing off at a new hole, just flip the canister upside down and pluck off a tee. The extra tees will fall back inside when you turn it right-side up. Get creative with a four color process imprint. How adorable is the little Morton Salt piece?



Another excellent full color product for golf tournaments is this custom umbrella. Few other products can offer you such a big imprint area in a compact and functional piece.



And finally, we have the Drop Stopper, a neat little flexible disc designed to save your table tops from burgundy drips. A truly successful product has outstanding design, is easy to use and actually solves a problem. The Drop Stopper satisfies all three criteria. Think of it for your next gala or wine event. It too, like so many other items in this post, is printed in full color.

Thanks for sticking with us through our recap of Orlando favorites! Please give us a call if you'd like more information on anything we covered.

If you're just catching up with us, please be sure to read Best of Orlando: Part 1 for a summary of apparel items new for 2012.

Wearables is just a small category within promotional products; there is still so much more to share! Read on to learn about our favorite finds in technology...



Julianne spotted this handy speaker for your iPhone. It worked exceptionally well!



These little night lights aren't as long-lasting as true compact fluorescent light bulbs, but they do come equipped with an energy saving sensor. Plus, they're just so gosh darn cute!



At Sonic, we have long been fans of OrigAudio's Rock-It portable vibration speakers and their collapsible, eco-friendly craft paper speaker sets. This year's product line additions did not disappoint! The above photo shows off their new Cubicool speaker. This little 3x3x3 cube will work with ANY audio product that has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack (think laptop, iPod, cell phone), and two hours of charge will get you up to twelve hours of battery life. Use just one speaker, or connect them together to increase the volume. The sound quality is phenomenal; my jaw literally dropped.



The best part? You've got four imprint opportunities with a digital imprint on each panel. I really love how Disney and Absolut played with design to create a full set.

Another great piece for a full color imprint is this grip stand. It might look small, but it has powerful strength.

Use it to prop up your iPad for movie viewing, or place it on your desk when you want your cell phone close at hand. If you notice the grip power diminishing, just rinse it under water to restore its strength.



Now, I wouldn't normally catalog a mirror under the "technology" category, but I had to make an exception for this unique piece. Created with dark bars, restaurants and nightclubs in mind, this mirror illuminates your logo and makes it impossible to ignore.



Some businesses have used this piece to advertise promotions and vendor partners by placing a live screen in the bottom corner. Pretty cool!

Well, that sums up another round of our favorite items from the ASI Orlando show. Stay tuned for more!