Search Results

Solving problems, creating solutions-we think it's cool when a product has purpose. Let's take a look at some brands that do more than expected. Here are 3 words to know around sustainability. There is no debate that nature provides beauty. The question is how do we make sure generations later can appreciate what we enjoy now? Out of the Ocean® is cleaning up the ocean with every bag. Each bag they make removes the equivalent of 3 plastic bottles from our oceans and waterways. From lunch bags to totes, each bag features brilliant ocean photography, which invites dialogue to share the back story of this sustainable brand. HIP- operates with the belief that everyone and everything has a purpose; even waste. Hip gives “waste” a second life by creating sustainably sourced lifestyle products out of already existing waste, instead of producing new plastic from fossil fuels. The plastic to make Hip products comes from OCEANWORKS - a trusted global marketplace for recycled ocean plastic materials and products. Reuseable utensils , like this one from HIP provide a sustainable solution to the growing issue of how to address waste, plus the product is lightweight enough to be taken anywhere, just like other HIP products. Products made from REPREVE® fabric divert plastic that would otherwise wind up in our oceans and create fabric for coolers, lunch totes & backpacks. There are even new solutions for traditional office & trade-show basics, such as totes & journals- with washable paper that feels good in the hand, plus gives back to Ocean clean up initiatives. Out of the Woods bags, feature Supernatural Paper™ which is sustainable, washable and vegan. It is FSC®-certified, made of tree cellulose, a renewable resource, from responsibly managed forests. Check out this versatile cooler - insulated and padded to keep your produce fresh at the Sunday farmer’s market or your workday essentials protected, and spacious enough to double as a weekender bag. All month we've focused on brands and product that do more- a creative solution, visually stunning designs and products that show innovation can add value to our lives. Check out samples of these types of products in our showroom space. Which products and brand stories have inspired you the most?

The point of a black tie event is to create a memorable experience and celebrate with style & elegance. Special events appreciate a touch of class- but often glass is one of those items that can make or break the party. Too many puns? How about some solutions. govino® glasses are shatterproof, reusable, sustainable and not made from glass at all. They are made from food safe, BPA-free polymer which reflects a wine’s color and projects its aromatics much like fine crystal. Auction off private label wines & champagnes at your event or use private labels as a way to secure a top level donor for the pour! Yes, we have options from California winery's with many options- including custom labels, etched bottles. Put the bottles sold in a full color bag- add an image. Perhaps the images are sponsor logos, original art, an eye catching scene of volunteers at work, a testimonial from individuals impacted by your charity efforts or capture a group image of your team. There are so many ways our graphics team can create a memorable item you can use again & again. Ready to spread cheer?

We've written a lot this month about innovative product solutions & creative ways to market, but what about the visual side of creativity? Just like capturing attention through unique graphic designs, decoration that begs to be touched or adds an element of surprise will also become a go to item in the hand. Life's too short not to be notice. Let your brand make an entrance. It's all about the visual connection. Sometimes the polish, sophistication and unique placement of decoration will command attention. Take a look- pun intended! Ask us to share not only brands that matter, but decoration that adds an element of surprise!

Inspired by Japanese culture, asobu means fun and playful, and that is what we keep front and center in the design of our products. An Asobu bottle is designed with an emphasis on the aesthetics while always adding that element of fun in each of our unique bottles. January is National Hot Tea Month, and its National Creativity Month- so let’s look at some innovative ways to enjoy hot tea or other beverages. Some brands are more innovative than others. If you’ve never heard of Asobu.- it might be time for you to embrace the fun & playful side of your brand persona. Asobu is our way of bringing the best of hydration ingenuity to you to ELEVATE YOUR EVERYDAY. Their stainless steel bottles are made with the highest quality and safest materials. Bottles are produced from food grade stainless steel and are double walled with a copper lining for an extra layer of insulation. Their stainless steel bottles will keep your drink hot for 12 hours or cold for an entire 24 hour day. What types of designs and innovation do they offer? Not sure if you need a water bottle or prefer to have a mug in hand? Now you don’t have to choose- this clever insulated drinkware piece can be both a mug & water bottle. Watch this video to see how! Keep your ice cream frozen pool side or on the beach or prefer to have hummus or guacamole on the go? Take your 4-legged fur buddy on all your adventures with water bottles with removable drinking bowls to share a water break. Maybe you like to drink your beverages from glass, but you are afraid your daily routine will lead to broken glass- well this brand’s got solutions! Play music from your water bottle or store your earbuds? New way to enjoy your beer? Insulated bottle holders and unique beverage cooler. Working hard or playing hard and you need double the capacity of most containers. Even by the gallon, this brand has solutions! Maybe at the end of your day you like something “neat”- then this product is right for you. Offering consistency and style- we think it’s neat! Check out this line here. Keep following this series for more innovation. If you'd to make your brand stand out- perhaps something new for decoration? Which style seems the most fun, playful & intriguing?

Road Warriors- those individuals that can't sit still, they are consistently on the go for work or play. Don't they deserve THE BEST travel gear has to offer? Think about the brand engagement you are seeking at your next tradeshow. What types of incentives will get attendees to your booth and sharing their contact information with you? We all know that items that pack well for the return trip are an essential show selection. We should all know that the emotional response of the attendee to what you have to offer is important in product selection. Often we look for ways to reward & retain our road- warrior workforce. After-all, it's not a lifestyle for everyone. What types of products will help make an impact? Image winning name brand travel luggage from American Tourister. Positioned as one of the largest luggage brands in the world, thanks to its continued tradition of quality and design at a great value, American Tourister® is the smart choice for a wide selection of travel products, including luggage items as well as casual and business bags. Yep, we offer this brand- not everything we offer is featured on our website! Maybe your favorite is Samsonite? Samsonite® is a worldwide leader in superior travel bags, luggage, and accessories combining notable style with the latest design technology and the utmost attention to quality and durability. For more than 100 years, Samsonite has leveraged its rich design to create unparalleled products that fulfill the on-the-go lifestyle needs of the business professional. TUMI brand products. Exceptional quality and high performance products have made TUMI the leading International, lifestyle and accessories brand that travelers depend on consistently. This is what we call the TUMI Difference. You'll find elevated craftsmanship, durability and resiliency is in the DNA of everything produced. They create products that are sustainable and feature exclusive materials, creating travel solutions for today and beyond. The following five principles guide us as they continually evolve, creating innovating and testing products to meet the needs of consumers. ( notice those words, creative - innovative again) What will you put in those travel bags? How about rugged, ready to perform Such as this Thule Tech Keeper or packing cubes! Not familiar with the Thule brand? Check out our next blog post. Be prepared for Q1. Ask us to craft incentive programs for employee performance goals, gift programs or trade-show packages that include quality gear- ready for life's next adventure. Remember "brands travel"- we've been telling you that for years!

Did you know that 2023 is officially the Year of the Trail in NC? North Carolina has trails everywhere- from your local parks here in the triangle to hiking in the mountains or exploring the coast on 4 wheels, 2 legs or searching for trails left by wild horses. The beauty and expansive options for ways to see our state are abundant. What types of products will you want trail side? Warm beverages on a winter night. Gear Bags that aren't worried about rain or snow. Flexible options. Personal care in your pocket Maybe even your own Matador? Without the cape of course! Gifts, employee incentives and even loyalty redemption from your consumer base or trade-show attendee should show some creativity. Your brand has something to say- capture attention, hold attention. Be useful and purposeful with your branding choices. When your brand message aligns with the needs and values of your recipient- you'll be remembered. Can't get enough of the great outdoors? During the year we feature brands for outdoor enthusiast as a way to demonstrate non-traditional ways to engage your target markets, craft employee recruiting & retention programs and innovative ways to say thank you. When one takes the road or trail less traveled- the unexpected occurs. Brand engagement is about creating opportunity for your brand to be front & center in life!

Today is National Hat Day. Head-wear is always a smart branding choice. Not only do hats offer solid solutions to wearable challenges of sizing, but there are other wise reasons to consider a cap in your next wearable campaign- outlined in this 2020 post. The popularity of caps has grown since 2020; it's become one of the most requested wearables we offer. For that reason our showroom has a huge stock of stock & custom options, as well as trusted brand names. Hat enthusiasts all have features that matter when selecting caps- from profile to fit to fabric to decoration. Besides ease of distribution, head-wear as a wearable boasts impressive stat's for ROI for your branding: What type of headwear is popular? It depends on the season and demographic of your target markets. Trucker styles, premium golf brands and beanies are popular requests. Many of our recent posts have been about outdoor experiences, innovation & creativity. The Spacecraft Brand has always been about exploration- encouraging you to wander, create & explore and has become a vehicle for art and cultural interactions. For a limited time, we have some Spacecraft Brand caps- ready for decoration. ( Not familiar? This brand was conceived by a photograph of a snowcat at an Alpental backcountry run) Looking for more innovation? Ponytail caps have become a popular option- here's a snap-back trucker option. What features do you value in a cap?

A little rain or snow? Don't let that stop your travels. We love weather resistant duffels , ready for any adventure. What types of features can you expect? Oversized-Wide mouth opening make it easy to pack Lots of pockets Compression straps to prevent bag contents from falling to the bottom when in backpack mode Padded bottom cushions your gear from the ground Locking zippers deter thieves- use your own lock. Free run charges for embroidery up to 10,000 stitches. Thule brand likes to say, whether "exploring the spectacular nature of the great outdoors or traveling the world with family and friends, we all have a passion for enjoying an active life. At Thule, we share your desire to spend more time enjoying our passions – which means less time worrying about how to bring all the stuff we need. For more than 75 years, Thule has been creating solutions to simplify life’s adventures. We are committed to developing smart, stylish products that are environmentally sound, high quality, safe, and easy to use. All so you can bring the things you care most about." In fact, Thule suggests that: Whatever your passion, whatever your pursuit. Wherever you ́re going, whatever you ́re bringing. With Thule, you're free to live your active life to the full. Bring your life. All of it with you! The perfect travel companion? This tech organizer. Explore more gear for your next great adventure. Gifting & incentives should be about the recipient right? Any outdoor enthusiasts in your circles?

Effective branding relies on capturing one's attention. Staying with your target markets in a consistently visible way. A product that well, sticks around. What am I talking about? Stickers of course. Did you know we process images and visuals much faster than we process text alone? There are studies suggesting that a visual transmits information 60,000 times faster and that 90% of information our brain processes comes from our visual experiences. Stickers can be any size, any shape and for several years now stickers have become a sought after, hot collectible. Stickers can perform a function, make friends, entice the eye, be for fun or show some brand loyalty. Whatever the message- our graphic's team can create some ways to capture & hold attention for your brand message. Let's play with some concepts in our design studio!

Do you have something exciting happening in 2023? Add suspense, intrigue and excitement with a big reveal. Footprints come and go quickly in the waves. Even if only there for a few seconds- they make an impression that reflects a journey. Visually exciting moments, might be just the type of drama you need to make your news release more impactful. Is your company headed down a new path for 2023? Perhaps you have plans to launch a new product, additional services or celebrating a milestone moment in the timeline of your company. Make an impression on your target markets by disappearing. That's right. Disappearing. Add some magic to the moment. This is one of many ways to use clever graphic design team to share your story. Here is our line of mugs for disappearing ink. These mugs are also USA Made! * Note for those of you that need to know the science behind the magic, here's how disappearing ink works. Carbon dioxide reacts with moisture in the air to form carbonic acid (H2CO3).The carbonic acid caused an acid–base indicator in the ink to turn colorless.

Creativity Month must include coloring products. The playfulness is undeniable. Stock options are perfect if you don't have something in mind or need something quick turn. There are plenty of stock coloring books & pencils, totes & bags that can be colored at your booth or in your store. However if your business offers artisan products, creative services or needs interaction to retain educational messages- then custom is the way to go! Products that can be colored to add a layer of sensory engagement: Sharing educational messages with items such as rulers with fire safety tips. De-stress or overcome boredom in the airport for travelers with kits Use coloring puzzles, pennants, magnets or bandanna's to reinforce messages. Normally coloring books or stock images rely on coloring in the lines to make the image come to life, but our team enjoys coloring outside the lines! We look for ways to apply our innovative thinking and graphic expertise to custom projects! We think outside the lines. Many products can become a coloring surface. A banner can start as line art - leaving space to share your vision of the future. Messages create a graffiti effect and inspire discussion. Discussions lead to creative solutions. What are some ways we've applied our creative marketing & graphic design knowledge? Banners You might recall our community project raising awareness & having fun with kids. Custom storybooks, coloring books & activity book for community engagement, commemorative projects and education. We have samples in our design studio. Tee shirts for fabric markers & tie dye projects with schools. Grand opening event with local partners, like Sawdust & Clay offering access to learning, and one of a kind art for your home! These colored pencils & sticky notes, with a ghosted image of their branding, offered a way to put a little creativity in everyone's hand that attended. What types of products allow for some creative expression? Our showroom & graphic studio spaces are perfect for comparing & collaborating.

When your afraid of the dark- a flashlight can be your best friend. The beams, lumens and watts will help light up your surroundings. Most of us don't need a flashlight everyday, but when you need one, you want a quality solution. A flashlight will shed light down a path, illuminate the wall for shadow puppets, provide you piece of mind when the power goes out and make work easier by providing adequate light; hands free! We offer many quality brands of flashlights including Cree , Bayco and Nightstick When comparing options consider these tips. Lumen A Lumen is a unit of standard measurement used to describe how much light is contained in a certain area. One lumen is equal to the amount of light a candle lets fall on 1 square foot of area, 1 foot away. Lumen measures the brightness of a bulb. What is Beam Spread? Beam Spread or Beam Angle is the cone of light emitted from the flashlight. Watts The number of watts represents the power consumed by a bulb. LED Brightness and Beam Angle The total brightness of a LED bulb or flashlight is best to be measured in lumens. The common range is 10 lumens, which is minimum. 30 lumens works for most household needs Tactical work for police & military has 90- 1200 lumens, which light up objects at a great distance. Flashlights make a nice gift for new homeowners!