Pop-Up Shops

We love wacky branding ideas; guerilla marketing that stops and smacks you in the face (not literally). That’s why I was pleased to hear that Unilever is planning to open a number of Marmite pop-up shops as it looks to establish the brand’s positioning in new areas.

Last year Marmite opened a limited-edition pop-up shop on Regent Street, and is now set to launch new pop-up shops in 2011.Matt Burgess, managing director of the brand, admitted it is plotting further launches:

“We are looking at 2011 and it is under serious consideration. But it needs to be slightly different than before. It needs to be a new location, unusual location and bespoke.”

The pop-up shop in London was open seven days a week and stocked more than 100 Marmite-inspired promotional products. Marmite if you’re listening, Gift Selection can supply you with a full range of branded items!

Branded Seeds!

The US Supreme Court has made the controversial decision to allow the bio-tech company Monsanto, to sell genetically modified seeds before safety tests are completed.

Environmentalists had argued that there might be a risk of cross-pollination between genetically modified plants and neighbouring crops. They also argued over-use of the company’s weed-killer Roundup, the chemical treatment the alfalfa is modified to be resistant to, could cause pollution of ground water and lead to resistant “super-weeds”.

Monsanto make alfalfa, a grass like plant used as animal feed, which is the fourth most valuable crop in the US. Monsanto says claims its products were dangerous amounted to “bad science fiction with no support on the record”.

You may be wondering what the devil all this has to do with promotional products; well not a great deal, but you may not be aware that Ecoproducts2order offers branding bags of seeds (that are GM free). Branded bags of seeds, are a great low cost promotional item, that can be used as an innovative mailing idea.

Branded bags of seeds is just one unusual item that ecoproducts2order can offer, call their friendly team of promotion experts today to discuss your next promotional marketing campaign.

Feeling Fruity?

The Fruit-Pack from Sweets2order promises a great deal of summer freshness. The delicious fruit puree provides natural refreshment in the summer flavours strawberry, banana or passion fruit and creates likeable, high attention-grabbing value.

The promotional Fruit-Pack is approximately 20cm in length, and comes in a hygienic protection packet that can be opened easily, thanks to its optimised tear strip, which enables the fruit puree to be simply squeezed out of the aroma pack.

Whether enjoyed as sorbet straight out of the freezer or non-cooled, the fruity contents always taste delicious anywhere. The packets can be customised with a full colour digital print, for minimum orders of 1,050 pieces.

Sweets2order doesn’t just provide promotional confectionery, it has a great range of complimentary items, such as drinks and as well unusual promotional items like the Fruit-Pack.

If only I could guarantee the weather will be as summery…

Continued Environmental Concerns

US President Barack Obama has called on his party and supporters to back a “new future” of clean energy.

Visiting areas affected by the BP oil spill, he said the full resources of government were being used, with 17,500 National Guard soldiers available. BP’s US head, Lamar McKay, is to return to Congress shortly for further questioning.

Oil has been spewing into the Gulf of Mexico since a drilling rig it leased exploded and sank in April. The company has put the cost of the clean-up to date at $1.6bn (£1bn).  Mr Obama has been touring Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, on his fourth visit to the region since the spill.

He promised Americans living on the Gulf of Mexico that their beaches would be restored to pristine condition, vowing that he would bring full force to bear on BP to pay for the damage from oil pollution. He is due to put his demands to BP executives when he meets them face to face for the first time on Wednesday.

Remember if your business shares the planet’s environmental worries, and would rather market itself using eco friendly promotional products, then contact the friendly team over at Ecoproducts2order.

Queuing for an Ipad?

Have you got an iPad yet? I must admit I didn’t think Apple’s latest device would be as popular as it is, with stores sold out throughout the UK.

At the recent Apple convention, Steve Jobs reiterated that over two million iPads have been sold since its April launch (in the US), which amounted to one being sold every three seconds. He also said that in 65 days, users had downloaded over five million books equaling two and a half books per device.

It can’t be long before a range of promotional products become available for the new iPad, and when they do, the friendly team here at Gift Selection & Gadgets2order will be the first to offer them.

Don’t forget we can currently supply a great range of high tech promotional products, that are ideal for bringing your brand into the 21^st century.

World Cup Warriors

 The world cup is nearly upon us and if your business wants to get involved with the festivities, why not invest in some themed promotional products from Gift Selection.

 Make some noise for your favourite team with the Boogieblaster – the original sound from Africa. Don’t be fooled by its small size, because the sound will blow you away! A handy feature of this product is the removable mouthpiece, meaning you can conveniently pack it away in a box.

I must admit the Boogieblaster is my favourite promotional item, however I’m also a big fan of the branded retro footballs. These are the official size, featuring four layers with a lace closure. Thanks to the good quality imitation leather, the ball can be embossed to great effect.

Another great product, perhaps for the more eccentric football fanatic is the ‘Fan Helmet’. This is the ultimate piece of fan gear, they can be personalized to your taste with the football patches, spikes, devil-horns, mini-horns and warrior accessories! Tell me you don’t want some warrior accessories!

Brand Your Brollies

Branded umbrellas have more functions than you may first realise. Perhaps you are looking for a corporate silk parasol to shade your delicate features from sun? Or perhaps a more manly affair is in order, to protect you from the bitter elements. Or maybe your part of the Byzantine church, and need an umbrella for religious purposes? Or a keen photographer and need one for portraits? Or for something more sinister, like a Bulgarian umbrella that shoots poison. Or perhaps you innocently want to decorate your Pina Colada?

 To clarify a point and make a distinction…

 The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect one from the sun, while an umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect one from the rain. The word umbrella is from the Latin word ‘umbra’, which in turn derives from the Ancient Greek ‘ómbros’. Its meaning is shade or shadow. The word parasol came into being from the word ‘para’ meaning stop or shield, and ‘sol’ meaning sun.

The first basic umbrellas were invented over four thousand years ago, with evidence of them being used through the ancient dynasties of Egypt, Assyria, Greece, Rome and China. It is more likely that these ancient parasols where designed to shade the ancient aristocracies from the sun, rather than decorate their Del boy cocktails.It was considered until relatively recently to be an accessory suitable only for women. That was until a Persian traveller and writer, by the name of Jonas Hanway (1712-86), carried and used an umbrella publicly in England for thirty years. Thanks mainly to him; the umbrella became popular among gentlemen too, with them often referring to umbrellas as a “Hanway.” Hilariously, a footman by the name of John Macdonald noted in his memoirs that on using his umbrella, someone had shouted at him ‘Frenchman, why don’t you get a coach?’

Four thousand years later the first umbrella shop arrived on 53 New Oxford St London in 1830, and went by the name of “James Smith and Sons”, and is still open for business today. These umbrellas were considered quite a luxury, being made from either wood or whalebone and covered with alpaca or oiled canvas, with the curved handles made from harder woods like ebony.

It was in 1852, when Samuel Fox invented the steel ribbed kind, which are recognisable today. The industrious chap set up the ‘English Steels Company,’ to manufacture these umbrellas to a wider market. Interestingly the common umbrella was the inspiration behind the creation of the parachute. By the Victorian era, parasols became very popular to keep the sun at bay, as pale skin was all the rage. They were made from silk and fine cottons, with extra trimmings such as fringing, tassels and lace.

It is hotly disputed as to who invented the first collapsible or telescopic umbrella. In 1920s Hans Haupt in Berlin made a pocket umbrella. While in 1930s America, a collapsible umbrella  was produced called the ‘Growey’’. Both sides claim to have invented the first collapsible umbrella.

Stronger nylon canopies came into being in the 1950s, which made the manufacturing of different colours popular, while clear canopies being particularly fashionable in the 1960s. These days corporate umbrellas tend to be made from very light weight and Teflon coated fabrics, but are essentially the same design that Samuel Fox made in 1852.

Order your new branded umbrellas from Gift Selection or The Umbrella Store today.

Apple defend conditions at iPhone factory.

Apple head honchos Steve Jobs has defended conditions at their Tai factory that produces the firm’s popular iPhone, following a string of thirteen suicides and attempted suicides.

The deaths have shone a spotlight on working conditions at the factory, where workers - often from rural China - work up to 12 hours a day, six days a week. But Mr Jobs defended the conditions; “You go in this place and it’s a factory but, my gosh, they’ve got restaurants and movie theatres and hospitals and swimming pools. For a factory, it’s pretty nice,” he said.

If you are concerned about the sourcing of USB memory chips, or any other electrical components that we sell here at Gift Selection or Gadgets2order, then rest assured that all our promotional products meet environmental and ethical standards.   

Branding Chocolate

Cadbury’s Flake is ditching its famous strap-line ‘Only the crumbliest, flakiest chocolate’ , after their new owners Kraft, feel a change of direction is needed for their marketing. The latest TV add for the chocolate bar will mark a shift in strategy for Cadbury’s Flake, as  one of the longest-running strap-lines in Britain will be axed.

Created by Fallon, the TV ad airs on 8 June on Channel 4, featuring new Flake girl ballerina Yulia Lobova. The ads vanished without a trace in 2004, but were since resurrected when the brand re-launched in 2007, with multi accented Joss Stone as the new star.

If you want to use chocolate to promote your business, then contact the branded confectionery experts over at Sweets2order.com. Branded chocolate bars are their bread and butter (so to speak). Why not make it more difficult for them, and ask them for a branded chocolate ingot or a bespoke chocolate business card!

Rest assured that any branded chocolate bought from sweets2order is made to the highest standards, either here in the UK or from the continent. Beware of rival suppliers offering cheap promotional chocolate that was swept from the floor of a Chinese factory.