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.

Football Festivities

With the world cup approaching, here at Gift Selection we have lots of promotional products relating to the football festivities that are on the horizon.

If you’re looking for some branded T shirts, horns, flags – you name it, we can supply everything you will need. We’d prefer these to be England based promotional items, but we won’t discriminate.

If you do buy some promotional flags, spare a thought for pensioner Doreen Carnelly who put full-sized flags across Sturgeon Avenue Nottingham, only to see them cut down by the council. “I felt terrible. I cried. I was upset. It has hurt me so much,” Doreen Carnelly told her local newspaper, the Nottingham Post.

The city council cut the rope and left the flags on her hedge. Officers said it was illegal to attach items to street lights and complaints were made. Now council leader Jon Collins has said it was an “error of judgement“.

Environmental Concerns

Environmental concerns are rising, as more than 80% of the massive Gulf of Mexico spill is still escaping into the ocean almost a month after one of BP’s oil rig exploded. Tragically 4,000 barrels a day are still spewing into the sea, despite an attempted fix using a tube to funnel oil to the surface.

Yesterday their CEO Doug Suttles, said the four inch wide tube which is inserted into the broken pipe by underwater robots is managing to catch 1,000 barrels a day. He said “We are throwing absolutely everything at this” – I wouldn’t say a four inch tube everything, but what do I know. Unfortunately the oil spill has already spread over ecologically sensitive reefs and other ecosystems, while BP as said they will pay “necessary” clean-up costs and will award damages for “legitimate” compensation claims.

If you’re the sort of kind hearted sole who feels the pain of the Earth when unfortunate situations like this occur, then you will appreciate great quality eco friendly promotional products.

Eco friendly promotional products from distributers like ecoproducts2order come in many forms, from low cost classic cotton shoppers, to up market water powered gadgets. If you want to show of your business’s eco friendly credentials, investing in green promotional products will be a great way to get your brand across.

Branded Phone Accessories

If you’re one of those people who has their phone permanently in their hand, or some hands free nonsense in their ear, then David Cameron won’t want you in his new Cabinet.

Members of David Cameron’s new cabinet have been banned from having their mobile phones and Blackberrys with them during meetings. The prime minister told them the rule at their first gathering on Thursday. There was laughter in the room when Mr Cameron had to call Justice Secretary Ken Clarke to attention, as he was still engaged in another conversation.

Quite right too that’s what I say! These people are running the country, you want them paying attention to what’s going on, not updating them bloody Twitter page mid meeting. “Yeah sorry Dave I was just downloading a new App”. Put your phone away man that’s what I say!

Anyway if you do love your phone, you’ll love the range of promotional mobile phone items available from Gift Selection. People have a real affinity with their phones, which in turn can make relating promotional items very popular. If you’re looking for promotional skins for phones, promotional phone charms, promotional phone docks even, then you know who to call.

Not So Happy Meals

A couple of days ago, the more observant amongst you will know that I talked (typed?) briefly about McDonalds. Well funnily enough Happy Meals will not be quite so happy in parts of California, as the Santa Clara County authorities in a landmark move, have banned restaurants from giving away toys and other promotional items with high-calorie children’s meals.

Passed in a 3-2 vote this week, the limited ordinance targets any meal that contains more than 485 calories, 600 milligrams of sodium or certain percentages of fat or sugar. “This ordinance breaks the link between unhealthy food and prizes,” said Supervisor Ken Yeager.

This is not the first time they’ve made the headlines with their healthier eating promotions. In 2008, the county’s board voted unanimously to require menu-labelling for fast-food restaurants, placing Santa Clara alongside San Francisco and New York City in efforts to curb obesity.

One quarter of children in the area are overweight or obese and officials say they are tackling an “obesity epidemic”. They said toys were being used to lure children to high calorie foods loaded with salt. Ken Yeager, the county supervisor behind the ban, said: “This prevents restaurants from preying on children’s love of toys to peddle high calorie, high fat, high sodium kids’ meals. It breaks the link between unhealthy food and prizes.” Food outlets will be stopped from offering toys with meals that do not meet a set of basic nutrition standards. There will be a limit of 485 calories per meal.

But Harlan Levy of McDonald’s disagreed, saying: “It substitutes the county’s judgment for the judgment of parents. It does nothing to address a holistic response to the problem.”  What do you suggest instead then Harlan? How about just banning McDonalds altogether? Would that be an holistic approach?