2018 Wrap-Up: Our Favorite Promotional Products Stories of the Year

Well folks, this is it. This the end of our 2018 wrap-up. It’s been a great year for us at Promo Marketing, and we’re glad you’ve been there to share it with us. From a professional standpoint, we’ve done a lot of promotional products stories that we’re proud of. Some were in-depth studies, some were silly features, and some were something in between.

It’s always hard to pick our favorites, but we’re going to give it a try. So, without anymore fanfare, here are our favorite stories from 2018.

1. Purdue Pharma and Promotional Products: Marketing America's Opioid Crisis
Our Tom Higgins did a long form report on how Purdue Pharma used promotional products and marketing to push deadly opioids, contributing to the ongoing opioid epidemic in the U.S.

2. Comedian Brings Getty Images Branded Bag to Emmy Red Carpet, Internet Loves It
Comedian Emily Heller knew that photos from the Emmy Red Carpet would likely have the Getty Images watermark on them anyway, so she just went ahead and did it for them with a hilarious custom handbag.

3. One Direction's Merch Store Finally Shut Down and I Can't Believe I'm Saying This But There's a Real Lesson Here
Sean Norris did a deeper dive than was probably necessary into the online presence of One Direction merchandise, and managed to find some real useful information in there.

4. Nike’s New Apparel Idea Has a Terrible Name But Is Pretty Genius
“Wipers By Nike” sounds pretty strange, but it’s as on-the-nose as you can get for this idea. Nike patented a design that turns workout clothes into towels, or “wipe zones.”

5. How an Arkansas University Boosted Enrollment 29% Through Promo Items Gift Box
Promotional items really do have an impact. This gift box from the University of the Ozarks in Arkansas was so effective that it boosted the school’s enrollment by a considerable figure.

6. Stop What You're Doing and Watch Sylvester Stallone's Pen Commercial
The title really speaks for itself, and we don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but we’ll just say Sly made a ridiculously intense commercial for an equally ridiculous pen.

7. Instagram for Promo: 5 Ways to Build and Connect With Audiences
Social media integration is more important than ever for any business. Here are five ways distributors can use Instagram to connect with their potential customers.

8. Dilly Dilly and IHOb: What Makes a Marketing Campaign Successful While Others Fail?
Bud Light’s “Dilly Dilly” campaign and IHOP’s “IHOb” campaign were both sort of weird, but one was wildly successful while another was universally panned. Why?

9. Promo Distributors Weigh In on the Secret to Naming Your Company
So you’ve created your business plan and you’re ready to get started, but what do you call your company? We spoke with some distributors about the importance of a good name.

10. This Is the Best Story About a Promotional Banner You Will Read All Year
The story of how a couple of Bostonians accidentally stumbled upon the 2018 ALDS banner after it fell off a truck on the way to Fenway Park for its unveiling ceremony.