2019 Wrap-Up: The 8 Weirdest Promo Product Stories from This Year

Here at Promo Marketing, we embrace some of the more, let's say, "interesting" stories that relate to the promotional products world. We always try to keep things entertaining and have a little fun while keeping our readers informed, you know? Today, let's take a look at a few of the weirder stories we reported on this year. (Click the titles to go to each story.)

Have fun, and don't forget to check out our other year-end wrap-ups here!

1. Chips Ahoy's $210 'Cookie Rig'

Apparently, Chips Ahoy thought we were all struggling with carrying cookies the old fashioned way, so it introduced a sort of Baby Bjorn for cookies, and charged a hefty price for it.

2. 'To Catch a Predator' Host Charged With Writing Bad Checks for Promo Items

We have to admit that we didn't see this one coming. Chris Hansen, best known for hosting MSNBC's "To Catch a Predator" was arrested for writing bad checks for about $13,000 worth of promotional products.

3. Our Introduction to 'Gorpcore'

Honestly, we haven't heard as much about Gorpcore as we thought we would after this story. Apparently it's a style, along with things like Normcore, to describe people who dress like they're camping all the time. These camping style water bottles and their popularity fit right in with that aesthetic.

4. KFC's Chicken Bucket Hat

There's probably a Yakov Smirnoff joke about getting hats in Russia, but this is no joke. KFC released a bucket hat that was only available in Russia. Let's give it a shot: In Soviet Russia, hat wears you*! (*You are fried chicken in this joke, and you're in the hat.) OK that didn't work. We'll leave the jokes to the professionals.

5. The Curious Case of the In-N-Out Burger in New York

How a fully intact burger from In-N-Out Burger managed to make it all the way to New York City was a national mystery. The guy who found it capitalized on it immediately by making merchandise celebrating his find and selling it to raise money for charity.

6. Miller Lite's Beer Can Video Game Controller

Video game technology has come a long way. A fully functioning video game controller that doubles as a Miller Lite can wasn't something the gaming community was clamoring for, but it was still a fun idea. It was especially cool that the only way to get it was to beat comedian Eric Andre at Mortal Kombat.

7. Pittsburgh's Sinkhole Bus Merchandise

Remember that time a sinkhole opened up in Pittsburgh and tried to swallow a whole bus? The internet being what it is, everything remotely close to a meme has to have its 15 minutes of merchandise fame, whether or not it reminds some commuters of a particularly bad morning.

8. Nike's Dog Poo Shoes

We try our best to stay ahead of the fashion trends, but there's always a new one that leaves us scratching our heads and complaining about The Youth. These Nike shoes that dropped for the cannabis holiday 4/20 have a design that makes them look like you stepped in dog poop. Which, we guess the kids are into these days? A lot has changed since we went to high school.

We're sure we'll have plenty of out-there stories to cover in 2020, and we can't wait to laugh, roll our eyes or scratch our heads with you every step of the way. We're looking forward to another eventful year in promo and beyond. Starting Tuesday Dec. 24, our Headlines and Threads newsletters will be taking some time off for the holidays, but don't worry. They'll be back Thursday Jan. 2 to catch you up and keep you updated on all things promotional products.