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IS THERE ANYTHING more American than baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet? Yes. And promotional products distributors will be glad to learn the item just might be the promotional button. Yes, that’s right, the promotional button. From the time of Abraham Lincoln and before, people have used it to tout causes from the fronts of their lapels. It’s a staple of both politicians and protesters, and more recently, its popularity as restaurant “flair” seems to be on the rise. No one will forget “I Like Ike,” or the more current button reference, “Potter Stinks!” Now though, with improved printing processes, customers can get their buttons noticed, even if they don’t have a slogan as good as “Make Love, Not War.”

George Gaida, promotional products division manager at LarLu, Winona, Minn., has seen how advances in technology have improved quality. According to Gaida, “Technology has made it possible to provide overall faster delivery, with multicolor and full-color imprinting on both small- and large-quantity orders.” This means, even smaller distributors can provide their customers with the best quality button. Which is good news, because with an expanded election cycle and campaign spending at record highs, distributors are likely to see a plethora of political customers coming in. He mentioned the upswing before elections is noticeable at LarLu and foresees this trend continuing. “I believe political buttons will continue to have a place in campaigning and election politics,” said Gaida, adding that he thinks of them as personal billboards that “are inexpensive and long-lasting.”

But as much as technology helps, it isn’t the be-all and end-all. Gaida reported service and prompt delivery can go further to win a distributor’s trust than even the latest innovation. He said, at LarLu, “It’s a reputation we’ve built over our 46 years in the industry.” Clearly, in the case of both the company and its product, longevity wins the sale.