drawstring cotton bag:6 Really Weird Promotional Product Campaigns
Sometimes offering something a little off the beaten path – a custom cooler bag, a thermal mug, a bobble-head doll – goes a long way towards winning over even the most skeptical of targets. Some brands go a little too far in their attempts to be unique, though, and release promotional campaigns that are weird, wacky, and sometimes even a little insane.
Here are the six weirdest promotional product campaigns in recent memory, if you ask us:
1. Imprinted Horse Covers
Promotional products first came about all the way back in the late 1800s. Industry pioneer Jasper Fremont Meek made a killing printing advertising messages into covers for horses, of all things. Soon they were all over town and he expanded his business to create one of the first advertising agencies.
2. Coffin-Shaped Beach Towels
coffin towelWe get it: sun damage causes skin cancer. The message may have taken too dark a turn back in 2009 when the group Friends of Cancer Patients handed out coffin-shaped black beach towels with skin cancer messaging directly to beach combers.
3. Diamond Candles
Diamond Candles made a business out of promotional products. They sell beautiful scented candles but the catch is that each one comes with ring worth either $10, $100, $1,000 or even $5,000 in every order. The mystery keeps buyers guessing and has turned the business into a lightning-fast profit maker.
4. Banana Case
These have become increasingly popular lately in part because of their novelty effect. Who needs a case for a banana? Big brands and fruit companies have taken to giving these away as gag gifts for employees.
5. Message in a Bottle
guinnessBeer-maker Guinness wanted to increase brand awareness on North America’s Atlantic Coast so in 1959 they dropped over 150,000 bottles into the sea. The bottles contained brand messaging from the beer company as well as instructions on how to turn the bottle into a table lamp!
6. Meat Cologne
Leave it to Burger King to top The King with the weirdest perfume ever to hit the market. In 2008 the brand released the Eu de Flame Broiled – actually sold in select NYC cologne stores – that smelled like char-grilled meat. It was called Flame by BK and though sales weren’t high it sure did make the young male demographic laugh.
What’s the weirdest promotional item you’ve ever seen? We prefer classic stuff like custom printed bags and logo pens but maybe we’re just biased.
Contact The Bag Ladies today to chat about your promotional product needs!
