Think promotional products are all pens, mugs and tote bags? Think again.

Some of our favourite enquiries at Brand’d start with something along the lines of:

“This might be a weird one…”

Or:

“I don’t know if you’ll be able to get this, but…”

And, quite often, those turn out to be the best ones.

Because while there will always be a place for a great pen, a quality drink bottle or a beautifully branded tote bag, the world of promotional products has become much bigger, more creative and considerably more interesting.

Promotional Products Have Changed

Branded merchandise isn’t just about handing out inexpensive giveaways with a logo printed on them anymore.

Businesses across New Zealand are using promotional products and custom branded merchandise in much more thoughtful ways. They’re creating memorable event experiences, welcoming new employees, thanking clients, launching products, styling corporate events and finding clever ways to incorporate their branding into the everyday customer experience.

Sometimes the perfect product is something you’d expect to find in a promotional catalogue.

And sometimes it absolutely isn’t.

You Want Your Logo on WHAT?

Recently, we’ve had some wonderfully different sourcing requests come across our desk.

One client was looking for branded hair clips for an event.

Another needed glass water jugs branded for a hospitality environment.

Then there was an enquiry involving the sourcing and branding of collectible toys.

Three completely different products. Three completely different purposes. And three very different approaches to getting the branding right.

That’s part of what makes custom promotional products so much fun. The starting point doesn’t always have to be, “What promotional products are available?”

Sometimes the better question is:

“What would actually work brilliantly for this idea?”

Sometimes the Product Already Exists. Sometimes It Needs a Little More Imagination.

When we receive an unusual brief, there isn’t one standard way of approaching it.

Sometimes there’s already a suitable off-the-shelf product available, and it’s simply a matter of sourcing the right option and determining the best way to apply the branding.

Other times, the product exists but isn’t traditionally considered promotional merchandise. That’s when we need to think a little differently about how the brand can be incorporated.

Direct printing or engraving isn’t always the answer.

Custom packaging, branded sleeves, labels, swing tags, inserts or presentation boxes can sometimes transform an otherwise ordinary retail product into something that feels completely bespoke to a brand.

And when the right product simply doesn’t exist? That’s when we can explore completely custom manufacturing.

The aim isn’t to put a logo somewhere simply because we can.

It’s to find a solution that looks intentional, represents the brand properly and works for the way the product will actually be used.

The Product Is Only Half the Equation

Finding the right promotional product is one thing.

Making sure it can actually be branded well is another.

The material, shape, surface texture, heat sensitivity, logo detail, colours and intended use of a product can all influence which branding method will produce the best result.

Something that looks straightforward on a screen doesn’t necessarily behave the same way when it reaches production.

We recently encountered exactly that situation. A heat-applied branding method was leaving visible press marks on a waterproof material. Rather than accepting a result we weren’t happy with, the production method was changed and a different branding process used instead.

It’s a small example, but an important one.

There’s a lot that happens between “We found the product” and “Here’s your finished branded merchandise.”

Choosing the right decoration method, whether that’s screen printing, embroidery, engraving, digital printing, transfers, labels or something completely different, can make just as much difference to the finished product as the item itself.

Why Unusual Products Can Make the Best Promotional Products

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a pen. We love a good pen!

But promotional merchandise becomes particularly powerful when the product feels relevant to the person receiving it.

Imagine attending an event and receiving a branded hair accessory created specifically to complement the experience.

Or visiting a hospitality venue where beautifully branded pieces are naturally incorporated into the setting rather than feeling like advertising.

Or receiving a carefully selected collectible that you genuinely want to take home and keep.

That’s when branded merchandise stops feeling like a giveaway and starts becoming part of the brand experience.

The best promotional product isn’t necessarily the most expensive or the most unusual.

It’s the one that makes sense for the person receiving it and the brand giving it.

Got a Weird One?

Some of our favourite enquiries still begin with:

“I don’t know if you’ll be able to get this, but…”

Try us.

You don’t need to know who manufactures it. You don’t need to know what branding method it needs. And you definitely don’t need to find it in a promotional products catalogue first.

Tell us what you’re trying to achieve, who it’s for and roughly what you have in mind, and we’ll take it from there.

From everyday promotional products and corporate gifts to unusual custom branded merchandise and those wonderfully random ideas you’re not quite sure what to do with, we love helping turn an idea into something tangible.

Because when we say Your Brand on Anything, we really do like putting that to the test.