Promotional Products Brief History

Beginning with commemorative buttons used in George Washington's inauguration back in 1789, promotional products have had a long history as effective means to advertise and/or promote a message, logo, image and/or event. When businesses realized early on that promotional products, then called "novelty and specialty goods", could be used to advertise and promote, the promotional products Industry began to grow, giving way to new and exciting products and providing businesses with new tools for growth.

The promotional products industry as we know it began in earnest in the late 1800's, and it was nurtured by an unexpected group of individuals: newspaper owners. In retrospect, it makes perfect sense that those with access to printing presses and technology related to printing should be the pioneers in the use of promotional products. During sluggish economic periods for the newspapers, promotional item imprinting provided much-needed additional revenue and filled an advertising void that few realized existed.

The first promotional business products were everyday, practical objects that companies knew their customers needed: bags, calendars, horse blankets, fans, and aprons. The simplicity of filling a need and expanding one's business through name recognition proved a stroke of marketing genius for imprinters and advertisers alike. In this pre-television and radio time, companies were able to spread their message and business farther than ever thought possible, their logo and information traveling with customers to be seen by other potential customers.

Aside from being practical, promotional products have also come to be recognized for their historic and artistic value as each company tried to put its own individual identity forward in increasingly unique and attractive ways. As a result, the promotional products of yesteryear may be worth a tidy sum to collectors and historians today. In other words, dust off those elaborately decorated metal Coca-Cola trays and get them on EBay!

Today, we have over 8000 unique items to promote your business.  Promotional products cost per impression is much less than most other media’s.