I love being home for the summer, but I am anxious to return to the sea of red that is University of Madison. During the freezing Wisconsin winter I see white snow, brown barren trees, black boots, and red jackets. Everyone – the jocks, the nerds, the “coasties,” the hipsters, and even the professors – don bright red Bucky Badger apparel; and at a campus of 40,000 students that’s quite an accomplishment. Before this summer I interpreted the unofficial red uniform as an explicit display of UW Madison’s fervent school spirit. Now though, through my internship within the promotional products industry, I have a much different perspective.

I see the campus’ universal and eager acceptance of the university color as evidence of one of the most successful promotional product campaigns ever. Upon its founding in 1848, promulgating the school and developing an excellent reputation with a rodent mascot named Bucky must have seemed daunting. Yet they doggedly created any product imaginable – pens, golf tees, leg warmers, calendars, iPod cases, stationary, overalls, ice cream, underwear, you name it – with the university logo or mascot. Thus UW Madison’s exhaustive red campaign thrives still today, and enthusiastic Badger students like me can revel in its success.

What is even better is the unbeatable pricing but you have to be willing to wait approximately 45-120 days from proof approval as this is an overseas capability. So if you are planning for or aware of an event that you would like to see a custom product for, why not start early and get exactly what you are looking for? You will be able to choose colors, fabrics and add-on features to make that product much more memorable. Contact us today if you would like to know more about customization.

Not only are there pre-loaded movie tickets but you can choose from an array of different card categories that include  music download cards for music buffs, plant-a-tree card for environment friendly gifts, DVD and magazine subscriptions, and hotel and dinning certificates just to name a handful.

Pre-loaded cards are a great gift for people to use at their leisure and can enjoy with family and friends.

As many of you already know we can provide tradeshow giveaways such as totes, pens and stress balls but did you know that there are also pop-up banners (even eco-friendly options) as well as the whole tradeshow booth itself? These items come fully equipped with all the tools you will need and easy to assemble…a one stop shop. And the best part is that each item can be branded as the pricing is all inclusive. Banners and pop-ups range in styles and sizes so if you are looking for something specific, please reach out to us, chances are we have it.

With summer officially kicking off June 21st, it is only appropriate to share a great way to display your team spirit. Whether you are a baseball or football fan, what better way to show your team pride than with the Ultimate Tailgater Kit. This kit has everything you will need to route on your favorite team, just add a BBQ and some friends and you have the perfect recipe for a great time.

The commission does not need to pre-approve any labels or claims by a manufacturer. But recently, the commission has tightened its definition of Made in the USA to, “exclude items with more than negligible foreign content.” There is no quantitative measure which adds some confusion but it is expected that the majority of components are in fact Made in the USA. This doesn’t mean, however, that anyone can go around placing a USA label onto their products. There are law enforcements in place that catch anyone making false claims.

With this all being said, there are many well-known retailers producing merchandise that is USA made, which is great in boosting our economy. The Row, a line by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and Tiffany & Co. have recently provided their consumers with lines that are specifically US made. This is also becoming a growing trend in the promotional products industry. We have recently added a “Made In The USA” section highlighting only a handful of items that are USA Made. So if you are looking for something to be patriotic this coming Fourth of July, check it out.

*Information provided by http://business.ftc.gov and a trusted supplier*

Embroidery: Decoration consisting of needlework created using a special machine that is programmed to stitch a design combining texture, pattern and color

Sequin Embroidery: A technique in which sequins are embroidered directly onto a garment or cap. Sequins available in Silver Metallic, Transparent, Gold Metallic, Royal Holographic, Pearlized, Black, and Red Holographic

Applique: Decoration or trimming cut from one fabric piece and stitched to another to add dimension or for design techniques. Applique is available in Sparkle, Felt and Twill 

Laser Applique: A laser beam is used to cut single or multiple fabric layers revealing a fine, detailed design

Reverse Applique: A technique that involves placing a piece of appliqué on the back side of the garment fabric. The design is laser cut into the top layer, in this case the garment. The cut pieces are pulled away to reveal the appliqué underneath

Laser Etching: A process that uses laser technology to etch or burn a mark on a fabric surface. This technique allows you the freedom to decorate in different locations. Placement include: Shoulder to Shoulder, Vertical, Left Cuff, Pocket, Back Yoke, Bicep, Split Front Full Chest, Left Chest, Full Back

Screen-printing: The process of printing by squeezing ink through screens allowing color to pass through open areas to create a design. Multi-colored designs are achieved using one
screen for each color in the design

Don’t feel like you are held in picking one method above. Different decoration methods can be combined to create a unique, one of a kind piece. For instance, you can choose etching and applique, shown below. You are only limited by your imagination and the possibilities are endless. Come up with your own ideas or Apropos will be more than happy to help formulating solutions for your logo. *References courtesy of VA*

QR Codes

A QR Code is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR Barcode readers and camera phones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data.

Common in Japan, where it was created by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave in 1994, the QR code is one of the most popular types of two-dimensional barcodes. QR is the abbreviation for Quick Response, as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed.

Although initially used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing, QR Codes are now used in a much broader context, including both commercial tracking applications and convenience-oriented applications aimed at mobile phone users (known as mobile tagging). QR Codes can be used to display text to the user, to add a vCard contact to the user’s device, to open a URL or to compose an email or text message. Users can also generate and print their own QR Code for others to scan and use by visiting one of several free QR Code-generating sites. Frank C. Hudetz, a US Marketing Services Professional, claims to have invented the idea of mapping bar codes to a URL.

QR Codes storing addresses and URLs may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards, or on just about any object about which users might need information. Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader application can scan the image of the QR Code to display text, contact information, connect to a wireless network, or open a web page in the phone’s browser. This act of linking from physical world objects is known as a hardlink or physical world hyperlinks.

Google’s mobile Android operating system supports the use of QR codes by natively including the barcode scanner (ZXing) on some models, and the browser supports URI redirection, which allows QR Codes to send metadata to existing applications on the device. Nokia’s Symbian operating system is also provided with a barcode scanner, which is able to read QR Codes, while mbarcode  is a QR code reader for the Maemo operating system. In the Apple iOS a QR Code reader is not natively included, but some iTunes Apps, for free, are available with reader and metadata browser URI redirection.

Use in marketing

Recently, QR codes have become more prevalent in marketing circles and have been integrated into both traditional and interactive campaigns. Media where QR codes have been deployed include: billboard ads, in-store displays, event ticketing and tracking, trade-show management, business cards, print ads, contests, direct mail campaigns, websites, email marketing, and couponing just to name a few. QR codes are of particular interest to marketers, giving them the “ability to measure response rates with a high degree of precision” allowing for easier ROI (return on investment) calculation, thus helping justify spending on marketing budgets. QR codes have also been used at trade shows and in conferences.

QR Codes can be seen on an art festival map for Canton Ohio’s “First Friday”. The QR Code was designed by Think Roth, a multi-media marketing company from Ohio. The QR Code on the festival’s map takes you to a “phone friendly” map with coupons for free coffee and art discounts around town.

In street art, La Pluma Eléctri*k (street art collective based in Madrid) and Space Invader (from France) are only two artists who use it in the street for art purposes.

In July 2009, QR-code was created for character design and promotional materials in the Shane Acker film 9. The use of QR-code was part of the characters in the movie and culminated into a promotional campaign with unique QR-code cards, posters and street advertisements on billboards or public transportation for major popular art events. These advertisements were largely focused upon the attendees of the 2009 San Diego Comic Con and 2009 Oscars. QR-codes were integrated into the artwork and symbolized individual characters in the movie. Instructional pamphlets and videos were released to explain how the codes could be retrieved and deciphered. QR-coded artworks could be read with QR-capable cellphones for prizes and access to exclusive online content. This was one of the first major integrations of QR-code with Hollywood studios and urban environments. (Per Wikipedia).

Embroidery, which can be added to embellish many different products, such as bags, blankets or add your logo to a jacket, or apparel. It will make any piece look professional and retail-like. Unlike screen-printing, embroidery is priced out by the number of stitches, not by the number of colors in the artwork. This allows for artwork that has many different colors. There is also a digitizing charge that each new order will incur. This is the same concept as a set-up charge but this entails the layout of where each thread will be stitched into a specific embroidery program. This digitizing is also referred to as a tape charge. Once a tape is created, it can be reused over and over again. No need to pay for this with your next order so long as the size is within 20% of the original layout.

If you do not know the number of stitches of your logo and have no set artwork, we will price you out at 5,000 stitches, which tends to be the average and adjust the pricing once a concrete art file is presented. So no need to stress if you like an item but are unsure of the embroidery portion, we will be happy to help.

However, not everything can be embroidered and the placement of the logo is most important. If the embroidery hoop cannot fit in the place where you want your design, then an alternative location will be presented that will still look just as good, if not better.

Not only do you need to keep in mind where you place your logo but the size of your logo as well. The smallest text that can be embroidered is ¼.” Anything smaller than this will be filled in and unrecognizable. This is something you want to keep in mind if you have small text or registration marks. Our embroiderer has been a great partner to work with and time and time again has exceeded our expectations.

TIPS TO REMEMBER:

Embroidery is priced by the number of stitches

Not limited to the number of colors in the art

Provide a copy of your logo to obtain an accurate price

Not all products or areas on a product are embroider-able

The smallest text needs to be 1/4″ for clean embroidery

Don’t forget to ask for help when you need it

These mittens are fashionable and come in a variety of colors. Since the beginning of the Winter Olympics last year in Canada, these mittens have continued to be  hit and are great for both men and women. To help you track down your favorite mittens, here are a couple suggestions. Retail stores such as Nordstroms and Macy’s are now carrying the fingerless mittens and can be a great stocking stuffer for the Holiday season. But you can also personalize them through Apropos for office giveaways and gifts.

Next time your finding your fingers to be a bit frost bitten, think about grabbing some mittens.

Embroidered Mittens