Promotional Product Touchdowns!

Whether you’re a fan of football or not, you can’t help but feel the tension and the excitement that builds as the NFL playoffs lead up to the annual Super Bowl.  After all, Super Bowl Sunday is  practically a de facto American national holiday. 

Even if (like me) you don’t really understand the game, it’s a great reason to host a party.  In fact, Super Bowl Sunday is the second-largest day for U.S. food consumption after Thanksgiving Day.  And, when it comes to television ratings, the Super Bowl doesn’t play second fiddle to anybody.  Watched by more than 111 million viewers, it is not only the most watched American sporting event, but the most watched television program of the year.  Even those who aren’t interested in the game want to see the half-time show (complete with the promise of fireworks and wardrobe malfunctions) as well as the creative commercial spots that everyone will talk about ’round the water cooler on Monday morning. 

Many people say that football is like life, and if you’re a Vince Lombardi fan, you can’t help but agree.  The legendary football coach is famous for his quotes like: “The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work;”  ”If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm;” and “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” 

But, if I had to choose my favorite football quote, it would be this one:

 ”The reason women don’t play football is because eleven of them would never wear the same outfit in public.” ~Phyllis Diller.

 Ms. Diller, I hear you!  No self-respecting lady wants to be seen wearing an outfit that looks just like somebody else’s, and as the Queen of Promotional Products, I don’t want you to have run-of-the-mill football themed promotional products either.  That’s why A Creative Touch offers more than 4,200 football-themed products to help you celebrate Super Bowl Sunday (and every other football game that leads up to it from Pee Wee football to college football to NFL league games). 

Here are just a few of the unique, creative football themed promotional items we can customize for you:  a football-shaped USB (great for tracking the office betting pool or keeping Fantasy football spreadsheets in one place); car antenna and auto accessories;  noisemakers, pom poms and cheering accessories; tailgating accessories; backpacks; football schedule magnets;  mini footballs; collapsible water bottles; sweatshirts; rain ponchos; spirit gear; lapel pins;  bobble heads and so much more.

15 Reasons to Reward Employees and Customers

Lapel pins are a great way to reward people.  They may be little, but receiving lapel pins feels like a lot of recognition.  When you recognize and reward employees and customers, you promote a positive, productive, and innovative business climate.  It’s a proven fact that motivated employees and happy customers are critical to a company’s bottom line. By recognizing their dedication, commitment and initiative, you boost their morale, increase productivity, build enthusiasm and create powerful profits.  Here are 15 great ways to use lapel pins and other promotional products to reward your employees and your best customers:

You can reward:

1.  Employees ‘caught’ giving outstanding customer service to your customers

2.  Employees who come up with the best cost-saving ideas

3.  Salespeople who meet or exceed their sales goals

4.  Employees (or even customers!) who come up with the best name for a new product or service

5.  Employees who achieve a year (or 5 or 10 or more) of service with your company

6.  Salespeople who make the most cold calls in a day

7.  Managers who inspire their teams to achieve new heights in their respective departments

8.  Customers who give the most or the best referrals

9.  Customers who give good suggestions

10. Employees who refer or recruit new employees to your company

11. Employees who contribute to workplace safety

12. Employees who complete additional training to enhance their knowledge of your industry or product line

13. Employee of the Month or Employee of the Year

14. Employees who receive praise from customers

15. Customers who buy from your frequently or spend lots of money on your products or services

If you need to thank someone for excellence in one of the categories above, then contact us for creative ideas on products and pins that will be the perfect reward or motivational tool for your organization!

NASCAR Lapel Pins

If you live in the South, you’ve always known NASCAR.  But over the past ten years, NASCAR  has become a household brand across the country. Nowadays, almost anybody can identify NASCAR as those guys racing at 200+MPH around an oval track. 

It’s a pretty extreme sport, and the drivers are usually great sportsmen and celebrities in their own right. As with any popular sport, memorabilia and collectibles are important to the fans. NASCAR is no exception.  NASCAR fans aren’t shy about showing their lovel of racing.  You can find shirts, hats, posters, and of course, lapel pins that feature favorite drivers for this beloved sport.

NASCAR collectible lapel pins (like the one shown here) are gaining in popularity and are a great idea for any lapel pin collector. You can focus on collecting a pin for each driver, and even past drivers, which could make for some more valuable collectibles.

In fact, lapel pins have been the linchpin of the NASCAR Foundation’s fundraising activities.  Each year, the foundation creates a new pin, making the pins a great collectible item.  The foundation offers official NASCAR Day pins (NASCAR Day is May 15th)  in exchange for a $5 donation.  The pins are sold at events and online as well as at select retail locations.

The NASCAR Foundation, is a non-profit organization that seeks to raise funds and increase volunteerism to support nonprofit charities and charitable causes throughout the nation.  Their emphasis is placed on initiatives that affect the ability of children to live, learn and play. 

Celebrities likw Will Ferrell, Kelly Clarkson, and Kevin Costner have all contributed their star power as spokespeople for the NASCAR Foundation.  The NASCAR Foundation began in 2004, and has already raised more than $6.5 million for the Children’s Miracle Network and other children’s charities. 

Looks like it’s not just NASCAR race cars that have lots of power; so do lapel pins!

How to Make a Lapel Pin

Ever wonder how custom lapel pins are made?  You’ll be surprised at all of the work (much of it done by hand!) that goes into making these miniature pieces of wearable art….

A Brief History of Lapel Pins

The earliest lapel pins were made as adornment, rather than statements and are difficult to distinguish from pins or brooches. Lapel pins, however, are typically smaller in size than decorative pins and brooches, usually measuring no higher than one inch.

During the American Civil War, lapel pins were introduced to the armed forces. They were worn by a soldier to distinguish which unit he was fighting in, and to encourage a sense of loyalty and camaraderie within the unit.

But by World War I, the significance of the lapel pin had changed. Instead of being given to all soldiers as a way to differentiate units, lapel pins were awarded to select individuals to distinguish them for exemplary service in the field. Using lapel pins as an award for service is still a common practice in all branches of the armed forces today.

Inspired by their military use, politicians and patriotic citizens started wearing pins to show support for their country. Wearing patriotic lapel pins is a global tradition that extends from the United States to China to Russia.

Later, other groups began using lapel pins. Civic organizations, religious groups, fraternities and sororities, for example, often wear membership pins to their meetings and events. Lapel pins are also used by schools, sports teams, charities, and businesses to promote loyalty and rapport. Colored ribbon lapel pins are also a popular way to raise awareness for causes like breast cancer, child abuse and domestic violence.

For more on the history of lapel pins, read this article from ehow.com .

20 Reasons for Lapel Pins

I love lapel pins because they an unobtrusive and tasteful way to make a statement about your beliefs, affiliations, and values.

These hard-working little metal billboards are one of the most low-cost, yet effective ways to deliver a message. They’re also excellent conversation starters, instant builders of camaraderie, and strong visual messages.

Looking for a reason to wear a lapel pin? I’ve got plenty for you.

You can wear a lapel pin to:

20. Dress Up or Decorate Your Lapel
19. Brag About Receiving Special Employee Recognition or a Prestigious Award
18. Identify Your Membership in a Fraternity or a Sorority
17. Demonstrate Your Affiliation with a Professional Organization
16. Support a Charity or a Cause
15. Cheer for a Sports Team
14. Show Your Holiday Spirit
13. Commemorate an Anniversary
12. Celebrate Your First Parachute Jump, Kayaking Adventure, or Yoga Retreat
11. Show That You’ve Joined a Club
10. Break the Ice at a Networking Event
9. Promote Your Business
8. Create Awareness About Breast Cancer, AIDS, Autism, etc.
7. Prove That You’ve Been to a Museum, the Hard Rock Café, Disneyworld, etc.
6. Encourage Pin Collectors and Traders to Trade with You
5. Promote a Sale, a Special Promotion, or an Upcoming Event
4. Identify Yourself as a Conference or Trade Show Attendee
3. Show Your Loyalty to a Branch of the Military or a Civic Organization
2 Advertise Your Interests, Hobbies, and Beliefs
1. Show Your Patriotism

So what are you waiting for? Give me a call and we’ll help you design your own personal lapel pin billboard today!