Promotional Sporting Goods

With the recent Cricket World Cup, the current cricket Twenty20 World Cup, the Rugby World Cup and the Women's Football World Cup (from China) now in full swing, plus the forthcoming Ryder Cup and Beijing Olympics all to look forward to in 2008, not to mention our own (London) Olympics in 2012 – sport is very much in the limelight. Off the pitch, its characters are also making headlines with Martin Allen leaving Leicester, Jose Mourinho leaving Chelsea, David Beckham popping up everywhere … and then there's the activities of the WAGS (wives and girlfriends) to entertain us.

Sport is on everyone's radar, whether you are taking part in it, watching it, or just cursing it for taking over the airwaves of your favourite radio station (OK, so that's personal!). Even for those who are non-sporty, today's fashion definitely has a sporty element: who doesn't own a polo shirt that's never played polo, a baseball cap that's never graced a baseball ground or pair of trainers that have never been on a track?

In this feature on Promotional Sporting Goods we are also looking at the items used to promote forthcoming sports events as well as the sporting goods themselves. So, take your seat in the stands … and let's kick off with the top to toe of promotional sporting goods.

FROM THE TOP

Starting at the top, we've taken Baseball Caps as a given, as they are so popular, and focused instead on this soft brimmed hat from Taylor Made Designs. This hat was part of a promotional collection that included a bag, mini balls, stress balls, frisbees and an iPod holder armband.

TMD (www.taylormadedesigns.co.uk) produce a huge amount of bespoke promotional clothing.

Moving on, Rio UK Ltd (www.riouk.co.uk) has launched an organic T-shirt bespoke ordering service. Now clients can specify their own pantone requirements, when sourcing organic tees. Lab dips are produced for approval within one week and once approved, production commences and delivery is 4-6 weeks later, depending on quantity.

The 100% cotton organic T-shirt is 180gsm, and available in sizes S – XXL. Minimum order quantities are relatively small …only 500 pieces per colour.

But there's more to sportswear than the ever-popular T-shirt. The Corporate Merchandise Company (CMC) is highly experienced in working with companies to provide an extensive range of sports clothes, sports equipment and kit bags for promotional purposes.

CMC (www.cmc-uk.net) can supply a complete range of sportswear – from tracksuits and sporting jackets to training tops, football shirts, rugby shirts, polo shirts baseball caps and golf equipment. The company has a whole section devoted just to sportswear in its catalogue.

According to Nathan Collé, Marketing Executive at CMC, sportswear is one of the company's most popular product sectors. He says, "There is always a demand for quality sportswear as it is practical, comfortable and fashionable. People wear sports clothes for both exercising and relaxing – increasing the opportunities for your company name to be seen."

Another essential sports related item is the kit bag. CMC supplies a whole range of sports bags and rucksacks that are ideal for sport but can also be used for fashion. Some feature inside pockets for an MP3 player, side pockets with mesh, front expandable pocket to accommodate a standard ball/helmet, padded shoulder straps, reflective stripes and a large decoration area. Almost all of CMC's sports bags are available in a range of different colours.

SPORTS BOTTLES
If all this talk of sport is making you thirsty, then you might be interested in reading about sports drinking bottles.

However, drinking from the HydroSport Bottle, looks like a sports activity in itself!

Each wrist water bottle holds 11 ounces of water or sports drink for hands-free exercise. They weigh 1/2 lb each when filled and come in three colours. (www.hydrosport-usa.com)

The aforementioned Taylor Made Designs suppliers more traditional sports bottles for promotional purposes and also supplies over 50,000 per year to the leisure and health & fitness industry.

To keep your sports drink cool, Big Brand China supplies sports bottle covers/coolers which are produced in SBR

(Styrene Butadiene Rubber) that cover sports bottles or aluminium water bottles and can even supply the aluminium water bottle too.

The Drinkool (pictured here) makes me feel cool just looking at it.(www.bigbrandchina.com)

SPORTING AWARDS & TROPHIES
Using rubbish to create rewards is proving quite lucrative for Special EFX following its successful production of awards to mark the culmination of the inaugural Recycle for Cumbria Golf Championship. (www.awardefx.co.uk)

Made from recycled plastic bottles, the awards were presented by the environmental campaigner and TV personality, John Craven, and brought to a close a month-long golf tournament and recycling roadshow.

CMC also supplies a range of glass awards and trophies to suit sports events. The awards can be bespoke or themed and include drinking vessels (goblet, flute, tankard and whisky glass), or perhaps a decanter, coaster, paperweight or a range of plaques.

KEEPING MOTIVATED WITH MUSIC
Whether jogging or working out in the gym, having your own music helps to alleviate the boredom, but how best to carry your motivational music with you?

Inspire Promotions has the ideal solution with its iPod Nano armband that can be branded with a corporate logo and company details.

With minimums from as few as 500, allied to great prices what are you waiting for – on your marks, get set, go! (www.inspirepromotions.co.uk)

SEARCHING FOR INSPIRATION
But if you are still stuck for business gift or merchandising ideas for sports or other promotional purposes, visit Tradewinds new ideas generator at www.tradewinds.eu.com. Search thousands of products from England, Europe, America and The Far East. Search by industry, themed ideas, product ideas or price and then refine your search to discover the colours you are looking for. Keyword and brand searches combine with all of the other filters to deliver ideas on products which are in production and available from Tradewinds.

PROMOTIONAL SLAP WRAPS
When Action Medical Research wanted to publicise their recent Action100 Charity Bike Ride, their first thought was to leaflet the area … that was until they spoke to dynamic sourcing agency, Tomato Source (www.tomato-source.co.uk).

Emma Beeson, Director of Tomato Source, takes up the story, "OK, so a slap wrap is not a new product but the way we used it was. Action 100 Medical Research wanted to print flyers to promote their charity bike ride as part of the regional activity in the South West. To avoid the 'littering fine' recently imposed by Bristol City Council on the city centre, we suggested reflective slap wraps to put on all parked bikes in and around Bristol. A useful tool for promoting the event, the slap wraps could also be used by cyclists as trouser grips or wrist straps with a 'be safe, be seen' safety function. So with our environmental hats on, we avoided a littering issue whilst at the same time, we created a useful safety device that also proved a successful awareness tool, with the added benefit that on-going use would generate a long-term reminder of the charity and its work. "

So, we started with hats, and we've progressed through T-shirts, track suits, sports bags and bottles, not to mention awards and trophies, and we've got as far as trouser grips,

but I promised you 'top to toe' so we are going to finish with these laser etched promotional flip flops from Taylor Made Design.

I think we can safely say we've covered the sporting promotions goods from 'top to toe' and all manner of places in between.

Carole Bull
Editor

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