By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Order in the court. Today’s case is one we’ve all seen before—lurking in desk drawers, trade show totes, and onboarding kits everywhere. 🚨 The Crime Branded stress balls.Yes. Still. And let’s be precise here. The classic foam stress balls? Absolute trash. The squishy gel ones? […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Yes, this is real. People are wearing a Lowe’s bucket… as jewelry. A chunky silver chain with an enormous acrylic bucket pendant sold out. And honestly, of all the things to sell out, this was the thing. Not because it’s objectively beautiful.Not because it matches […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Most companies think they’re doing swag the right way… and accidentally end up creating the exact kind of branded merch people quietly avoid wearing. Not because the intention is bad.But because the approach is backwards. If your company swag feels like a requirement instead of […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Yes. Syrup shoes exist. Denny’s leaned all the way in with Sticky Kicks—limited-edition sneakers with real maple syrup sealed inside them. Not syrup-inspired. Not syrup-colored. Actual syrup. In the shoe. The drop was tied to National Maple Syrup Day, sold exclusively online, and disappeared fast […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Happie makes plant-based wellness products designed to help people feel genuinely good in real life—no pressure, no perfection, no weird vibes. So when it came time to create branded merchandise for trade shows and team events, we knew the merch had to feel exactly like […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert And yes… I said what I said. When someone tells me they’re “in promotional products,” I instantly picture the stuff that ends up in the bottom of a junk drawer two days later. You know exactly what I mean: That’s why I hate when people […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Some branded merchandise is made to promote a company.But the best custom branded merchandise is made to promote a person — or more specifically, the version of themselves they’re becoming. That’s exactly what Allegra Cohen’s new merch drop does. It treats joy like the leadership […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert Apparently, one in four Gen Z and Millennials carry their own condiments.Condiments. In their bags. I had to read that twice.Then three times. 🤔🤔🤔 But once the shock wore off, I realized… it actually makes perfect sense. Some people mainline lattes. (👀 Lorelai Gilmore)Some people […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise Expert I say this with love: Your logo might be good… but it’s not that good. A logo is a symbol.It’s important — but it doesn’t carry your entire story on its own. And when it comes to branded merchandise, this is where a lot of […]

By Amanda Hofman, Chief Swag Officer and Branded Merchandise ExpertWe’re officially in the “always eating” season — you know, the time of year when every meeting has cookies, every inbox has a “holiday treats” email, and every doorstep is one delivery away from becoming a snack warehouse. So let me rant 🤬 for a second […]