My love for race merch might (𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵) supersede my hate for junk swag.

Which leads me to ask: is there 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 a good time for junk swag? My answer might surprise you. 🤔

My husband finished the GFNY France Grand Fondo yesterday, an 85-mile bike race in the hills of northern NJ. At the expo, he was handed the following bright green branded things:
🟢 drawstring bag
🟢 a mini pouch bag
🟢 luggage tag
🟢 eye mask
🟢 pen

This part is key: he was also given a pretty bomb neon riding Jersey that everyone in the race has to wear to compete.

In general, I love the bright green branding and the “Be a Pro for a Day” slogan. The eye mask is pretty clever (though junky) and I can see people using the luggage tag when they’re traveling to races. The pen and the two bags are semi-useful trash. 🤷‍♀️🗑️

I’ve never had any use — not one — for a drawstring bag. Why do we still make these?

Back to the main point, Is there ever a good time for junk swag? I say yes under these conditions:

🟢 the junk items are strongly branded (like these) and have clever uses that are appropriate for your audience
🟢 ✨you also give out a high-quality item✨ that includes some choice (in this case, size)
🟢 there are options to buy high quality merch of your choosing (in this case, these were at the expo)

So in the end, yes, you can sometimes (rarely) give out junk swag with my blessing, as long as you meet these three criteria.

What do you think? Do you enjoy swag bags like this? And most importantly, have you ever (ever!) used a drawstring bag??