"Promotional gifts are often environmental pollution"
Promotional Items III What does the elite scene think of promotional gifts? When do they turn to promotional gifts? And which promotional items are trending among creative professionals?
Promotional products III What does the elite scene think of promotional gifts? When do they use promotional gifts? And which promotional products are in vogue among creative people? werbewoche received answers to these questions from Frank Bodin, Rolf Zimmermann, Markus Gut, Markus Ruf and Dominik Imseng. Rolf Zimmermann Managing Director Spillmann, Felser, Leo Burnett:
"Sure - we can also develop promotional gifts on request. But I'm not talking about ballpoint pens or umbrellas, but items that match the message of the advertising message or the brand. To find the right giveaway for the existing advertising idea,
we very often have the items specially produced. It is important that the promotional gifts do not cost too much in most cases and yet do not fall apart after three days. One of our better-known examples is the skier accelerator, which works like a ratchet and which we developed for our customer Swisscom for the Ski World Championships in St. Moritz."
Markus Gut Executive Creative Director Publicis:
"If promotional gifts make sense, they are a good way of attracting attention. However, it is essential to develop the idea first and then look for the right product. The best examples of successful promotional gifts are our giveaways for Sportplausch Wider. It is not for nothing that we have already won countless awards for them. They fit into the advertising and communication strategy, are surprising and exciting.
Unfortunately, there are also a lot of unimaginative promotional gifts, just any products with a logo printed on them without any advertising idea."
Markus Ruf Creative Director and co-owner Ruf Lanz:
"To be honest, I can't think of many useful applications off the top of my head. It's often standard merchandise on which car garages, pizzerias and pubs simply print their logos. There is rarely a comprehensible or even surprising connection to the advertiser. At best, an attempt is made to breathe a little sense into the whole thing with a thin play on words (à la "We are on fire for your order" on a lighter). Which doesn't make it any better. Interesting applications arise when there is first a good idea that makes a certain promotional gift compelling. Example: the give-aways that Markus Gut and I have been suggesting to Sportplausch Wider for a number of years and which are awarded with great regularity. It's significant that you usually don't find these giveaways in the catalog, but have to have them specially produced."
Dominik Imseng Creative Director McCann-Erickson Switzerland:
"Promotional gifts are also a creative opportunity. It's great if you can produce them yourself - like our flipchart pad for the NZZ Grandplus, for example. But even an ordinary ballpoint pen can be delightful - as long as the headline is right.
Once again, it's the idea that counts."
Frank Bodin CEO Euro RSCG Switzerland:
"In most cases, promotional gifts are environmental pollution. Or an active bribe. Promotional gifts only make sense if they convey additional content or if the advertising medium creates a special link to the product. Promotional gifts are like real advertising: without an idea, it's garbage."
SFLB for Swisscom.
Publicis for Sportplausch WiderPappstars as 'giveaways' for the private broadcaster NRJ.
McCann-Erickson for NZZ Grandplus
Survey: Annelies Friedli
"Sure - we can also develop promotional gifts on request. But I'm not talking about ballpoint pens or umbrellas, but items that match the message of the advertising message or the brand. To find the right giveaway for the existing advertising idea,
we very often have the items specially produced. It is important that the promotional gifts do not cost too much in most cases and yet do not fall apart after three days. One of our better-known examples is the skier accelerator, which works like a ratchet and which we developed for our customer Swisscom for the Ski World Championships in St. Moritz."
Markus Gut Executive Creative Director Publicis:
"If promotional gifts make sense, they are a good way of attracting attention. However, it is essential to develop the idea first and then look for the right product. The best examples of successful promotional gifts are our giveaways for Sportplausch Wider. It is not for nothing that we have already won countless awards for them. They fit into the advertising and communication strategy, are surprising and exciting.
Unfortunately, there are also a lot of unimaginative promotional gifts, just any products with a logo printed on them without any advertising idea."
Markus Ruf Creative Director and co-owner Ruf Lanz:
"To be honest, I can't think of many useful applications off the top of my head. It's often standard merchandise on which car garages, pizzerias and pubs simply print their logos. There is rarely a comprehensible or even surprising connection to the advertiser. At best, an attempt is made to breathe a little sense into the whole thing with a thin play on words (à la "We are on fire for your order" on a lighter). Which doesn't make it any better. Interesting applications arise when there is first a good idea that makes a certain promotional gift compelling. Example: the give-aways that Markus Gut and I have been suggesting to Sportplausch Wider for a number of years and which are awarded with great regularity. It's significant that you usually don't find these giveaways in the catalog, but have to have them specially produced."
Dominik Imseng Creative Director McCann-Erickson Switzerland:
"Promotional gifts are also a creative opportunity. It's great if you can produce them yourself - like our flipchart pad for the NZZ Grandplus, for example. But even an ordinary ballpoint pen can be delightful - as long as the headline is right.
Once again, it's the idea that counts."
Frank Bodin CEO Euro RSCG Switzerland:
"In most cases, promotional gifts are environmental pollution. Or an active bribe. Promotional gifts only make sense if they convey additional content or if the advertising medium creates a special link to the product. Promotional gifts are like real advertising: without an idea, it's garbage."
SFLB for Swisscom.
Publicis for Sportplausch WiderPappstars as 'giveaways' for the private broadcaster NRJ.
McCann-Erickson for NZZ Grandplus
Survey: Annelies Friedli
