PPB October 2020

Chinch / Belle Hung / Shutterstock.com Cute As AButton For more than a 200 years, badges have been used to celebrate achievements, commemorate occasions, provide identity and show support for favorite causes. From birthday buttons to sheriff badges, these handy and highly visible items have been used to communicate messages at a glance. The first promotional item in the U.S. was reportedly a commemorative button made to celebrate the election of George Washington in 1789. In 1896, supplier Whitehead & Hoag acquired the first patent for a button fastened to a metal pin, or “badge pin.” Today’s button designs are printed on paper, laminated and then placed over a piece of steel and covered with a back that has a safety pin, clothing magnet, bulldog clip or refrigerator magnet attached. Lightweight and cost-effective when ordered in bulk, buttons are integrated throughout society, and are found in places of both authority and leisure. credentials, and some may include a barcode to grant wearers access to a certain office, building or shared space. To promote school spirit and address security concerns, schools can distribute a lanyard imprinted with the school mascot to all students, faculty and staff, coupled with an ID pouch displaying the wearers’ information. In schools, badges with barcodes allow teachers to gain access to buildings and conference rooms, and students can use badges with barcodes to pay for lunch, check-out books and keep track of attendance. Badges and lanyards also help school staff learn students’ names faster, and children who have trouble keeping track of their lunch money or house keys could also benefit from a lanyard with a vinyl pouch to secure their belongings. For trade shows and conventions, lanyards and badges serve two purposes: security and networking. When wearing a badge and a lanyard with your name and your company’s name on it, people who are interested in you and your services can easily find and address you. Chargeable lanyards are next-level event gifts for attendees who may need to recharge their phone after taking pictures of products and making notes of potential business partners. In many hospitals and medical facilities, workers can’t enter without scanning the barcode on their badge. But while a lanyard dangling from a doctor or nurse’s neck would get in the way of attending to patients, a retractable badge reel is the perfect onboarding gift for staff, complete with an imprinted logo. Lanyards are affordable and highly customizable. For the highest-quality image and the greatest legibility and durability, turn to nylon lanyards. Choose from hooks, bulldog clips and badge reels, the most popular designs, or key rings, buckles and breakaway clasps to hold a badge or key fob. Lanyards also serve as an avenue for self-expression. As the latest fashion trends lean toward function and utilitarianism, lanyards have started appearing in the styles showcased during major fashion weeks. In fall 2016, lanyards were incorporated in the collections of high- style brands like Louis Vuitton. Versace created a Graeco-waves printed lanyard on a cord and Armani designed a black leather lanyard. FromMilan to Paris and then New York, Michael Kors draped black leather lanyards on his male models, explaining that they were for men who couldn’t keep track of their phones. While lanyards continue to play a bigger part in street fashion and everyday use, they also bring awareness to important issues. Pink lanyards imprinted with allover hot-pink cancer ribbons can be sold to raise funds for breast cancer research, while camouflage lanyards imprinted with “Support Our Troops” can help raise funds and show support for the U.S. military. Convenient and versatile, end users will never know they need a lanyard until they’ve lost their work badge, can’t find their keys or drop their phone—again. Think ahead for your clients with a product that’s been around since the 16th century and has yet to lose its value. The lanyard has many benefits—but its greatest is its staying power. | OCTOBER 2020 | 43 GROW