THE COOL THING ABOUT this section is that it encompasses all the others: cutting-edge solutions, popular industry events, innovative products and packaging and the visionaries behind it all. Promo is fueled by fresh ideas. Distributors, suppliers, business service providers and all other entities related to branded merch are constantly thinking about new creations, marketing campaigns and ways to connect with their customers. Everyone is striving for that eureka moment when they can make their dreams – or those of their clients – come to fruition. The honorees in this category are recognized for pushing boundaries and breaking from convention to make not only the industry but also the world a better place. Coolest Contest Since McDonald’s Monopoly Logomark is a Red Star Sponsor of “Shelter to Soldier,” a nonprofit organization that adopts dogs from local shelters and trains them to become psychiatric service dogs or emotional support animals for active-duty military and veterans. At The PPAI Expo 2025, the California-based supplier held a naming contest to announce the arrival of its newest rescue dog. Nearly 300 distributors participated, with the winning suggestion coming from Leez Osterstock of BAMKO, who named the spunky 10-month-old shepherd-lab mix Bodie. Coolest Eco-Friendly Collab Ahead of skuconX, commonsku partnered with New Jerseybased supplier Visual Textile Resource to create 48 tablecloths for its annual conference ahead of The PPAI Expo. After the event, the tablecloths were shipped to Texas-based supplier Numo to be upcycled. The company’s team then cut and sewed each tablecloth into pouches, which were redistributed to every skucon attendee. “Our team is proud to continue to work with such innovative supplier partners who not only create amazing merch for at-event experiences, but who also think beyond the event and toward future impact,” says Mark Graham, president and chief brand officer of commonsku. Coolest Anger Management Therapy When L’Oréal was preparing to unveil its Extraordinary Clay line of products, the cosmetics giant asked Harper+Scott to create an influencer mailer for the launch. Wanting to create an experience with an emphasis on “impact,” the New York City-based distributor conceived a basketball-sized ceramic sphere filled with the products and an all-custom, color-matched hammer for smashing. Beauty influencers like Alexis Jayda posted the destruction and surprise inside, igniting millions of impressions on social media. 40 • MAY 2025 • PPAI Must Read | The Coolest Stuff in Promo
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