Just like with attractive stationery, when it comes to mugs, I’m an avid over-collector (anyone else?). Whether it’s a beautifully handcrafted ceramic vessel or a cute commemorative design that symbolizes a special meaning for me, the siren call sucks me in, and my kitchen cupboard overfloweth…with far more mugs than my husband or I could possibly use.
Thus, the purge.
I recently KonMari’d our mug shelf, and what now remains are only those pieces that truly bring us some coffee (or tea 🙋🏻♀️)-infused joy in the mornings…because we find them beautiful and/or personally meaningful in some way. And among those left standing, only ONE branded promotional mug made the cut.
A mug gifted to me by Radian Photography
In and of itself, there’s nothing particularly innovative about a promotional mug, yet this piece is not just the only one of its class in my pared-down collection — it’s also my favorite piece of branded swag I’ve ever received. Why?
It’s useful. As far as branded promo items go, usefulness is Marketing 101, my friends. That glass paperweight, cheap phone charger (that either isn’t compatible with your phone, or short-circuited within a week), and “one size fits all” boring XXL t-shirt are good for about one thing, and that is fondly remembering the great comedian Mitch Hedberg and his polite quip: “Here, you throw this away.”
It’s beautiful. Do you see a giant, tacky logo on this mug? No. In fact, unless you already know the company who gave it to me, you probably won’t recognize that attractive, little logo submark at the bottom (which belongs to my friends at Radian Photography, by the way). This mug has a clean, modern design that hints at their brand without the use of a visual megaphone.
(If you worry that minimal logo usage won’t inspire people to remember your brand…when was the last time someone wrote an entire blog post about your company’s swag? A 2019 study of business gifting revealed that items sporting company logos are actually less likely to be rated “very memorable” than non-branded gift items, and are also the least likely to be rated as “preferred gifts” — so if you do go logo, do so very thoughtfully.)
Of course, having a beautiful brand identity to begin with is a major foundation for memorable branded items, but that’s a discussion for another day…
It’s meaningful. “Craft a life worth documenting.” Wow. When I received this gift from Radhika and Ian several years ago as a token of their photography company, it struck me forcefully in the heart. A mug did that.
Two of the subtly custom-branded mugs we incorporated into gift designs last year.
I didn’t see just a cute little slogan…this was a statement, simple and clear, that spoke to an inner desire of mine, and likely of so many others. As I write this, my husband is flying cross-country to promote his award-winning invention at the biggest music retailer tradeshow in the country. I’m making preparations to expand my company into a new city (heyyy, Nashville!). Both aspirationally and for the way we’re living now, this mug is so us.
And so I kept it.
