Product Hub February 06, 2017
8 Hot Products From ASI Dallas
The ASI Show Dallas teemed with great products from industry suppliers from across the USA. Counselor’s Christopher Ruvo had a blast patrolling the show floor for cool items. Many caught his eye, eight of which we feature here.
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Adult coloring books have been selling strongly at retail and within the promotional products industry. Now, the smart folks at Cardplant (asi/43823) have tapped into the trend with these greeting cards that can be colored. Another highlight? Cardplant products are independently certified for sustainability, capitalizing on consumers growing interest in green products. Distributors, suppliers and end-clients can use these cards as self-promotional tools, providing a caring personal touch that will resonate with customers. http://cardplant.com/
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Nightclubs, DJs and concert/festival organizers are among the clients who will be keen for Strike Promo’s (asi/67451) Thunder LED Wristband – a fun, ingenious item that flashes light when activated by movement and sound. www.strikepromo.com
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The Inspired Dye Collection from Next Level Apparel (asi/73867) includes crews, tanks and pocket tees that are made with a garment dye process that allows for softer shades and finishes, capturing a lived-in look and feel that exudes vintage chic. Colleges, fraternities, sororities, high schools and other fashion-forward end-users love the style. The Pocket Crew (7415) shown here is especially sought-after. The side-seaming and combed ringspun cotton create a super comfortable feel – something also helped by the tear away label. http://www.nextlevelapparel.com/
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Trucker hats that feature a mesh back and snap closure are wildly popular with a broad range of end-clients, from craft breweries and contractors, to manufacturers and automotive companies – which, yes, includes the professional demographic that gave the hats their names…truckers. Available from Ivory Headwear (asi/62972), the flat-bill style (2541) shown here is huge with youthful audiences, while the curved bill style (2239) carries cross-generation appeal. “This style,” said Ivory’s Jake Lutton of the curved bill, “is one of the most popular hats in America.” http://www.ivoryheadwear.com/
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I live in the sticks. My first job was on a farm, bailing hay and cleaning stables. As such, I’m a sucker for apparel that harkens to the great outdoors. I especially liked this Woodlot Winter Overtime Hockey Hoodie from Gamehide (asi/46701). The 250-gram performance fleece fabric is comfortable, and the hockey-style lacing and tipping puts me in the mind of cold winter days playing pond hockey. Clients whose end-users harbor a similar love for the outdoors will appreciate the hoodie too. They’ll also like the fact that Gamehide has licenses to provide authentic camouflage fabric, which decorators can use to create appliqued imprints. In this way, patterns in logos can match the camo accent patterns on different apparel pieces, creating a unified look. http://gamehidecorporatewear.com/
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Everyone likes efficiency – especially when it involves being able to pop open a beverage and deliver a charge with the same device. This nifty new item (ED703) from Tomax (asi/91435) does just that. It’s a bottle opener/cable combo that empowers you to charge either your MicroUSB or MFI lightning cables – and open fresh cold ones. Beverage brands, technology companies, clients that target millennials – all could benefit from promoting themselves with this product. http://www.tomaxusa.com/
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Oowee Products (asi/75126) is an Asheville, NC-based company that makes beautiful beverage sleeves from 100% cowhide leather. Sleeves for bottles, pint glasses, cans, mason jars and highball glasses are among the offerings, which also include coasters. Logos and images are burned into the leather using a custom-made branding head. Especially cool? The sleeves are made in the USA from American materials. Plus, Oowee partners with the Autism Society of North Carolina to employ adults on the autism spectrum, who hand stitch the products. (www.ooweeproducts.com)
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It’s still winter, but the bug season will soon descend upon us. Fight back against bees, mosquitos and other pests in a fun way with this racket-shaped bug zapper from The Premium Line (asi/79370). To kill insects, users hold the power button and swat the pests with the metal mesh surface, giving them a quick zing. Landscapers and pest control companies will love this one! www.thepremiumline.com/
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