When Canada Sportswear (asi/43682) was approached by a distributor to create a slate of face masks for the children’s ward of a large hospital in Halifax, the Toronto-based supplier wanted to inject some fun into the serious nature of masks.

“Now that everyone has to wear one, having a mask that’s more than just a stark reminder of what’s going on in the world, I think it lightens the mood a bit,” says Michelle Wilson, an inside sales rep for Canada Sportswear.

Canada Sportswear came up with eight kid-friendly designs for the children’s-sized masks it created for a Halifax hospital.

The supplier’s design team went to work and came up with eight lighthearted designs – incorporating smiley faces, stick figures and other kid-approved imagery into the masks. The hospital loved the masks and ended up inquiring about pricing for a second order. All told, Canada Sportswear has made more than 900,000 of the children’s masks for its client.

Canada Sportswear’s mask project has been recognized as the winner of Counselor’s recent Decorated PPE Challenge, receiving 2,616 votes in an online poll that closed earlier this month.

In June, Counselor asked the promotional products industry to share the most creative and interesting imprinted masks and other personal protective equipment they’ve worked on since the coronavirus pandemic started. The Decorated PPE Challenge had more than 50 entries, all of which were impressive in their own right. ASI writers and editors narrowed the field to 10 finalists, then opened the voting up to our readers. At the tail-end of our online poll, Canada Sportswear took the lead by a fairly wide margin.

Considered an essential service, Canada Sportswear was able to stay open throughout the societal shutdown measures, because it manufactures and supplies uniforms for police departments, paramedics and firefighters, according to Wilson. That also helped the supplier get a jump on the wave of demand for PPE. “We were able to get a head start and start sourcing reusable cloth masks both domestically and off-shore,” Wilson says.

The supplier doesn’t see the need for PPE dropping off anytime soon. “It started to slow down, then provinces mandated the use of masks in public areas, and it just exploded again,” says Ron Brownstein, general manager of Canada Sportswear.

In addition to injecting a bit of fun into a serious situation, masks have also become a branding necessity. The supplier is used to making logoed shirts and jackets for uniform programs. Now, Wilson adds, “A mask is part of that package.”

Though Canada Sportswear took top honors in Counselor’s challenge, several of the runners-up are also worth a mention.

2. Preloved Masks from Redwood Classics (1,623 votes)

Redwood Classics (asi/81627) created these masks for Preloved, one of its Toronto-based clients that rescues old clothing and upcycles them into new and unique pieces. The masks are made from old wool sweaters and include a signature red heart on each. For every set of masks sold, $3 are donated to Canada Helps COVID-19 Relief. The upcycled masks “promotes sustainability by saving hundreds of sweaters from hitting our landfills,” says Ashley Chan, administrative and sustainability specialist with Redwood. “This project is in line with the 3 Ps of our brand values – people, planet, profit.”

3. Festive Face Shields from Morris Magnets (242 votes)

Morris Magnets (asi/72521) in Monroe, WA, designed 50 custom face shields for its production staff who were returning to work with new safety protocols. “We set these up to make the new requirement fun and to allow our employees to show off their unique sense of humor and personalities,” says Callie Kite-Strinden, sales manager at Morris Magnets.

4. Welcome Back Kits from Essef Distributors (241 votes)

Essef Distributors (asi/52710) in Mineola, NY, created a Welcome Back Kit that includes a mask, gloves, hand sanitizer and a CDC prevention flyer. “This kit was created to assist businesses with reopening in the wake of the pandemic,” says Brent Elenowitz of Essef. “We included the essential PPE supplies in this bundle to offer employees and customers peace of mind while getting back into the swing of things.”