After three months of lockdown due to the COVID-19 crisis, many states have begun their reopening efforts. Businesses that weren’t deemed essential, such as hair salons, gyms and movie theaters, are resuming operations with the necessary adjustments to meet CDC guidelines. It’s promising news for distributors whose clients are ready to begin advertising again.

Here are some innovative promotional products trending right now.

No-touch tools are all the rage as people try to avoid contact with public touchscreens, grabbing door handles, pressing buttons and pulling levers. “No touch tool” has skyrocketed to relevancy, ranking in the top 10 ESP search terms for May after not being searched at all in March. “My hunch is that it will have much longer staying power than the last new product that rocketed up the charts like this – the fidget spinner,” said Nathaniel Kucsma, ASI’s executive director of research and corporate marketing.

Thanks to its partnership with keychain manufacturer KeySmart, Cincinnati, OH-based Links Unlimited (asi/67617) has brought the CleanKey to the promo industry. With its brass hand tool, CleanKey reduces your point-of-contact area. Easily attaching to your keychain, the tool can now join your keys, wallet and phone as your on-the-go essentials.

Sanford, FL-based Brand O’ Guitar Company (asi/41461) has two patents pending on the Vital Hook, a lightweight, business card-sized piece of personal protective equipment (PPE). The ergonomic design includes a finger hole, multifunction hook, multiple touchpoints and a belt hook and keyhole for easy storage and transport. It also incorporates a strip of conductive copper around the edge so it can be used as a stylus for smart phones and tablets.

Gardner, KS-based TradeNet (asi/91760) offers imprinting on the headband of the face shield.

PPE continues to be in high demand as businesses prepare to serve customers in a safe, accommodating fashion. In addition to branded masks, neck gaiters and bandanas, imprinted face shields have been popular among restaurants, spas/salons and even merchants at outdoor markets. Angela Wojcik, owner of Sardinia, NY-based Chaffee Chick Design (asi/160554), has taken to Facebook to promote various uses for face shields: painting the house, power washing the driveway, bathing the dog or cat, sawing wood, going to the zoo, keeping the sand out of your eyes on a windy beach day, etc.

Expanding its health and wellness approach, Buffalo, NY-based Le Tour de Spice (asi/67035) is dabbling in PPE with its Self-Monitoring Thermometer PowerPak. It includes reusable thermometer strips for checking the temperature of people before entering a building. With packaging chock-full of health-related information, it makes for a timely direct mail campaign.

Since March, “hand sanitizer” has been among the top two ESP search terms, and there’s no signs of slowing down. Indio, CA-based A.T. Designs (asi/30239) has put a new twist on it with the Slap-On Sanitizer. The refillable, portable dispenser wraps around your wrist like you’re a Mighty Morphin’ Power Ranger, squirting out hand sanitizer when you’re in a pinch.

Cumming, GA-based LogoIncluded (asi/67837)

Keep your accessories clean with a UV box, case or any other form of sterilization contraption. You put your phone, keys, earbuds or any other small gadget inside, and the UV light will wipe out the accumulated bacteria. Just plug it in, connect to a power supply and close the lid.

Now that restrictions have lessened across the country, restaurants previously relying on takeout and delivery are offering outdoor dining. Distributors should be targeting local restaurants and suggesting branded equipment needed for the experience. Newark, NJ-based Peerless Umbrella Co. (asi/76730) is promoting outdoor dining ideas on the front page of its website, offering umbrellas and stands, menu boards and bistro sets of chairs and tables.

Growing in popularity in the retail space, these covers provide babies extra protection from germs while mom and dad peruse the supermarket. Though they don't yet appear to be listed in ESP as a promotional product, shopping cart covers with their branding capabilities are tailor-made for the market.