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Strategy

Creative Graduation Gifts During Coronavirus

These innovative products are sure to dazzle high school and college seniors.

The Class of 2020 has been robbed of a proper commencement ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It hits close to home for me – my brother is a high school senior and my girlfriend’s brother is a college senior. As our families wonder whether they’ll have to reschedule parties, schools are scrambling to reward their graduates in some form or fashion. Distributors should seize that opportunity by reaching out to educational institutions and offering them some innovative solutions.

Here are some unique promotional products that suppliers have developed for graduates.

Persona tumbler

Gen Z will truly value products from major retail brands. For example, Grand Island, NY-based Starline USA (asi/89320) has created graduation kits that include a variety of Persona tumblers, a Metropolitan 12-can cooler bag, an Urban Peak 3-in-1 insulator and a Bluetooth speaker. The Persona drinkware series comes in 16 color bands, and with Starline offering free personalization, recipients can decorate their tumbler in school colors.

mouse pad

Salt Lake City-based HandStands (asi/59525), a subsidiary of Top 40 supplier HPG (asi/61966), specializes in tech products appealing to Gen Z. Even after the coronavirus pandemic ends, it’s likely that more companies allow employees to work from home on a regular basis. HandStands has capitalized on the trend with the NoWire Mouse Pad, which has a Qi charger built in that allows you to charge your phone without a chord.

lost n found

Whether they’re moving into the dorm or a new apartment, grads will have more things to keep track of: keys, IDs, etc. It’s easy to misplace those small, yet important items, especially after celebrating Thirsty Thursday. HandStands has come out with LostNFound, a device that attaches to an item that you can track through an app. When you can’t find it, you open the app to sound the alarm and the device will beep, leading you to the lost treasure.

Double dip

Finally, from HandStands, there’s the Double Dip. Whether they’re panicking through finals, writing endless term papers or (hopefully) celebrating senior week at the beach, grads need their tunes. The Double Dip is a wireless speaker that works up to 25 feet from a connected device. Even better, you can custom wrap the speaker with any design or logo, adding a personal touch.

Celina, OH-based Visions (asi/93986) has introduced an innovative desk accessory: CUBED. Available in either raw steel or a variety of colors, CUBED comes with two acrylic face plates for graphics, logos, personalization or anything else that can be digitally printed. Then, you can deck out your cube with magnetic accessories like emojis, numbers, years and other custom designs. For example, you could choose a grad’s school colors, insert their graduation photo on one side and a congratulatory message on the other and then top it off with a magnetic 2020.

Gradcap

You can’t go wrong with a sweet treat. Bethpage, NY-based Midnite Snax (asi/71685) offers branded graduation cap containers filled with either mini M&M’s, gourmet jelly beans, Red Hots, white mints or chocolate-covered sunflower seeds.

Pennant kit

Philadelphia-based Pop! Promos (asi/45657) is targeting colleges and universities who have canceled their Accepted Students Day. The supplier has developed a small pennant acceptance kit, which includes a custom small pennant, a custom flyer and one mailer envelope delivered directly to accepted students.

Chaocard

Of course, the gift that every grad truly wants is money. Instead of tossing 50 bucks into a Hallmark card, check out Chao Cards (asi/48102). The Orlando, FL-based supplier produces fully customizable 3D pop-up cards. Here’s how it works: You send an image to the company and its designers make it 3D, cut it with a laser and hand assemble it like a jigsaw puzzle. The result will blow your grad’s mind.