You may just be one of the winners chosen every 80 minutes during the competition! For more information, refer to this Heineken website!

Sports Promotional Products

A wide range of promotional products are to be won in this promotion, and this often attract many participants. By creating more publicity on this promotion, this will drive sales for Heineken. If Heineken offers a limited edition promotional item, it may be also be effective in attracting potential consumers..

ODM is thinking of Heineken beer towers, themed specially for the Heineken Cup. They can be interesting collectibles for Heineken beer fans..

Have a look at other beer-related promos..

• Beer Promos
• Snow Beer – On Pack Sports Towel Gift.
• Belgium Beer Festival: Promotional Souvenir Hat
• Chimay On Pack Beer Glass
• LA Street Food Fest – Beer Promos by Singha
• Singha Beer Promos: Stubby Holders
• Chang Beer: Portable BBQ Pit for your promotions
• Customized Ice Buckets: Stand out from your Competitors
• Promotional Gift – Magic Color Changing Mug

Have an invention great for beers? Let us know and we’ll help you spread the word!

Customized Aprons to promote your Country

This product would make a great gift on purchase or promotional giveaway at :

• Sports events (Olympic Games, World football Cup, Rugby tournaments etc.)  to cheer on the national team.
• Trade Shows where brands are categorized by country (for example the Wine and Spirits Trade Show in HK).
• National Day festivities and events.
• International company get togethers (a free corporate gift to participating members from around the world).

Customized Aprons to promote your Country

Of course, having these aprons designed as flags is one possibility but one could also customize them with a company’s logo, a sport team’s mascot or a trade show’s core products.

Check out other giveaway ideas here :

• China Toy Expo: Promotional Keychain for your Brand
• HKTDC Promotional Mug
• HK International Stationery Fair 2012
• Promotional Gifts – Spirits and Poker Set Promo
• HKTDC Promotional Post-it Pen
• Promo Ideas – Customize your folding Eco Bag
• Promotional Gifts at Beer Festival
• Hong Kong Wine & Spirits Fair 2011
• Promotional Gift Idea : Zip bags
• Promotional Gifts – Soccer Figurines to Collect by FCB Barrcelona

The first stage of developing a plush is making a sample. Every time you place and order for a new plush it is important to develop a sample with the factory you wish to work with. Usually factories will require pictures, blueprints or a previous existing model in order to replicate the sample. It is always good to make a sample before confirming an order, this allows you to have final approval before launching mass production in order to know exactly what your plush will look like.

Plush Production Process- Sample Development

Once you have approved the sample its time to start mass production of the plush. The first step is cutting the fabric. There are many ways to cut the fabric, by using a machine and a mold which cuts through the fabric.

Plush Production Process - Cutting Fabric using a Mold

The second technique to cut plush toy fabric is by using a laser cutting machine. Usually these machines are used when the fabric being cut requires more attention to detail and accuracy. Laser machinery is extremely precise and can cut fabric into small shapes.

Plush Production Process - Cutting Fabric using Laser Machinery

Once all the fabric is cut it is transported to the sewing department. Usually sewing departments in plush factories are comprised of workers and sewing machines. This task is purely manual labor. Workers will sew the textile fabric parts together using sewing machines.

Plush Production Process - Sewing Department

If certain fabric requires embroidery they will be embroidered before being sewn to the rest of the fabric. Embroidery machines are purely automated and do the job quite rapidly depending on the complexity of the embroidery required.

Plush Production Process - Machine Embroidery

Once the embroidery is finished, the fabric needs to be sewn together in order to obtain a full plush body shape.

Additional parts can be sewn on at this moment such as hair or other kinds of fabric in order to create the desired plush design required.

Depending on the type of plush you’re interested in producing some additional steps may be required. For example certain plush models will require clothing, thus additional fabric will need to be cut and sewn and eventually put on the plush doll.

A crucial step of the production of plush toys is the stuffing, referring to the inside of the plush toy. All plush dolls are stuffed with material to make the plush bulky and give it the body volume required. This is a very important step. Each plush needs to be stuffed to the same proportion as the entire order. This is important or else some plush toys will be bulkier then others which may end up giving a strange look to the final product.

Plush Production Process - Stuffing Department

Plush Production Process - Printing Labels

All plush toys around the world require labels. Labels are programmed (bar-code) and designed by computer. Most of the time you may obtain these from your end client or you will need a designer to make one for you. It is very rare that factories in China have the ability to design the label. We recommend using our designer services or your in house capabilities for this task. Factories have machines that print the labels. Any size label is possible to create upon your request. Labels are printed as one long strip, thus they need to be cut and eventually are passed along to the sewing the department to be sewn to the plush. Labels are important to include on plush toys. They usually include a bar code, or directives of how to wash the doll or the substances in the plush, health standards that the product respects etc.

We have done several plush orders in the past where we also included a plastic hand-tag in order to facilitate holding the plush in retail stores.

Plush Production Process - Quality Control Unit

All plush factories have internal quality control departments. These units use a perfect sample of the plush being inspected and compare all units with the perfect model. The employees will pull on the limbs and sides of the plush in order to make sure that the sewing is sufficiently strong in order to avoid the plush to fall apart.

Units that are found defective are discarded. If the problems are extremely important the plush is destroyed and the material is thrown out since it is not re-usable. If there are small problems, the defective unit will be put aside in order to rework the specific problem.

Even though Quality Control departments are frequently found in plush factories we always recommend to perform independent quality control inspections during the production and before the final goods are shipped out of the factory. This allows you to obtain an independent perspective of the job done on your order.

Packaging is the last process of the production process. It is very important to use strong carton boxes in order to avoid damage to the merchandise during shipment. There are several ways to package plush toys. The most basic manner is to seal each piece in a polybag and put many units inside a large carton box.

Plush Production Process - Packaging

Some plush orders require higher end packaging in order to have a higher presentation once on the retail shelf. A box packaging for each unit can be used to package the plush. Each piece of the plush will have its own packaging with full color print requested by the client. These kinds of packaging are more costly and will increase freight costs but will make your plush stand out on the retail shelf!

It is difficult to find a quality supplier of plush suppliers. Use our expertise in making plush toys, we can help you with any kind of production of plush toys!

Contact us for further information and if you are interested in receiving competitive pricing for a plush project you are looking to manufacture.

Check out some more of our blogs relating to manufacturing processes:

• Machine Blown Drinking Glasses & Sampling.
• Promotional Scarf Production Process in China.
• China Factory Selection.
• Negotiating Contracts & Penalties with Chinese Factories.
• Manufacturing Garments in Asia.
• ODM Factory Visit to Xiamen in China.
• Die Cutting- Production Processes.
• Manufacturing Custom Promo Drinks Glasses.
• Promotional Watches – Following the Manufacturing Process.
• Birds Eye On-Pack Promo: Plush Polar Bear Toy.

Chelsea Football Club Promotional Gifts

ODM staff visited their booth at the 2012 Licensing Show held in the Hong Kong Conventions and Exhibition Centre. They offer fans a wide variety of promotional items. All their products are branded with their logo, designed with their colors (white and blue) and sometimes even in the shape of their mascot the Chelsea lion!

Chelsea Football Club Promotional Gifts

The products we most appreciated were the following :

• branded glasses
• casino set
• customized gameboy
• branded, blue bed spreading
• branded blue towel
• Chelsea lion plush toy

Please take a look at other football promotional ideas here :

• Promotional 3D Football Puzzle
• Brand Promotion idea for young football supporters by ASSE
• Sport Promotional Gift – a Raincoat Poncho that fits in a key chain!
• Promotional Football Jersey Water Bottle by Airtel
• Promotional Gifts – Soccer Figurines to Collect by FCB Barrcelona
• New promotional products Crumple Caps
• Promotional Gifts – NFL football promos by Castrol
• Promotional Products and Sporting Events
• Manchester United Umbrella Promotion by Epson

Promotion 3D Puzzle

Given its handy size, it can be an easily packaged promotional gift for any product. Packaging and mechanism are primary concerns for most marketing managers. A cost-saving packaging and an attractive on pack promotion will contribute to an effective marketing strategy.

Some other sporty promotional products..

• New promotional products Crumple Caps
• Promotional Heat Packs
• Free flow beer while watching sports – Liquor Dispensers
• Sport Promotional Gift – a Raincoat Poncho that fits in a key chain!
• Promo Idea – Customized USB Drives for Sports Brands
• Promo Gift Idea – Handy Microfiber Sports Towel
• Promotional Gifts – Soccer Figurines to Collect by FCB Barcelona

3D Football Puzzle may eventually be the next Rubik’s Cube ‘wave’..

What other items do you think will be hit? Share with us in the comment section below!

Promotional Heat Packs

Few points to take note when using heat packs as promotional products:

• Pocket and practical
• Use bright colours to attract attention
• Innovative shapes
• Related promotional products
• Festive seasons eg. Christmas or Chinese New Year

We think it is also interesting for sports fans to receive these at stadium entrances when watching their favourite team play in a cold weather. It would be a heart-warming promotion, just like the Manchester United Scarves promotion..

What do you think are great promotional products for the winter season? Share with us by leaving a comment below!

Soccer and Beer Promotional Products

Want a drink while watching sports on TV? Things would be so much easier when you have a liquor dispenser just right beside your table. You won’t even have to miss a part of the game!

You can have your favourite sport on liquor dispensers! Keep on refilling them for free flow of fun! Good for house parties, themed restaurants and pubs! Interesting to add a few ‘floating’ soccer players in beer towers..

Have your company logo printed on them and give it to your employees! If you are a liquor company looking for promotional products, we recommend this product!

Have a look at what other liquor companies are doing as promotions…

• Beer Promos
• Promo Idea- Wood Caddy for Beverage Companies
• LA Street Food Fest – Beer Promos by Singha
• Singha Beer Promos: Stubby Holders
• Chang Beer: Portable BBQ Pit for your promotions
• Jack Daniels On-Pack Promotional Pourer

Have a look at some of the liquor dispensers we spotted:

Liquor Promotions

Beer Promos

Snow Beer - On Pack Gift

From the picture above you can clearly see the gift being offered, it is highly visible on the supermarket shelf. Snow Beer is using this gift to attract more consumers to buy their brand over other local or foreign competitors. The towel is a basic white with the brand name “Snow Beer” written in Chinese characters. Since they are offering a towel as a gift, the Chinese brand could be trying to attract athletic individuals who drink beer. This is the perfect case of 6 pack for any athletes since they can use the towel to wash up after exercise and relax with a fresh beer!

Towels are great to give to customers as a gift with purchase. People always like receiving gifts that they can use, a new towel is always useful in winter or summer months. These kinds of gifts are entirely customizable in shape, color, design, and material.

Check out our beer promotional products blog:

• Chimay On Pack Beer Glass.
• Beer Promo – Silicon Cap to Keep Drinks Fresh Longer.
• Kwak Beer On Pack Promo – Coachmen Glass.
• In-Pack Promo Beer Glass.
• Guinness Redemption Campaign.

Promotional gift - soccer figurine set

Here is one of the interesting promo gift collections we spotted at the Canton trade fair : a collection of 24 football player figurines from FCB Barcelona.

We could easily imagine all sorts of consumer goods brands using this kind of thing for a promotional gift on purchase campaign. Indeed, being a collection of 24 unique figurines would incite customers to repurchase the brand’s products so as to own the complete collection.

What’s more this promo item has many other advantages:

• figurines were of high quality: this makes them a valued gift by customers
• they could be co-branded with company or sponsor logo
• high  brand visibility when on display
• low production costs if made in polyresin

Of course this promo idea could be adapted to other sports (rugby, basket ball, volley ball etc.) or activities (historical figures for museum promos, film characters, cartoon characters etc.).

Promotional gifts - soccer figurine set

Check out the following related posts and website:

• Celebrate Sport Victories with Promo Figurines
• S’mores Tailgating Promo: A chance to win promotional gear!
• Promotional Gifts – NFL football promos by Castrol
• New promotional products Crumple Caps
• www.promofigurines.com

DHL Promotional Products

We like this promotion from DHL in Singapore.   You could redeem DHL merchandise such as key rings and rugby balls & the further you ship, the bigger your prize!

Participants also stood a chance to win a pair of tickets to semi-finals Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. All DHL cash shippers were eligible to take part in this promotion.

Have a look at one of the gifts DHL is giving away below. By allocating more budget for its promotional products this allows for use of higher quality materials and tighter quality control at factories. Ordering in large quantities allows for economies of scale, better value promotional products.

Promotional key ring supplier

Check out some of the other blogs that are related to sports and couriers..

• DHL – Gift with Bill
• Fed Ex Hong Kong Promos
• Courier companies and HK promos
• Rexona All Blacks Promotion.
• Sports – Rugby 6 Nations Championship
• Rugby World Cup 2011, New Zealand
• Promotional passport holders for your marketing campaign
• Manchester United Champ19ns Scarfs