Best of PPAI 2020: After the Show Edition
The Creative Crew had a great time in Las Vegas for the PPAI Expo. Annually, it is the the longest running and largest promotional products event in the industry. We got to not only visit our favourite partners, meet new ones, see products tried and true but also see what is new for 2020. Here are some show stoppers that caught our eye!
Muzen: Retro portable speakers.
The Muzen Button Speakers will immediately catch your eye and draw you in. The team at Muzen has created an overall retro aesthetic and prides themselves on well designed and reliable “speaker companions” as they fondly refer to them as. The cute gadgets make for awesome gifts and is a great conversation starter. Read their mission statement below:
“Welcome to the Muzen community dear friend. Your comfort and satisfaction are as important to us as the story you have to tell about who you are today, and how our products accompanied you on the journey into the better you tomorrow. At Muzen Audio, we pride ourselves on building well designed, reliable, and portable, speaker companions so that we may enjoy your stories involving our products. Our identity is the accumulation of your stories. Our mission is to be here for you.”
Official Website: https://muzenaudio.com/
Ember: The Smart Mug
We live in the age of smart phones, homes, TV’s, you name it! In step with that comes along a truly innovative product that will change your office experience. Ember has your favourite mug available with functions to always have that perfect cup of coffee to start the day. The mug has a built-in-battery that allows you to set your preferred temperature for 80-90 mins or all day when on the included charging coaster. If you are looking for something on the go, Ember also recently introduced a travel mug that keeps temperature setting for 3 hours. Read their mission statement below:
“Ember was created to solve a simple, yet universal problem for coffee and tea drinkers. Using our patented temperature control technology, Ember invented a way to extend the moment of perfection with your favorite hot beverage.
Ember Mugs are just the beginning. Our mission is to harness the power of temperature control to transform how the world eats, drinks and lives.”
Official Website: https://ember.com/
Custom Sneakers: Brand stories for the sole.
For branding on the go, share your story on your feet. We met The Ave Los Angeles team in Vegas. The work they do is simply amazing and allows for custom footwear in form of cult-classics such as Vans, Converse and TOMS with your company’s unique twist. Read their more about The Ave’s story below:
“What started as a tiny, Brick and Mortar location in Venice beach on April 7th, 2010, has now evolved to an online/wholesale only 5,000 Sq Ft facility located minutes from Downtown Los Angeles. The Ave has now custom made tens of thousands of Chucks and Vans along with hundreds of thousands of garments and prints for customers, also earning a Patent in 2014 for its shoe printing technology, which has extended into 3rd party licensing in both Europe and Canada. The Ave is proud to announce its new partnership with NVR SHOES, the world's first casual Shoe Brand with a shoe designed specifically for DTG Printing. NVR Shoes will be available custom and on certain designs from our Officially Licensed Collections.”
The Ave has been featured on:
ABC's Shark Tank, MTV2's The Dub Magazine Project with Macklemore, Entertainment Tonight with Sofia Vergara, G4's Attack of the Show, Beats per Mnet, Live on the KTLA5 Morning News, Ovation's The Art of Sneakers, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, The Source, Thrillist, Metal Insider and many more.
Official Website: https://www.theavelosangeles.com/
Prodir: Swiss Made Pens
Prodir continues to be a team favourite of ours. Introducing the QS40 Air. Its rhythmic, honeycomb-like structure, which is reminiscent of both modern building elements and natural forms, combines elegance with lightness and power. A writing instrument that eliminates contradictions and creates an entirely new category.
How to use less plastic? Simply use less plastic. The revolutionary new QS40 Air uses 60% less plastic and 100% more air. Sustainability doesn't have to be such a weighty issue.
Read more about Prodir’s story below:
“Some are intended to be provocative and striking, while others are more conservative and subtle – our writing instruments not only have to write well, they also have to appear authentic. They have to offer something new and fresh time and again. 250 employees in Switzerland and in seven branch offices around the globe work to ensure that we consistently produce ballpoint pens that are so good that they can represent the most demanding of brands credibly and sustainably. Because for us, writing and communicating go hand in hand. We simply love to manufacture writing instruments that not only write well and look great, but that also tell stories.”
Official Website: https://www.prodir.com/
Numo: Bright and unique
Numo once again outdid themselves at this year’s show. The overall response was amazing as people walked around their booth (more of an art installation really) in complete wonder! Numo continues to come up with fun, quirky designs that are fan favourites. They really help customers up their accessory game!
Official Website: https://www.numomfg.com/
Timbuk 2: Customizable and functional.
Timbuk 2 continually impresses with their innovative bag designs. A great feature they offer is fully customizable bags. You can create and work with your clients on creating the perfect story for your brand. The online customizer tool is intuitive, interactive and fun to use. They’ve released new gear and we’re very excited! Read more about Timbuk 2’s story below:
“It was 1989. Timbuk2’s founder Rob Honeycutt was a freethinking, freewheeling bike messenger in San Francisco. He fell in love with the functionality and utility of the messenger bag and wanted it to be accessible to all. In the heart of the eclectic Mission District neighborhood, the Classic Messenger Bag was born. But it was never really about bags - it was what the messenger bag made possible. A new community of urban nomads emerged, moving fluidly through the chaos, pivoting from meetings to meetups, outsmarting the challenges of the city. Thirty years on, we’re still taking meaningful risks, building quality bags and giving a damn about the world around us, with a keen eye on the past and the future.”
Official Website: https://www.timbuk2.com/
