The world of promotional merchandise is evolving, with brands looking for fresh, innovative, and sustainable ways to make an impact. Whether it’s cutting-edge tech, eco-friendly materials, or clever multi-use designs, 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for branded products. Here are ten standout new products you need to know about:

Wireless “Pallet” Charger: The Most Tech Savvy Accessory

This wireless charger features a unique pallet design that stands out on any desk while offering seamless functionality. Compatible with all smartphones that support wireless charging, it delivers an enhanced output of 15 watts for faster and more efficient charging. With a status indicator LED, built-in protection against overvoltage, short circuits, and overheating, and a new USB-A to USB-C cable included, it’s a stylish and reliable charging solution.

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Hydration Timer: Stay Hydrated in Style

This coaster helps you stay on top of your water intake with an integrated timer to remind you when it’s time to drink. With sleek branding options, this practical product is perfect for health-conscious campaigns.

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2-in-1 Double-Wall Recycled Stainless Steel Bottle: Stay Hydrated, Stay Sustainable

This is a 590 ml recycled stainless steel bottle with a 325 ml tumbler. Made from recycled stainless steel, it features vacuum insulation to keep drinks hot for up to 8 hours or cold for 24. With a screw-on lid, matte powder coating, and ergonomic handle, it’s the perfect companion for staying hydrated on the go, whether you're sipping hot coffee or chilled iced tea.

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Wooden Door Hangers: Hospitality with a Personal Touch

These beautifully crafted wooden door signs are perfect for the hospitality industry or unique corporate gifts. Customisable with engraving or printing, they’re sustainable, stylish, and a subtle way to ensure your brand leaves an impression in any setting.

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Foamo Cup: The Future of Sustainable, Customisable Drinkware

Foamo is shaking up the world of reusable coffee cups with a blend of sustainability and innovation. Made from plant-based materials, these cups are not only fully recyclable but also dishwasher safe for added convenience. Their game-changing foaming technology slashes plastic usage by 50% while trapping heat, keeping your drinks warmer for longer - no need for wasteful paper sleeves. Proudly produced in the UK using energy-efficient, renewable-powered machinery, Foamo delivers a lightweight, eco-friendly alternative to single-use cups, setting a new standard for sustainable sipping.

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Vegan Treat Pack: A Guilt-Free Treat with Sustainable Packaging

Delightfully designed with four separate compartments, this vegan treat pack offers a variety of plant-based treats to satisfy every craving. Perfect for sharing or indulging, each section is filled with a mix of colourful, delicious vegan sweets that are sure to impress. The packaging is not only eye-catching but eco-friendly, made from sustainable materials that align with your commitment to a greener future. 

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The ICE-TAG: The Smart Tracker & Charging Cable in One

Never lose your essentials again with the ICE-TAG, a game-changing 2-in-1 smart tracker and charging cable. This innovative gadget helps you keep track of your valuables while doubling as a multi-device charging cable, making it the perfect companion for people on the go. With Bluetooth tracking technology, you can easily locate your keys, bag, or any attached item via the Find-Me function. Plus, the built-in charging cable ensures you’re always powered up when you need it. Compact, stylish, and practical, the ICE-TAG is an ideal promotional gift that blends convenience with cutting-edge tech.

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Plastic-Free Seed Packets: A Sustainable Way to Grow Your Brand

Crafted from repurposed materials that would otherwise go to waste, this product is fully recyclable at the end of its life – a true circular economy solution that helps reduce landfill waste. Featuring a large branding area with full-colour print, it ensures your brand stands out while making a green statement.

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Branded Sneakers: Custom Footwear with a Sustainable Edge

Branded merchandise goes beyond the usual giveaways, and branded sneakers are proving just that with fully customisable, made-to-order footwear. Handcrafted using sustainable and vegan materials, these sneakers offer a premium way to showcase your brand while minimising waste. With endless design possibilities, including colour, logo placement, and material choices, they’re perfect for businesses looking to make a stylish and eco-conscious statement.

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The Concertina Phone Stand: Sustainable & Compact

The Concertina Phone Stand combines innovation and sustainability. Inspired by the classic Slinky toy, its flexible cardboard design stretches to hold large tablets securely, then shrinks back down for easy portability. Made entirely from cardboard, it's an eco-friendly option for your brand. With space for strong branding on both sides, it’s the perfect promotional product that’s both functional and sustainable.

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Why These Products Stood Out

These products not only serve a purpose but also leave a lasting impression, aligning perfectly with Pro-Ad’s mission to deliver impactful, branded merchandise.

Looking to get these products for your business? Reach out and enquire here!

The Energy Check asked Pro-Ad to help provide promotional merchandise that would be used to support and boost the spirits of The Energy Check workforce during the Covid 19 pandemic.

The Campaign was to send members of The Energy Check workforce including those who were working from home or had been furloughed, a gift, to reinforce that everyone is still part of The Energy Check family. This was intended to promote a positive message and make all members feel appreciated and valued.

The Challenge:

In order to fit the customer brief the promotional items had to be a surprise to the recipients and this gift had to be edible, brandable, deliverable to around 100 different addresses across the UK and there also needed to be a vegan option available.

The customer also wanted to include some postcards branded with positive messages in the packaging. The goal was for the gift to generate a feel-good factor and communicate to their staff/employee’s that they are valued and important to the business.

The Solution:

Pro-Ad suggested cupcakes which are highly customisable.To see a range of our cupcakes click on the link here. They can be supplied in boxes of 6, had a vegan friendly option, could be branded with their logo, were customisable with a coloured case and could be delivered safely to their employees at their individual home addresses.

Pro-Ad also arranged production of the postcard and subsequent packing into the cupcake boxes. Each postcard carried the same message of gratitude and affirmation from the Senior Management Team on the reverse side, but the fronts contained one of 4 different motivational messages. The postcards were produced in a high-quality card so that they could be retained as a keepsake and to further communicate how important the staff are to the business.

Algomi is an innovative software products company operating in the fixed income technology sector. The client was looking for a long-lasting corporate gift to promote the company’s brand. The product would be used as a giveaway at company events, for Algomi’s direct mail campaigns and other marketing purposes.

After considering their options, the client initially decided on a plastic pen that would represent their brand colour and logo with tints whilst having a high perceived value.

The Challenge

The first challenge we faced when looking for a pen to match the client’s brief, was to find a standard, off-the-shelf pen in the client’s brand colour as the latter was very unique. In addition to that, the Algomi logo is very detailed so it requires a digital print in order to ensure a good logo depiction on the pen.

The Solution

In order to ensure that the quality of the product used by Algomi would be representative of their brand, Pro-Ad put forward a metal pen as an alternative to the initial plastic pen requested by the client.  The metal pen would be Pantone matched to the client’s brand colour with the logo digitally printed on top.

The Result

Algomi loved the metal pen recommended by Pro-Ad as it had a higher perceived product value that was more suitable for their client base while remaining within the client’s budget. The pantone matching also allowed for a very strong branding impact that maximised the product’s R.O.I.

The pen was so well received by their customers that Algomi have re-ordered 4 times since their initial order in 2015.

Testimonial

“Having worked with Pro-Ad over many years I had complete confidence in their ability to find a high quality cost effective pen that met my exact specs for colour matching and the intricate printing required for our logo. These pens fit with our brand and are used in all our offices and as a client gift. They have become a very desirable item at trade events in the US, Asia and Europe where everybody wants one”

Our client, one of the largest housing associations in the North East, recently rebranded as Karbon Homes which is the new name for the combined organisation of Isos, Derwentside and Cestria. They required a corporate gift to give out to their staff at the launch of their new brand on the 4th and 5th of May 2017. The gift would be used as a momento of the launch and to introduce their staff to the new branding, colours and logo. In order to achieve the above, the product supplied should feature one of the new Karbon Homes colours. In order to satisfy the client’s requirement for a quality gift that would also be useful, Pro-Ad’s Account Manager for Karbon Homes suggested the use of a Belluno bespoke notebook with a matching pen.

The Challenge

The lead time for the manufacturing of the product in time for the launch was relatively tight. However, the product chosen was bespoke and had to be made from scratch and as such it needed sufficient material in the UK of an appropriate colour to manufacture.  Also, the pen is a multi-part item and is assembled to order with a lengthy lead time.

The Karbon Homes new logo is a full colour design which incorporates a whole spectrum of colours.  The pen and notebook both had to be as close as possible to the brand’s red so that the two products although manufactured in different factories looked like a set and didn’t clash.  The production of the gift had to be achieved on the client’s specific budget.

The Solution

With attention to detail, the notebook produced was not only in red but with a red elastic strap and pen loop. The notebook’s available optional features were studied in order for the product to meet the requirements whilst fitting the budget.

Samples of product colour swatches were organised for the client and advice on the best colour to use was provided. Although the client looked into printing the notebook full colour, we suggested the use of embossing as a more stylish way of personalising the product.

Throughout the manufacturing process Pro-Ad stayed on top of their supplier network in order to ensure that the product would be ready in time for the launch date.

The Result

The client was very happy with the end product as it was an ideal fit for their requirements.  They found the process of working with Pro-Ad smooth and they experienced time savings while having someone working as their extra member of staff to understand their brand and source solutions that would uphold their brand values.

Testimonial

“Pro-Ad delivered again.  Time and time again we have relied on their professional staff to come up with something different, a fresh idea, and deliver a quality product in a very tight timescale.  And once again, we were not disappointed.  Our Account Manager guided us through the whole process so that we were assured that the product was going to be a winner with our staff.  I would recommend Pro-Ad to anyone looking for a committed, professional merchandising solutions company.”  Karbon Home

Last Autumn to in 2017, SSE requested our help in putting together 12,000 Winter Kits. The kits would be used in order to support their vulnerable customers that live in remote areas, in the occasion of a power cut during storms.

The Challenge

SSE required a range of products that would be of the highest quality in order to guarantee that they would be a valuable help towards their clients’ safety while keeping the production cost down. The client also required for the products to be pre-packed by Pro-Ad into boxes carrying their branding.

The Solution

Pro-Ad’s Account Manager for SSE worked on the brief in order to collect product samples that would fit the purpose of the client’s campaign. He then visited the client in order to present them the samples, shortlist the most suitable ones and discuss any amendments that needed to be made on the selected products. These included fridge magnets, wind up torches, glow sticks, room temperature indicators, beanie hats, emergency blankets and even an analogue phone which Pro-Ad suggested as it would still be able to work even through a power cut.

Pro-Ad used their worldwide network of suppliers to choose the factories that would be able to manufacture the selected products while providing the quality standards and certifications required by the SSE.  Pre-production samples were produced to ensure that the client was 100% happy with them. The Solutions Team also worked with our Creative Department in order to design two versions of packaging; one that would be suitable for posting and a large pack with a gift feel to it.  Both types of packaging had to be strong enough to protect their inserts and aesthetically pleasing to safeguard the SSE branding guidelines.

The Result

The customer feedback on the winter packs was very positive and their recipients were very happy with them. According to a satisfaction survey carried by SSE, the recipients rated the SSE customer service based on the winter packs with an average of 9.46 out of 10.  Their majority said that they felt they had been listened to and that they would be very likely to use the welfare pack in the event of a power cut.

This campaign also won Silver in the Institute of Promotional Marketing Cogs Award Promotional Merchandise Campaign of the year.

Testimonial

“The quality of the packs is very impressive! Thank you on my behalf (and everyone else’s which will use these), for assisting in turning the welfare packs to a finished product.” SSE

The Bespoke Monopoly Brief 

Unite Students required a fully branded, bespoke Monopoly board game to commemorate the first anniversary of the launch of their business purpose, Home for Success. The game would celebrate different properties across the client’s locations, their people and their processes.

With the use of the product the client wanted to reward their employees for their hard work. They also wanted to give a gift that would represent their values, ‘We Care, We Lead, We Unite and We Deliver’, via opportunities to interact with each other and have fun – the game would help enable this.

The Challenge

The greatest challenge Pro-Ad had to manage for the creation of the game was the demanding production time. A large amount of design work was required in order to create concepts and to safeguard Unite’s correct representation whilst working within a tight delivery schedule.

The Solution

Pro-Ad invested time in liaising with the client and factory to ensure that the information required was delivered according to schedule and was correct. Throughout the production process Pro-Ad was working closely with the factory providing advice and making negotiations when needed in order to make sure that all time critical objectives were achieved.

The Result

The client was very satisfied with the quality of the product and the level of service given to them throughout the process of the product design while the Unite Monopoly game was very well received by its recipients.

“From start to finish the service we received from Pro-Ad was outstanding.  Despite its challenges our project was dealt with efficiently and with the right amount of attention to detail. We were extremely pleased with the quality of the end product and would, without hesitation, highly recommend Pro-Ad”.

The Brief

Jury’s Inns Hotels asked us to source for them promotional merchandise that would be used to support an internal campaign to their front of house staff. The campaign was called Stay Happy and its goal was to increase employee engagement and promote the company’s Stay Happy workplace message to their employees.

In order to fit the customer brief, the promotional products sourced had to be fun and standout and to be both practical and as novel as possible. They also had to incorporate the Stay Happy unique colour palette selected especially for the campaign.

The Challenge

The client gave us a tight deadline of 4 weeks for the product sourcing, artwork development and production. The colours of the Stay Happy palette were quite complex which made sourcing merchandise to match them challenging. In addition to that, the products required were not standard, off the shelf items, but innovative and unique. Finally, the client expected delivery to 36 different addresses across UK & Ireland.

The Solution

Pro-Ad’s Account Manager for Jurys Inns, after studying carefully the campaign goals and requirements, suggested doing as a first item a mug with a dye sublimation print on the outside. The print, instead of matching one of the colours from the Stay Happy palette, would be a patchwork of all the colours included in it. He also suggested adding a special detail to the mugs by printing a small smiley face on their inside base. This would re-iterate the campaign’s Happy Message in a fun and novel way.

The second gift chosen was a pencil case, as the client advised that these were often used by the front of house staff members. The pencil cases were also dye sublimated with the patchwork design to boldly highlight the campaign message and colours.

Last product suggested and chosen by the client was a thumbs-up shaped pen in a range of colours, with the Stay Happy motto printed on it. The gift’s message was to give the user the thumbs up for staying happy. The pens came in a mixture of colours to represent the primary colours of the client’s campaign palette.  The thumbs-up pens were a novelty product with a definite wow factor about them.

Using our established network of reputable suppliers, Pro-Ad managed to manufacture and brand all products in time for the campaign launch, divide them in batches and distribute them to the 36 different hotels.

The Result

The client was very happy with the products sourced and produced as they managed to capture the spirit of the campaign message and ticked all the requirements set with regards to their colours and look. The Jurys Inn Stay Happy campaign has been a great success in its infancy and the branded gifts played a very important role in it. There have been requests for more mugs while the client is also looking at additional products in the campaign colours after requests from the recipients.

The Brief

Our client, AkzoNobel, was looking for a selection of special gifts to celebrate International Paint’s 160 Anniversary in Germany. The gifts had to be a bit different and something that their recipients could keep. Part of the gift selection had to be a commemorative plaque which was to look like it was from the 1850s.

A special logo had also been created by AkzoNobel’s design team to celebrate the Anniversary which was old fashioned in style to portray the year 1856. The Anniversary gifts range would carry this branding.

The Challenge

Our client had very specific requirements on the metal sign’s features. It had to be lightweight but look heavy, 3D printed in full colour to replicate the 1856 era and cost effective but of high quality.

Our client also wanted International Paint branded sweets of a mixture of flavours which would be packed into paint tins personalised with the Anniversary logo. Each flavour was to be branded with a different design/colourway.  The client required sweets which would be flavoursome and would not contain nuts (so they would be suitable for a wide range of recipients).

The 3rd product of the International Paint anniversary gifts collection would be a pin badge that would represent the special logo.  The anniversary logo was quite detailed, therefore the pin badge had to be big enough to replicate the design correctly but small enough to be subtle and classy.

The Solution

We used our extensive supply chain to source a signs manufacturer who could both manufacture the design our client envisaged and at a price that would meet their budget.

Moreover, we suggested the use of hard boiled sweets in individual wrappers for the paint tins as they were available in a wide range of flavours and offered a very good branding area.   We organised samples of all flavours available, provided the ingredients breakdown to ensure that suitable flavours were chosen and arranged for a mixture of sweets to be packed into bags of a pre-agreed quantity so they would fit in the tins.

Finally, we liaised with our preferred factory regarding the brief for the badge and arranged visuals and images of the badges to ensure that the design was represented correctly and the badge would be elegant in style.

Testimonial

“Pro-Ad supported us on this time sensitive project by sourcing creative and innovative ideas to match our Anniversary brief. Working with different designs and products, our Design Team and the Pro-Ad team contributed to the creation of one coherent campaign which was very well received by both the market and their customers.”

Betfred chose Pro-Ad as their preferred supplier for the promotional merchandise they needed in order to promote and support their Cheltenham Festival sponsorship. With the use of branded merchandise Betfred wanted to increase brand awareness and promote themselves as a headline sponsor for the event.
The client required in short turnaround goody bags filled with a range of products that related to horses and horse racing or carried a gold theme to link to Betfred’s sponsorship event. The bags would be distributed on course as well as around town.
The products had to be packed in goodie bags sorted into certain categories and delivered to several destinations.

The Challenge
Pro-Ad had to source a variety of innovative products that would portray efficiently the Betfred brand image and would serve the client’s campaign goals. As some of these items were produced in factories that are based outside of the UK, Pro-Ad was responsible for the coordination of a worldwide supply chain in order to ensure order fulfilment in time for the event as well as quality of racecourse suitable merchandise.

The Solution
Pro-Ad came up with a variety of innovative merchandise ideas to match the client’s brief including pop-up card binoculars for the spectators and horse shaped Logobugs. We also handled the design and production of bespoke shaped gold cup keyrings and bespoke gold coloured pens to represent the event’s gold theme.
The distribution plan was executed perfectly. Each of the 5000 goody bags was filled with 10 different products. The remaining items were arranged into batches which were packed into boxes that were labelled accordingly to make the distribution of the products the smoothest possible for the client. The client was kept up to date at every stage of the production and delivery process which helped them coordinate many deliveries to Cheltenham.

The Result
The recipients loved the goody bags and the client was impressed with Pro-Ad’s ‘can do’ attitude and the quality of the representation of their brand on their merchandise.
“Working with Pro-Ad allowed us to prepare for Cheltenham without having to worry at all about meeting our merchandise goals. From the very first phone call discussing ideas and plans to until Betfred Gold Cup day, we received value for money in terms of products, customer care and peace of mind”. Marketing Betfred

The Brief

In 2014, Greggs asked Pro-Ad to propose and source for them a variety of innovative branded products to be used for promoting their newly refurbished stores that now offered coffee made from their own Greggs coffee blend. The promotional products would be used as giveaways for the Greggs street teams as well as at the company’s visits to Universities and Student Fairs. As the products would be addressed to a young audience, they had to be exciting, funky, modern and different.

A Unique Product

Pro-Ad sourced a number of items to fit the Greggs brief. However, the highlight of the campaign was the bespoke Greggs reusable cup style stress cups.

Along with our Creative team, we worked on a number of ‘look and feel’ designs in order to develop the one that would perfectly match the Greggs cup concept, would look original and stand out.

In order to make sure that the client would be 100% satisfied with their unique merchandise, we supplied them with pre-production samples of the stress cups for their feedback.  If changes needed to be made the samples would be produced again.

With the students’ safety in mind, it was very important to the client for the product to be fully tested and safety certified. In order to achieve this, we ran a certification project taking care of every health and safety detail including packing the products in bags with air holes.

The Outcome

The coffee cup shaped stress cups were the campaign’s most popular giveaway and Greggs increased the order volume by a 1/3rd the following year.