My wife and I got a call the other day from my mom, aka Grammy.  She said.. " why don't you two take off for a weekend and let me take Macy for an overnight ", without hesitation I said sounds great we will be in touch shortly.  We got online and booked a cabin in Bar Harbor, Maine and we are going to bring out bikes.  We are going to pedal up Cadillac Mountain.  It sounds pretty plush right, Cadillac is synonomous with luxury but, this is not an easy ride.  The claim to fame is you can ride up in the dark and be the first to view the sunrise in the US from Oct 7th-March 8th.  It is an old carriage road that they have graded so it is flat but it is still dirt.  It takes about an hour to do a couple of miles due to the incline and mix that with an estimated 5 am wake up call.  Im excited!!  I already pulled out my Custom Tote Bag, I had received from a previous charity bike ride we had done, and I started packing the essentials.  

On Sunday, my husband and I had to run a few errands, so we were out most of the day. We ended up at Roosevelt Field Mall, to return and pick up a few things. While there, of course, I wandered off, and ended up in Urban Outfitters. When I went into the store, I told my husband that I was just going to come "right out". It has been a while since I have been in that store, so I ended up going through every rack and every display. Well, about 45 minutes later, I left the store with two bags of clothes. I kept telling myself (and my husband) that I only bought the essentials for my fall wardrobe. However, I must admit, part of my shopping had to do with the cute and reusable shopping bags they use. Unlike most retail stores that uses paper or plastic shopping bags, Urban Outfitters uses reusable non-woven custom tote bags. I figured, I would not only be getting new sweaters and shirts, but also promotional bags that I can use on a daily basis (as a cute little lunch bag). Koodos to Urban Outfitters - not only for being eco-friendly and using reusable shopping bags instead of disposable ones, but also for making purchashing from the store so fun and exciting!!

While the exact date of Google's birth is unknown (or undecided), the search engine giant celebrates its birthday each September.  Today, Google is celebrating its 13th anniversary!  How do I know?  Go see for yourself at Google.com!

That's right; each September since 2002, Google invites its users to help celebrate its birth month by replacing its Web site's normal banner with a unique Google Doodle.  Interested in seeing previous years' Doodles? Mashable takes a look back at all of Google's birthday Doodles.  Here are a few of my favorites:

1.  The 2002 Google Doodle 

The 2002 Google Doodle was the first of its kind, and it celebrated the search engine's fourth birthday.  Google went all out in 2002.  It turned the logo's letter 'L' into the number four, and inserted a Google-themed custom food product in front.

2. The 2008 Google Doodle

In 2008, Google finally celebrated with a few gifts! The logo was surrounded by gift-wrapped custom tote bags and each letter wore an adorable party hat.  What a great way to commemorate the search engine's 10 year anniversary.

3.  This Year's Google Doodle

Google took an entirely new approach to its 2011 birthday celebration.  The logo this year is presented in a retro fashion.  The room's filled with streamers, promo balloons, a brightly colored table cloth and all. 

For a look at each year's Google Doodle, click here!  Happy birthday, Google!

Promotional bags get a bad rap.  Sure, there are some less-than-creatively designed bags that don't necessarily grab the attention of passers-by, but there are also many that are stylish, sleek and downright sexy.  According to Mashable, there at least 10 laptop bags that are fitting for even the most fashionable techie.  Let's take a look at a few of Mashable's suggestions:

1.  OMG PWNIES! 

This custom tote bag features an adorable yet chic design. It incorporates ThinkGeek's popular "pwnies" design, and is large enough to fit a 17-inch laptop.  It's even got a little bit of wiggle room, ideal for storing accessories like promotional mouse pads.

2.  Vintage

America's addiction to vintage is stronger than ever, perhaps best evidenced by Banana Republic's new 1960s-inspired Mad Men Collection.  This custom tote bag certainly falls nicely into that category, as well.  Dubbed "the ultimate in preppy chic" by Mashable, the bag delivers class and sophistication.

3.  Gamer's Delight

This customized tote will have every avid gamer smiling ear-to-ear.  Fashioned after the original Nintendo remote control, this bag features a stand-out look that video game-lovers will cherish.  And, according to Mashable, its front panel is reversible, making it "practically two bags for the price of one."

These laptop bags make it easy for even the most tech-obsessed individual to look cool!  To view the rest of Mashable's "hand-picked selection of brilliant bags," click here.  You're sure to find a bag that's interesting, attractive and even a bit unusual!

I am not your typically sports fan.  I don't watch or follow all 162 baseball games or enjoy a long winter of monday night football gams.  I am a bandwagon type of guy but only with the teams that are from Massachusetts where I grew up and had fond memories of pretending to be Roger Clemens on the mound during little league games or Andy Moog in net for a pickup game of street hockey.  One Sport that intrigues me is bike racing, tour de france type stuff.  The tour is starting this weekend and there are 7 grueling stages of 100 + miles a day.  These guys are in top physical condition although,  just as all sports, a few top guys have to spoil the sport with doping scandels.  To keep the performance level up the length of the tour, they are constantly hydrating themselves with promotional water bottles branded with their teams colors.  They also eat while they are riding!!!.  It is probably one of the whackiest things I have seen in a sporting event.  They have crew members that pass out custom tote bags that are filled with high protein snacks at certain feeding stations.  They are usually using a tote with a long strap that they can put across there body as they refuel.   This weekend I hope to get out on the bike and daydream about sprinting pass Lance Armstrong for the win!!! 

Over the past month, the wife and I have been utilizing our new Netflix account to the fullest extent. With the apartment's other new toy (PS3, Merry Christmas to me!), we have been streaming some of the content available through Netflix's 'Watch Instantly' feature. Netflix sent us a disc, we put it in the PS3, and it links to our Netflix account. It's nothing short of awesome.

So we've been finally gotten on board and have been streaming 30 Rock. Great show. We especially enjoyed the episode that co-starred Wayne Brady as Steven Black. He may not have been the coolest character, but he sure did love his promotional tote bags. Steven Black is nowhere near as urban as Tracy Jordan. The only reason he would attend The Source Awards was to take advantage of the night's giveaway: new custom tote bags for his collection.

If you haven't watched, I won't spoil how it ends. It's a sitcom, which means that hilarity ensued. We're definitely going to keep using Netflix to watch the antics of the gang at 30 Rock.

PS - Adam: I searched the blog archives for 'Wayne Brady' and didn't find anything. If you already did a blog about this, my apologies.

When I reached out for the bright yellow Polyvinyl chloride slab at the graduate school fair I attended last week I smiled and thought, "What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" The quirky woman behind the College of St. Rose booth smiled back at me and did a charade. Her hands sliced the air as she demonstrated what the flexible slab did. "You just, ya know, put that tab in the slot and..."

"Oooooh its a cell phone holder!" I said finishing her sentence as I put the promotional mobile device holder together. It took all of two seconds to assemble the handy holder and I immediately reached into my custom tote bag to retrieve my phone. Her eyes widen as she saw how interested I was in this seemingly cheap promotional item. I explained the work I do for Motivators and how it'd be the perfect item to blog about. My phone sat comfortably in the holder and the woman chatted with me for a bit about the college she represented.

As I thanked her and began to walk away, I tossed my phone and the fun little holder into my purse where they'd stay until I had a major breakthrough over the weekend.
                             
On Saturday night, I sat on a squishy couch at The Cup in Wantagh listening to some sweet singer/songwriters. Between sets I rummaged through my bag for anything mildly entertaining. With my friends focused on me, I whipped out that same bright yellow slab from the grad school fair. My friend Neeva was unsure of its function but I went right to work showing her its many abilities.

I placed the unassembled PVC slab next to my face and pretended to use it as a phone. Neeva was feeling imaginative this particular evening and grabbed the yellow item from me. "Hello!" she said. I immediately picked up her call by placing my wallet up to my face. "Hello, this is Jenn," I said. We played make believe for an extended period of time, scaring passersby away with our weird antics and securing our seats on the comfy couches.

After Neeva rudely hung up on me, I took the yellow PVC promotional mobile phone holder from her, assembled it, and placed it on the table facing us. We admired the sturdy holder and how good looking it made my phone look. The imprint area was pretty large and the College of Saint Rose's phone number was staring right at me. "Time for another call!" I thought.

As I slipped the tab out of the slot to make a pretend phone call, all of the planets aligned; Jesus walked by and gave me the peace sign, Santa rode in on a reindeer and gave me the thumbs up and a crystal studded genie hovered over me winking repeatedly. I'd struck gold- a golden idea that is.
                                           
I slipped the bottom of the custom cell phone holder under the strap of my shirt and put the tab through the slot. The cell phone holder sat perfectly on my shoulder as Neeva looked on wondering what I was doing. I stuck my phone into the promotional mobile device holder on my shoulder and tilted my head towards it. With my hands in the air I yelled out, "Hands free cell phone device!"
             
Neeva immediately laughed at me, but I knew I'd reached my creative genius plateau. I spent the remainder of the night with my cell phone perched on my shoulder like that friendly parrot I've always dreamed of having.

Yesterday after work, while channeling our immature sides and skateboarding, I shared my idea with Neeva and Meg. Once again, I was laughed at- something I truly enjoy. We decided we needed photos of the promotional hands free cell phone device in action. Then we laughed some more. I'd have to say that due to the amount of laughter the promotional mobile device holder gave me, it’s the greatest promotional product I've encountered so far. Sure it's simple as could be, but if a cardboard box is like a castle to a child, this custom cell phone holder can be anything I want it to be. “Hands-free driving!”             

As September sets in and the suns rays begin to weaken, summery custom tote bags are replaced with promotional backpacks. It's this time of year that I normally make my break for Maine - I pack up my things, say good bye to the island and head North in search of friends, knowledge and a break from the rush, rush of New York. This year, is a bit different. Instead of decorating my dorm room with custom posters and throw pillows, I'm planning on beginning to decorate my cubicle. And instead of getting into the swing of a new school year, I'm getting used to working full-time (almost).

Bye, bye custom tote bags.                                Hello promotional backpacks.
         


I'm a big believer in accepting change and rolling with the punches, so I'm no lost sheep right now. But as my friends in Maine start settling back into campus, I've been feeling the ache. I've received messages and calls of, "We miss you," and "It's so weird with you not here." In hopes of curing that ache and starting the new "school/work" year off in good spirits, I've planned a mini-trip up to my long, lost home.

I'm a quick packer and a good traveler, but my biggest concern was, "How am I gonna' get there?" Last time I drove up, my spacewagon spiraled out of control on the 95. So I decided to girl the high flyer a break. I've been tending to her needs with custom auto accessories and steering clear of danger. With that option out the door, I considered alternatives.

If I'd seen this ad earlier this week, and if I lived in Ecuador, flying would've surely been my #1 choice.  There are a ton of awesome airline advertisements, but this one really impressed me. There are nine different ads depicting different individuals with "wings" comprised of places and things of interest. One that I really enjoyed was "Fly Galapagos." A man snorkeling in the ocean appears to have "wings" of sea life, corals and exotic birds. Clearly he wanted to visit a tropical land for exploration of the sea. I thought it was a beautiful way to promote Tame Airlines and I enjoyed all of the ads they designed for this campaign.

Unfortunately, flying is a bit more expensive that I'd like, as was Amtrak, leaving me with the wonderful option of bussing it up the East Coast. I'm catching the midnight bus out of NYC tonight so that when I wake up in the morning, I'll be breathing some fresh, Maine air. No need for promotional keychains, my E-Z Pass or attentive driving. I'll just sit back and enjoy the smelly man who is likely to sit next to me.

Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend all.

With a care-free attitude I embrace all of the adventures each day brings. I work nine to five in an office with very stable conditions. I type in my user name and password, fill up the coffee mug and dive into promotional products week after week. But once I'm released outside, things tend to get crazy. The most adventuresome days come on by surprise but sometimes I plan ahead and create for myself, the ultimate mini getaway.

Sometimes my plans don't go as smoothly as I'd envisioned but I always make the most of it. However, there are a few destinations that guarantee me a good time regardless of any variables. Though you may not agree, I see the blissfulness in these activities and am always up for them. Going to the zoo and going to the car wash.

It wouldn't be a stretch to say I'm...youthful? I thank my nieces for that. But my family has nothing to do with one of the greatest things I've heard about all year. The Zoo Car Wash. This isn't patented yet so I may be hiring a lawyer sometime soon to ensure me the rights to the awesome idea. In no time you'll be seeing Zoo Car Wash promotional tote bags and custom mugs. The llamas and camels will spit on the car. The monkeys will throw on the soap. The elephants will rinse them off and the lions will drag their manes against the car for the final drying stage. Taaa daaaa! Well not exactly.

The Zoo Car Wash came into action after a few years of discussion. The three resident elephants have been trained on hoe to scrub each car with sponges and rinse them off with water spouting out of their trunks. “They already know the basic behaviors,” said Wildlife Safari elephant trainer Katie Alayan. “We do what’s called ‘capturing’: they do a behavior and we say “good” and give them treats to reinforce it.”  These smart elephants resond to positive rienforcement in the same way that a child would.

The awesome fundraiser for the wild life safari began this summer in Oregon and has been a great success. The Wildlife Safari Executive Director, Dan Van Slyke, and Elephant Supervisor, Carol Matthews, say that the elephants don't mind the work. The elephants get to perform a fun activity and the car passengers absolutely love the ride. For only $20 you get a free car and a rare opportunity to interact with the elephants.

I can only imagine all of the custom auto accessories that the wild life safari will be able to sell with an attraction like this. How about a free promotional bumper sticker or custom auto ribbon magnet with every car wash? And of course, peanuts and more peanuts for those hard working elephants.

Wow. Discovering this Zoo Car Wash made my day. This is my kind of thing. Seriously, who wants to road trip to Oregon?

Almost any baseball fan reading this right now can probably say that they watched most of, or at least part of this past Tuesday’s annual All-Star Game. I’m not going to get into the details of the game because I am a Mets fan and thus was not too thrilled with the outcome, but then again, not surprised. Speaking of being surprised, it wasn’t too far into the game that I became accustomed to seeing something else. No, it wasn’t seeing another misplaced throw from David Wright to the first baseman, it was seeing a Holiday Inn commercial at every commercial break! A few weeks back I had noticed that the Holiday Inn logo had changed from the old familiar script font. I wont say that this move was long overdue, but the new branding definitely gives the idea and perception that the Holiday Inn is a fresh, bright, even classy place to stay. Of course we all know that the Holiday Inn is not a 5-star resort, but a more modern logo definitely sheds the idea that the linens and wallpaper in each room is as old as the prior logo. Not only has there been a trend of new or updated branding recently, but this was not merely following a trend, it is a very effective marketing strategy because new branding in this case will very likely equate to a new inviting perception.

When watching this commercial over and over again, I thought about how I knew of the brand change, but didn’t remember exactly where I had seen the new logo. I just knew that it wasn’t in the form of traditional advertising, like said commercials, which got me to thinking that it was probably a promotional product! So I tried to think of the specific one, and when cycling through the usual suspects, I came to the conclusion that it was not a custom tote bag, and I didn’t see it on any promotional drinkware, finally leading me to the conclusion that I had seen it on a promotional pen. Imprinted Drinkware, Custom foil-wrapped chocolates, promotional notepads and promotional pens are staples in hotel promotional products. We see them every time we check into a room, but my experience with the new Holiday Inn logo just goes to show you how powerful promotional pens can be. I have not stayed in a Holiday Inn recently, nor do I know anyone who has. But the fact that I used an imprinted pen with the new branding on it, to sign for a credit card purchase at the Home Depot, means that someone took the pen from a room and it somehow got passed around until it reached a checkout counter in a random store. Exposure is one of the most important things that one should think about when running a promotion. Even if you are not a hotel, the custom printed pen has the potential to get the same mileage out of a pen from a hotel because it is a commonly used and shared item that often gets passed around unintentionally. For this reason, it might also be a good idea to consider a promotional bic lighter for your next promotion. It may very well be the single most commonly exchanged item that there is other than money.

But back to the point: I had originally thought that the new Holiday Inn branding campaign hadn’t had much effort or investment put into it, but after Tuesday it is pretty clear that they were just waiting for the timing to be right. Unless I have simply not seen any other typical advertising for the new branding, it appears that many of the Holiday Inn eggs have been put into the Major League Baseball basket at least for now. The commercial even revolves around baseball as the hotel room attendants are dressed as grounds crew members and make up the room in a similar fashion that you see a grounds crew tending to the field.