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Editors’ Favorite Products 2009
By: Audrey Sellers, Associate Editor
Issue: 2009dec
PPB and Promotional Consultant editors weigh in with their top product picks of the year.
There’s no doubt 2009 was a year chockfull of useful, catchy and just plain fun promotional products. Our editorial team sorts through dozens of product submissions, parades through industry tradeshows, flips through catalogs and scours supplier websites to bring you the freshest products in every issue. After a year of research, we’ve compiled a list of the products that popped out to us the most. It’s not an all-inclusive list, but just a glimpse of some of the products that caught our editors’ eyes.
 | Made from stainless steel, the Fiji Sports Bottle is sturdy enough to take anywhere. A loop on the screw-on, leak-resistant lid simplifies carrying or attaching.
Bullet Line, LLC UPIC: BULLET 800-749-7367 |
Available in a handful of designs such as bamboo, diamond and floral, the Travel Wallet is a slim metal case equipped with two elastic bands and a spring-loaded opening. Retro 1951 UPIC: RETRO 800-466-1951
“These card wallets have such a classic, timeless look. And solid metal construction means they’ll last and last,” says Tama Swan, PPB associate editor.
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 | The Cooler Tote, offered in vibrant colors with cream accents, features a fully insulated main compartment and an exterior pocket for small items such as keys and a cell phone.
Goodhope Bags Ind. Inc. UPIC: GOOD0004 800-634-8084 |
Rosemary and mint essential oils in the Essential Elements Wake Up Rosemary Deluxe Gift Set help relieve tension and stimulate the senses. It includes a woven basket brimming with all-natural, therapeutic-grade bath products. Gilchrist & Soames UPIC: GandS 317-786-8286
“This gift is ideal for creating a spa experience at home. It has all the essentials: bath salts, body lotion, moisturizing soap. You get the feeling you’re really being pampered since all the products are totally pure. Plus, the woven gift basket doubles as a place to store hand towels or toiletry items once the bath products are gone,” says PPB Associate Editor Audrey Sellers.
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 | Splash some fun into a rainy day with the Boutique Umbrella, which is made from a rugged poly-pongee fabric and is lightweight enough to fit in a purse or laptop bag.
TRG Group UPIC: TRG 888-721-6016 |
Rounded corners are standard on the Elite Journals, which are wire-bound on the left side in black, copper, pewter or white. Drummond Printing Inc. UPIC: DRUMLINE 800-284-2456
“An editor always needs to be ready to take notes, so one of my favorite products is the wire-bound journal because it’s lightweight, opens flat and I can tear out a sheet if needed,” says PPB’s editor, Tina Berres Filipski. “The journals are also available in sumptuous cover colors such as amaretto and powder pink or a choice of prints. But the best thing about a wire-bound journal is that you can never have too many.”
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 | No wine and cheese party is complete without the Laguiole® Cheese Board With Knives. The board features a crumb groove and the knives have polished wooden handles and stainless steel blades.
Leed’s UPIC: LEEDS 800-860-1555 |
Bulb Clipsters, lightbulb-shaped paperclips on a magnetic base, prove that even ubiquitous office products can have some personality. They’re offered in a variety of other shapes including bones, dollar signs and stars.
Dard Products, Inc. (Tag-Master Line) UPIC: TagMastr 800-323-2925 |  |
 | The Signature is compact but loaded with features: blade, nail file, screwdriver, scissors, key ring, tweezers and ballpoint pen. Victorinox Swiss Army, Inc. UPIC: swisarmy 800-243-4032
“I’ve loved this product since I received one as a thank-you gift 15 years ago—I kept it in my purse and used it again and again until I had to leave it at airport security. I was quick to get a new one because I use it almost every day,” says Pamela Webb, managing editor of Promotional Consultant. “The scissors can snip a raveling thread or cut coupons. The tweezers have extracted many a splinter or plucked a stray hair. I’ve used the knife to open boxes, the file to smooth a hangnail and tighten a screw. It is small, compact and reasonably priced.”
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Whether it’s business travel or a family getaway, recipients can stay on schedule with the Pocket Clock. It easily tucks into luggage and comes with a leather pouch to protect against scratching.
Norwood Promotional Products UPIC: NORWOOD 317-275-2500 |  |
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