“I like turtles.” Anyone remember that meme?! No? Just us? That’s okay, we thought that might be a niche thing to have mentioned in the opener of this blog, but it got your attention, right? That’s what matters. Turtles are incredible reptiles that not only win hypothetical races against the fast and furious hares, but are also great to admire from afar, sunbathing on a rock (the turtles, not you, Cynthia!). However you choose to love and yearn for a turtle, we want you to lo

When we say “Puffin,” what is the first thing that you think of? QUICK. GO. Okay, hold your horses Johnny, no, we aren’t talking about something leafy green or anything tobacco related either! And nope, not even the cute little birds found in Iceland. I guess that question wasn’t the best question to ask. Some may have thought, “Maybe it’s a puffy vest or jacket? Some sort of apparel, possibly?” and if that was your thought process, you are kind of close. I know those brain c

There comes a time in every company’s life when they must ask the hard-hitting questions: Are we inspiring our employees? Are we doing all that we can to make them feel like they just won a UFC fight first-round KO? Do they think Dana White is about to come into the octagon and waistband them something glorious? Do we honor them with big flashy jewels and belts to make them feel like kings and queens? OR are we handing out sad little acrylic triangles…that makes you go, “Aww…

Swag doesn’t discriminate, it doesn’t care if you walk on two legs or four. Swag is all-inclusive to even your companions that go “woof.” And my lord, do we wish dogs could talk. We wish we could have a heart-to-heart with our fur friends; spilling all the tea, asking all the advice, and expressing an overbearing amount of love we have for every cell that makes up their body. It’s (borderline) exactly how Aunt Jackie greets you when you show up hungover to Thanksgiving… she d

If we were writing a love letter (this blog), this one goes out to hats. The backbone of a bad hair day, the piece that pulls the outfit together by adjusting the back strap a few notches, the protector from the sun to the delicate facial skin, the knight for the eyes against some hefty winds/debris, and the keeper of some incredible trending brand opportunities. Shoutout to the bald baddies out there too, we know a hat is essential for keeping you warm and all those beautifu

Let’s just get RIGHT into it. Marketing team, gather please, sit down, all eyes on me. An amazing swag connoisseur once said, “Great swag is born from great minds and creative thinkers, and that’s what we have here tonight, marketers. That’s what you have earned here tonight. One piece of great swag. If we did 10 giveaways, 9 might be subpar. But not this piece of swag, not this event. Tonight we give great swag.” If we are being honest, the line is hazy on whether that was a

Let's reminisce together on Bea Miller's 2019 song “Feel Something”. If you've heard it, you may have an idea where we're going with this. And for those who haven't, I may not be able to sing this for you (physically and in person) because… well, this is a blog, but I think a good alternative would be to host a little car karaoke concert for yourself so you can experience a small dopamine boost to get that day going in the proper direction. All of this “feel something and spi

Turn Booth Traffic Into Real Engagement with The Pen Bar Experience Let’s be honest: the usual pen giveaway at a tradeshow table just doesn’t stop feet anymore. Attendees walk by, glance at your swag, and maybe grab something if it’s flashy, but it’s often passive , forgotten, and ultimately lost in a sea of other freebies. So how do you break through the noise and get people to stay, interact, and engage with your brand? Well... The Pen Bar Experience may just be the sol

Every four years, the World Cup takes over the world—and with it comes watch parties, team rivalries, and a level of fan energy that’s impossible to ignore. For marketers, that kind of global excitement is a golden opportunity. From office watch parties and sales competitions to tradeshow giveaways and team-building events , the right swag can turn a normal campaign into something that feels a little more like an exciting game day . If you’re planning to tap into the hype t

Don’t look outside, don’t make eye contact or any sudden movements, and most importantly, don’t even bring it up. Because we know, we live it, we feel it—it haunts us every day… THE SNOW. The winter has not been very nice to New England this year... like, WHY are we getting bullied so bad right now?! What did we do?! Honestly, we might start blaming New York for no reason. Your sports teams SUCK. Sorry (we take it back). NY just caught a stray for no reason. Get up and dust y

We are going to say the forbidden word. No one make any sudden movements… LULULEMON. 👀 Every clothing brand tries to climb the quality, look, and feel kind of summit Lululemon seems to have elevated up to. Many brands have come close but… not quite. Fear not — your experts in all things swag-alicious have done an endless deep dive: samples on samples, searches on searches, blood… sweat… tears (slightly dramatic, but this is HUGE). We have found a set of sweatpants and pullov

RINGO. It sounds like the name of a very majestic, colorful, vibrant, loud, tropical bird or your absolutely unhinged and poppin’-off emu (if you don’t know what those are, I highly recommend you get to googling this fantastic creature right now) that your neighbor owns as a pet that gets out at the crack A$$ of dawn far too often. At this point, your neighbor’s scream, “RINGOOOO!” from their farmer’s porch before you even have time to open your eyelids, and it now has become

NO LARRY, dear God… not sometimes ! You think we sometimes come across a product that makes us go, “well how the F&*K am I supposed to use this thing, Kathy?!” or “Bob, does it need batteries or something, ‘cause I don’t have triple A’s on me!” We come across a product like this all the time, and it brings us the purest form of joy to get a sample, sit down (with coffee... or tequila), and figure it out FOR you…yes, YOU reading this very blog! When you have a me (KG) around,

YOU DID IT. You woke up for your 5 AM alarm, you packed your luggage with pristine accuracy to the point where (if it were human or had any sort of feelings/emotions) the list you made is even shocked that you got your 40 pairs of shoes and 20 outfits (you definitely don’t need) under the 50 lb weight limit! You begin to believe everything is really going your way for this trip when you have a whole row to yourself UNTIL…you’re met with the dreaded…plug-in headphones. Those s

Hey, you. Don’t think we didn’t just see you reach into the abyss of those pant pockets only to pull out the most disappointing, flimsy, lifeless-looking wallet we have ever laid our eyes on. Our thoughts are as follows: “It’s such a shame we cannot unsee that.” (KIDDING… well, sort of.) And HEY YOU, with the scary silicone phone wallet that looks like it couldn’t hold up against a mild gust of wind… yeah, you aren’t safe either. We are going to hold your hand when we tell yo

“Hey, it’s me!” Does anyone else love to answer the phone like that… knowing full well there is caller ID revealing your identity regardless. That’s the statement I chose to lead the blog with today, because we don’t have caller ID on a glorious piece of writing. It’s just me and my wild thoughts. Who is this “me” person though, you might be wondering? It is your very own KG (aka...Kellie) on the blog mic as we reintroduce our KG’s Kicka$$ Keepers series! This series is all a

Dear Diary, As we write this passage, it is December 3rd, 2025. We had our first snowfall here in New England, and while some of you might be thinking “awe, how magical!” …it wasn’t. Staying true to honest New England weather, it down poured shortly after the snowfall, making the roads slushy, icy, and, well …miserable to drive on. All this to say – we are day one into what feels like is about to be the LONGEST WINTER EVER. " Waaa", they cry, as they bundle up and place a ver

When you go to a tradeshow, what do you see…immediately? When your tired traveling eyes set their gaze upon the tradeshow floor and you take a hefty look around, what catches your pupils? Booths. That’s right. Banners, Booth, and table throws…OH MY! The same fabric, hardware, and setup that all your competitors, comrades, and cohorts are doing. Not to mention have you ever tried to set up this display at an event and questioned if you should have paid closer attention in phys

Please (and we mean PLEASE) forgive us for what we are about to say… Winter is upon us. * Queue the internal scream from the fiery pits of your lungs* . We know it’s a tough reality to accept. The sun sets at (what feels like) noon, we arise from our slumber from our work alarm only to see our own breath, have to preheat our vehicles, and the puffer jacket (that you put away in celebration what feels like just a week ago) is making a fresh appearance to the outside world. Sum

It’s TIME! It’s time for what? It’s time to let your personality step to the front. Drop the polite, and be the real you—lean into the weird and out-of-pocket way of life, it’s okay! Haven’t you ever heard, “no two snowflakes are alike”? Well, neither are people (some of you might argue about the concept of twins, but even they have differences). Our point is, not everyone will fit in the same mold, so quit trying to be a walking fish when you were born to swim. Okay, well, a