Located in Manhattan, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is dedicated to being the world’s foremost museum of modern art. It’s a champion of innovation and experimentation in art, architecture, and design. For over 70 years, MoMA has collected influential examples of mass production, technological advances, and innovative materials. It’s retail stores offer a wide range of products that highlight materials and makers of good design and the Museums curators approve all products that are sold.

IMC’s MoMA Design Store collection embodies this spirit and features products that embrace MoMA’s deisgn sensibility. The collection includes contemporary desktop accessories, writing instruments, key and bag tags – each bearing the MoMa logo and packaged in a custom designed gift box.

If you are looking for a stand-out desktop gift, then check out the pop-up pencil cup, designed by Paul Koh and inspired by the classic drinking straw dispenser. When you lift the red ball, the writing instruments within rise and fan out for easy access. Or check out my all-time personal favorite desk-top item; MoMA’s perpetual calendars, which are available in red, black, or orange. The crumbled blue print paperweight makes for a creative closing gift idea for architects or real estate agents. Each Tibor Kalman designed paper weight is made of silk-screened blueprint vinyl paperweight, hand-crumpled and wrapped around a steel weight.

If you are looking for a unique, high quality gift desk-top or travel gift browse the IMC Catalog for more MoMA products or contact Quintain Marketing for suggestions.

By Jessica Matase

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What a year! With one of the worst economies in recent memory, 2009 was tough for so many people. For us, it was a challenging but very interesting time that forced us look inward and think hard about the service we provide, the products we sell, and the industry in which we work. I, for one, came away with a new appreciation for the relationships we built with our customers, all of whom stuck with us as their marketing budgets got slashed. But I also developed a renewed confidence in the services and the products that we sell.

At a time when money for advertising and marketing is scarce, promotional marketing has a very valuable role to play. I just saw the results of a study of the advertising habits of marketing executives that was conducted late last summer, and the data relating to the impact of promotional products is quite impressive. Specifically, end buyers of advertising and marketing cited promotional products as best (over TV, newspapers and the internet) in the following categories:

• Ability to achieve long term memorability on a cost per impression basis;
• Flexibility to fit the cost of the medium to the budget;
• Ability to bond with the audience in a way that promotes repeat business;
• Audience-friendly factor (people actually want to receive them!); and
• Proven ability to generate traffic to stores, tradeshows, etc.

These finding are further confirmed by a study that the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) conducted last fall. That study found that a little less than half of American consumers received a promotional product in the last 24 months, and 90.4% still own the product that they received. Even better, 94% could recall the product, 89% could recall the advertiser, and 78% could recall the message! That is truly incredible longevity!!

Armed with the statistics from these two studies, I feel very confident telling our customers to spend their limited budgets on promotional marketing generally and promotional products specifically. Not only do they get great results, they can do so in a very budget conscious way. This makes them the perfect vehicle to promote any brand in any economy – good or bad.

By Kathleen Booth

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Etching and engraving were created sometime during the 15th century. Rembrandt, the most famous and (possibly) important Dutch painter and print maker perfected etching in the 17th century.

Etching is done by covering a metal plate with an acid-resistant layer of wax called a ground and drawing a design through the ground using an etching needle. The plate is then dipped in acid, which bites into the exposed lines, thus etching the design into the plate.

An engraving is made by incising a design into a metal plate by applying pressure to the plate with a pointed tool called a graver or burin.

Etching creates delicate and subtle designs while strong lines and sharp definition are main characteristics of engravings. Etchings are primarily done on stemware and other delicate glass. Engraving can be done on metals and thicker cuts of glass.

By Jessica Matase

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The other day I was at Bed, Bath, & Beyond when I noticed one of my favorite products- The Driin Mobile Phone Charging Station. I first saw this product about a year or so ago at an industry show and I thought it was awesome! I wasn’t aware that it is selling at retail now, so you can image my delight when I saw it selling for $10. I love seeing products at retail that I can buy as a promotional products distributor; for 3 main reasons-

1. The general population probably already knows what the product is and probably doesn’t have one but will use it if they’re given one.
2. Promotional product pricing is usually better than retail so companies can give a gift with a perceived higher value than what they are actually paying.
3. If a company buys the product from a promo products distributor- they can customize the product with their logo or message.

What exactly is the Driin and why should you buy it? It solves the tangled cord mess problem most people have when they’re charging their phone or PDA. All you do is wrap the cord around the Driin and rest the phone or PDA on the shelf. It’s light and easy to travel with so you’ll be less likely to leave your charger in your hotel room. If you don’t travel a lot the Driin takes the tangled cord eyesore mess away from any where you usually charge your electronics- kitchen, office, bedroom, etc. The Driin is a great promotional giveaway for tradeshows or traveling sales people.

By Jessica Matase

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Embossing and debossing are two decoration methods I constantly hear misused. Prior (to what seems to be) popular belief they are two different effects!

Embossing refers to the creation of a raised impression under high pressure of a logo or lettering on materials such as paper, cloth, metal, or leather. Debossing refers to raising the material around the die impression. The most popular style of debossing and embossing in the promotional products industry is blind embossing which is embossing without using any ink.

The easiest way to remember the difference between embossing and debossing: embossing presses the logo into the material and debossing pushes the logo down into the material.

By Jessica Matase

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