Branded merchandise can do plenty more than promote a company or event. People instinctively turn to it to commemorate history. If something comes along that is worth remembering or that we will never see again, that’s enough to necessitate a keepsake. And you can be certain that none of us have ever lived through or will ever again live through a U.S. Semiquincentennial, the term used to describe 250 years of freedom.

  • July 4th will officially mark 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, making 2026 a yearlong celebration.


America250 is an official nonpartisan commission initially enacted by Congress in 2016 in preparation to honor the anniversary of America’s independence. Former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and former first ladies Laura Bush and Michelle Obama were selected as honorary national co-chairs.

“America250” is, ultimately, a branding term, and the campaign comes with an official image that America250.org will license out to brands and firms hoping to incorporate the Semiquincentennial into their branding initiatives.

  • Separately, there is a completely different entity called Freedom250, which champions a similar cause, but is organized by the “White House Task Force 250” in collaboration with a number of private businesses and federal agencies. Freedom250, which is more specifically associated with President Trump, claims to “celebrate the triumph of the American spirit.”


As an example of the licensing in action, a few branded merch firms have already made the move to incorporate America250 imagery into their offerings, including Hit Promotional Products, PPAI 100’s No. 3 supplier, and Pop! Promos, PPAI 100’s No. 45 supplier.

  • Taking this step has allowed these suppliers to offer Fourth of July, patriotic or Semiquincentennial-specific products that are more than generic red, white and blue designs and officially commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary.

As the calendar moves closer to Independence Day, branded merch firms are likely wanting and needing to move quickly if they are to deliver on orders specific to the Fourth of July. PPAI spoke with the team behind licensing the America250 imagery to get clarity on how your average distributor or supplier should go about acquiring the legal licensing to use America250 in their products.

Fact Sheet: How To Apply For America250 Image Licensing

The first question is obvious: Where do you go? The team behind America250 assures PPAI that the most efficient way to apply is through the Contact page at the America250.org website.

  • Once there, users will go to the drop-down menu labeled “Type of Question or Request” and they will select “Product licensing or trademark use request.” Selecting this option will auto-populate a series of questions specific to trade licensing and trademark.

America250 assured PPAI that this is not an automated process. Every request is reviewed, which may slow down the process a bit, but applicants can still expect a turnaround and processing of somewhere between one and two weeks on average. Each applicant is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

  • Applicants will be met with a fairly standard and non-negotiable set of standards, once accepted.
  • They are given the lockup for the image, and the lockup cannot be modified at all.
  • They will be able to pick what products they would like to have the lockup appear on.
  • There are a few built-in restrictions, mostly designed to avoid conflicts with official sponsors of America250.
  • The applicant will be presented with a flat fee specific to their application.


What is the cost?

The fee depends on the size of the organization but has generally landed in the low-to-mid five-figure range. The fee is theoretically fluid going forward, however, especially as the date gets closer to the 4th of July, and orders may be harder to meet under tight deadlines. This makes it potentially worth finding out what the fee might be before dismissing it out of hand.

What About Freedom250? Logo License And Co-Branded Products At Events

Freedom250 similarly offers licensing of its logo for branded merchandise.

  • In order to apply for licensing of Freedom250’s logo for promotional products, firms should inquire by reaching out to licensing@freedom250.org.


One key differentiator with Freedom250 is that there are additional branding opportunities through client co-branded products at the various events that the organization is holding, not just through this celebratory year, but all the way into the summer of 2027.

Freedom250 has a National Events Calendar featuring ongoing celebrations that “that honor our history, showcase the beauty of the United States, ignite innovation and strengthen the faith that will carry our nation forward for the next 250 years.”

  • Similarly, at the bottom of the same page is an opportunity to apply to have your event be added to the National Events Calendar with a specification of whether you would like Freedom250 branding used at the event.