Did you know the average person worldwide spends nearly seven hours per day on screens, including watching TV, scrolling social media, gaming, browsing websites and reading? Add to that another hour in the car listening to radio and – you get the picture – the average person is exposed daily to thousands of advertising messages aimed at influencing how they spend their money, time and energy.
In contrast, the hands-on approach of promotional products cuts through all the clutter by delivering customized, interactive experiences centered around tangible products that people keep, use and remember.
This year, 18 of the best campaigns were singled out for the PPAI Pyramid Award in Client Programs, an annual competition that’s been spotlighting the best promotions for more than 60 years. While some of these winning programs incorporated virtual events and social media, the centerpiece remained product focused.
Sponsored by Pacesetter, the contest was open to all PPAI member distributors and regional associations for programs taking place between April 1, 2024, and April 1, 2025. Read on to see why these programs caught PPAI judges’ attention and snag a few creative ideas to use with your clients.
Business-To-Business Programs
Gold Winner
Whitestone
Alteryx, a data analytics company, partnered with Whitestone to introduce its new platform, Alteryx One, to more than 300 customers and prospects across the U.S., Canada and Latin America. Each recipient received a custom-branded barbecue kit consisting of an engraved cutting board, apron, thermometer and recipe card. The kits were delivered in time for recipients to participate in a virtual event featuring Alteryx One product demos punctuated by guided grilling segments led by Grill Master Mike Steele.
The virtual event, complemented by the barbecue kit, strengthened the company’s relationship with these decision-makers, entertained them with an interactive, branded at-home grilling experience, drove pipeline activity and differentiated Alteryx through its highly creative approach.
The results surpassed expectations, generating an ROI of approximately 830% over projections, making it Alteryx’s second-highest pipeline-driving program after offering a free trial. What began as a creative solution for summer engagement has since evolved into a repeatable, scalable model for future demand generation.
Silver Winner
BAMKO
To promote Hyundai Capital’s new Hyundai Protection and Genesis Protection Plan program to buyers, BAMKO built a full-scale, free-standing immersive EV charging station display featuring a sleek, interactive display with a large screen and information panel. The 3D replication was installed in every Hyundai and Genesis dealership across the U.S. that carried EV cars.
Timing was critical, as installation coincided with the rollout of the new program. The plan was for Hyundai’s business development representatives to refer to the display and discuss the program when they visited the dealerships.
Thanks to the engaging nature of the display, inquiries about the financing programs were plentiful, resulting in a boost in brand perception for Hyundai and Genesis.
Client Branding Programs
Gold Winner
Whitestone
The primary objectives of this promotion were to reinforce Rice University’s values of creativity, collaboration and community, and to differentiate it within the crowded higher education space. The aim was also to update counselors on admissions information in a nontraditional, engaging format.
Inspired by a student-led LEGO campus initiative, Whitestone created a high-impact mailer campaign targeting more than 5,500 high school and community-based counselors across the U.S. The fully custom toy brick building kit, contained in a branded box, centered around Rice’s beloved mascot, Sammy the Owl, as a buildable centerpiece, and included a postcard with a QR code linking to digital admissions content.
The creative and interactive promotion gained viral traction, extended Rice University’s brand visibility and increased counselor-student engagement while delivering strong ROI relative to the investment.
Silver Winner
Martket Branding
The BC Hydro Power Pioneers, a group of retired BC Hydro employees and their spouses, were preparing for Jamboree 2024, a weeklong Northern Lights cruise to Alaska, and wanted custom-branded items to reinforce their group identity and foster connection, unity and visibility.
Martket Branding curated a high-quality, 10-piece collection designed for comfort, practicality and packability, with fleece jackets and vests that addressed the needs of senior travelers during the variable weather of the late-season cruise. At the client’s request, the items also reflected the colors of the Northern Lights. Each piece was brought to life through various decoration techniques that complemented their practicality and intended use. In addition to apparel, products included a travel blanket, fleece scarf, stainless steel water bottle, packable backpack, travel binoculars, LED keychain light and a lanyard.
The collection generated nearly $8,900 (CAD) in online sales for the Power Pioneers, with $1,000 of that donated to the Power Pioneers’ Miracle Millions Campaign in support of BC Children’s Hospital.
Consumer Programs
Gold Winner
BAMKO
BAMKO created a custom, limited-edition merchandise program for Subway around the premier of the new Netflix film, Happy Gilmore 2. It was designed to generate buzz, drive customer engagement, strengthen brand loyalty and create a connection with fans.
The collection blended Happy Gilmore ’90s nostalgia with the Subway brand, featuring custom artwork by artist Mickey Duzyj and design collaboration from Adam Sandler himself. Products were selected to be authentic to the film and its fans and featured vintage-inspired pint glasses and high-end ’90s-style apparel including hoodies, tees and golf polos. The program created a media frenzy with the addition of a Subway-branded golf bag from the movie set.
BAMKO’s meticulous sourcing and national warehousing enabled a smooth, direct-to-consumer drop-shipping process to capitalize on the immediate buzz. Once the authentic collectibles were unveiled on the Subway rewards site, all the items sold out within 24 hours, demonstrating overwhelming demand and effective engagement.
Silver Winner
Zagwear
Zagwear worked with Coors to develop a custom face roller, designed to hold a single can of Coors Light, as a key element in a larger campaign called A Case of the Mondays. It was a playful take on the difficulties of Mondays, especially the Monday after the Super Bowl. Coors Light launched its 2025 Super Bowl campaign about four weeks before the game, and the product was slotted into the second phase of the campaign.
The Zagwear-designed Chill Face Roller was used in the digital, influencer and media elements to create impressions and awareness for the overall campaign, and to drive traffic to Coors merchandise sites. It was specifically targeted at health and wellness influencers, beauty industry media outlets and consumers – all nontraditional targets for Coors marketing.
As tracked by Coors’ agency, the Chill Face Roller generated more than 6.72 million impressions, 99% positive sentiment and more than 100 media stories.
Distributor/Supplier Collaboration
Gold Winner
Overture
For candy company Haribo’s internal employee celebration in July 2025, organizers envisioned sourcing and producing a custom-branded fabric to bring its playful brand personality to life. Overture delivered an even sweeter experience by using the custom fabric to create two one-of-a-kind garments that elevated the overall event.
Working from Haribo’s concept, Overture partnered closely with its supplier to develop a custom textile that captured Haribo’s brand standards, color palette, logo placement and playful tone. Then it coordinated the creation of a striking suit jacket and matching dress that were worn to the event by two Haribo employees.
With a project investment of about $500, Overture went beyond expectations to deliver a pair of high-impact, show-stopping garments that instantly became conversation starters and photo opportunities.
Educational Programs
Gold Winner
American Solutions For Business
The Bell Museum, a natural history museum and planetarium in St. Paul, Minnesota, engaged K-5 students across the state with distribution of free STEM Kits designed to spark curiosity and hands-on learning. The project, funded through donations, has been ongoing since 2020 with ASB involved as the creative partner since then. The 2025 kits targeted 15,000 families, particularly those in under-resourced communities, with distribution through the museum, public libraries, a YMCA and other outlets.
These engaging, take-home activity kits, developed to make science and nature learning accessible and fun, featured educational experiments with cohesive graphics and functional promo items. Every element – from the custom box and pencil set to the seed packets and printed guides – followed a consistent color story, reinforcing the year’s theme while remaining accessible to young learners. Each kit contained four activities: Groovy Gills, Growbox Greenhouse, Salty Science and Sew a Constellation. In addition, the kit’s packaging was intentionally designed to be reused for the Growbox Greenhouse project, making every part of the experience purposeful and engaging.
Silver Winner
Promotional Partners
Students who participated with their schools in educational programs at The Poe Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, and at related pop-up events around the state, were gifted a custom-designed key tag to remind them of key points in the program. Because the tag could be attached to bags, zippers and clothing, it became a lasting tangible and visual reminder of the key messages they had learned.
The tag was printed in full color and used a full-bleed imprint to highlight The Poe Center and its program partner AmeriHealth Caritas NC. The nonprofits are aligned through an educational mission to empower youngsters, from fourth graders to teens, to make positive behavioral choices about their health and wellness as they mature into adults.
The program was so well received that The Poe Center asked Promotional Partners to craft a second key tag and sticker for a future program.
Employee Incentive & Recognition Programs
Gold Winner
INM Marketing Group
The American Conference Basketball Gifting Suite was designed by INM Marketing Group to recognize and reward the dedication and success of collegiate athletes participating in the 2024 championship tournament held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
The program created a personalized experience where each of the 432 athletes could select a premium gift online in advance or in person during championship week. The curated mix of high perceived value, lifestyle-driven items included Bose speakers, Atari consoles, massagers, weighted blankets and branded apparel from The North Face and Carhartt.
With 95% of athletes redeeming their gift, the program received overwhelmingly positive feedback from athletes and the client, who invited INM to manage the gifting program for the following year’s tournament.
Silver Winner
CE Competitive Edge
A beverage company partnered with CE Competitive Edge to refresh its reward program for commercial drivers earning the Driver Safe Award. Before Competitive Edge took over the program, only 50% of drivers redeemed awards and feedback showed low perceived value, inconsistent celebrations and limited management involvement.
With a target audience of nearly 8,000 drivers across more than 400 U.S. and Canadian locations, the new program aimed to increase redemption rates, standardize recognition, strengthen management engagement and reinforce the company’s safety culture.
The refresh began with a new logo highlighting each driver’s years as a safe driver. Recipients also received certificates with unique redemption codes and QR codes linking to tiered custom webstores, developed in both English and French, with curated gifts at five award levels. Each webstore opened with a video from the company’s senior director of fleet safety and compliance, and certificates, banners, posters and milestone awards provided the collateral desired for personal and public recognition.
In addition, weekly reminder emails were sent to managers showing which drivers still needed to redeem their codes. As a result, redemption rates skyrocketed to 77% along with stronger morale, pride and engagement.
Not-For-Profit Programs
Gold Winner
City Apparel + Merch
For its 25th anniversary, Black Swamp Classic, a nonprofit community fundraising golf event and gala, tapped the expertise of City Apparel + Merch to honor its legacy, engage participants and sponsors, raise funds and integrate sustainability into the event.
A multifaceted branding approach featured VIP golf kits, a custom cap with a PVC emblem, high-quality polos, hats and volunteer apparel, donated PATH reusable water bottles and a luggage tag with QR code. Printed materials, banners, signage and volunteer gear reinforced the event’s identity from start to finish.
The two-day golf tournament drew at least 350 people, plus more than 120 attendees to the gala, resulting in a highly successful weekend that raised more than $300,000 for The Braden Kramer Foundation and Findlay and Putnam County YMCA locations.
Silver Winner
IICON Creative Strategies
To celebrate its new designation as Indigenous Skills Employment and Development, the Aboriginal Apprenticeship Board of Ontario wanted to mark the transition in a memorable way.
The organization worked with IICON Creative Strategies to create an inaugural award and design a custom trophy to honor ISEAD’s partnerships with Canadian building trades unions, its affiliates and Indigenous communities. Handcrafted in Canada from sustainably sourced wood and Lucite, each one-of-a-kind piece was printed in earth tones with deep-etched logos and dates and featured a feather transforming into birds in flight to represent the organization’s evolution.
Unveiled at the inaugural gala, the trophy became a symbol of recognition and momentum, celebrating partnerships, achievements and the organization’s inspiring journey.
Sales Incentive Programs
Gold Winner
BAMKO
For its Annual Store Managers Meeting in Las Vegas, Lowe’s wanted to create an elevated retail experience for attendees. The company partnered with BAMKO for a premium pop-up shop with a curated selection of highly desirable, brand-name merchandise in a professionally designed, high-end shopping environment. BAMKO collaborated with the Lowe’s team months in advance to select 121 items from 40 top brands for the catalog and managed the meticulous personalization of more than 400 custom vendor polos.
On site, the BAMKO team handled everything, including the full-scale retail installation at the Venetian Hotel, and a new “Ship to Store” fulfillment feature, managed by BAMKO, that allowed attendees to ship purchases directly to their Lowe’s location. The strategic, retail-inspired approach led to record-breaking revenue for the pop-up store, achieving double the sales of the previous year’s event.
Social Responsibility Programs
Gold Winner
INM Marketing Group
To honor patients through meaningful connections and celebrate the compassionate teams who care for them, UT Southwestern Medical Center held its Patient Experience Week across four of its Simmons Cancer Center locations in the Dallas area. The program, developed and managed by INM Marketing Group, reached more than 1,100 cancer patients through pop-up events, giveaways and visits from therapy dog Tia.
Working with supplier partners, the INM team curated thoughtful items including Gemline’s MiiR insulated camp cup, PCNA’s Revello journal and Ariel’s cartoon dog stress reliever to bring comfort and joy to patients. The design and messaging reflected UT Southwestern’s commitment to exceptional care and gratitude for those they serve. Both patients and staffed voiced overwhelmingly positive feedback for the promotional products selected, reinforcing the medical center’s mission of compassionate care.
Silver Winner
BAMKO
For its year-end employee appreciation gift to 45,000 people globally, MetLife wanted to provide a high-quality, valued gift that also contributed to a worthy environmental cause.
Working with BAMKO, the RIPL Tech Kit with elastic straps and mesh pockets was chosen for its utility and connection to a worthy cause: protecting rainforests. Every unit purchased protects 1,000 square feet of endangered rainforest. Each kit was customized with MetLife branding and a card with a QR code that linked to a dedicated website where employees could see the real-time environmental impact of their gift.
The program was a resounding success, protecting 4.3 million square feet of rainforest, saving an estimated 20,700 trees and preventing the release of 990,000 pounds of CO2 annually. This initiative not only enhanced employee appreciation but also reinforced MetLife’s brand reputation as a leader in corporate social responsibility.
Trade show/Exhibit Traffic Programs
Gold Winner
Branded Products
Branded Products delivered a landmark client branded program for the Australian Department of Defence and Royal Australian Air Force at the Avalon International Airshow 2025. The objective was to elevate the presence of the two organizations at the show and transform a one-week event into a long-term recruitment, engagement and reputation-building platform for the RAAF.
With more than 200,000 expected attendees and a $250,000 budget, the distributor sourced and managed the distribution of more than 675,000 bespoke items across 22 product lines, including challenge coins, collectible cards, lapel pins and recruitment posters. Production was consolidated from 17 manufacturers through Branded Products’ Shenzhen office and delivered to 40 site locations under strict security protocols.
The program achieved unprecedented reach, distributing more than 248,000 posters and supporting a measurable uplift in recruitment. A seamless, end-to-end execution transformed a complex brief into a cohesive, high-impact branding experience, delivering one of the largest and most impactful programs the organizations had ever undertaken.
Silver Winner
Honeycomb Promotional Marketing Agency
To elevate its presence at SXSW Sydney 2024, an exposition renowned for its sheer size and competition for attention, Dell Technologies worked with Honeycomb Promotional Marketing Agency to deliver a premium water bottle that was personalized on-site.
Visitors who completed a tailored survey and lead capture form received a 500ml stainless steel bottle in Dell colors, engraved live during the event with their name or initials. The process of completing the survey and waiting for the bottle to be personalized created multiple engagement touchpoints. As recipients carried their bottles during the three days of the show, the Dell brand also got extensive exposure, drawing more traffic back to the stand.
The personalized bottle giveaway delivered 1,355 qualified, opted-in leads, achieved mass visibility, exceeded KPIs and demonstrated the power of personalization to drive engagement.
Filipski is a freelance writer and former director of publications at PPAI.
