Personal connections are at the heart of what makes promotional products so incredibly effective.
The products live in the home, get used as part of a daily routine, and – in the best of cases – become a personal treasure with a value far exceeding their sticker price. This affords a brand the opportunity for their message to be seen year after year. But what about those who can’t see the message, like the visually impaired, for instance? We were recently made aware of some brilliant creative thinking by one of our distributor-partners that solved that very issue.
It came to us from Cheryl Thomas at Frogbelly Printing & Promotions, whose 23 year old daughter, Amber, has been blind since she was 10. Cheryl and her family have worked with BC & Alberta Guide Dogs to find Amber both of her guide dogs; Bear, and Tommy (now retired and living happily with them on their farm.) On a recent visit to the BC & Alberta Guide Dogs office in Vancouver, Amber (now attending school in Nanaimo) was asked by the CEO if her mother knew of a way to get mugs with braille on them for their company’s 20th anniversary. Amber brought the question to her mother, who in turn brought the solution to us.
Cheryl decided to use our proprietary Impress Print decorating method, to create a textured imprint on the desired drinkware piece. The ink is printed with a raised, granulated surface making it possible to literally feel the imprint. Impress Print not only feels good, but it looks good too. The textured ink contains an element that makes it sparkle in the light. The total effect was immediately embraced by the BC & Alberta Guide Dogs office, impressed that their users could truly feel their 20th anniversary message. In her enthusiasm Cheryl explains, “Since this organization helps out so many blind and autistic people, I really wanted to see this work. The dogs are invaluable to their handlers and I think this is so awesome.” We thought it was pretty awesome, too. It’s not every day you are allowed to play a part in helping such a worthy cause, and in such a novel way.
So thank you to BC & Alberta Guide Dogs for all that you do as an organization, and thank you to Cheryl, whose incredible ingenuity helped us realize an exciting and worthy new use for our Impress Print decorating process. Making a positive “impression” on people’s lives with special needs – what better use for a promotional product could there possibly be?
For the Love of Promo 