Got a case of wallet butt? All-Ett Billfolds has a cure for what ails you.
The San Diego-based, family owned and operated company claims to sell the world’s thinnest wallet.
And with its eye-grabbing display — a saggy-bottomed Levi’d mannequin, and a banner that claims to have the cure for “wallet butt” — it was drawing interested crowds at Thursday’s Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) San Diego expo.
The expo hit the San Diego Convention Center, with hundreds of exhibitors showing the newest — and some old favorites — in advertising and promotional products.
All-Ett had on display its nine styles of wallets made of three materials — rip-stop nylon, leather and a material made from recycled water bottles.
Adam Muscat, All-Ett’s general manager, says the thin wallets are extremely durable, and eliminate the bulk of a traditional wallet, including the back problems that can accompany having a heavy wallet in the back pocket.
The products that received pre-show buzz and television news coverage — a hand-sanitizer that claimed to reduce the risk of H1N1 and a T-shirt that, when rubbed, gives the appearance of six-pack abs — were nowhere to be found on the showroom’s floor Thursday, but there were plenty of other interesting products on hand.
The Can Grip by Hartleigh Creations was a popular product. it was featured in the ASI showcase, and won “most unique” and “best bang for your buck” recognitions at the 2009 Las Vegas ASI.
The Koozie alternative is a plastic handle that clips to 12- and 24-ounce cans, and it’s designed to “keep your hands warm and your can cold,” said Mark Fisher, who along with CEO Pat Fisher, manned Hartleigh’s booth Thursday.
The Can Grips also have a large imprint area, so Hartleigh can brand the products with clients’ logos or slogans.
“The product keeps our clients’ names in front of their audience,” Mark Fisher said.
There was a big draw to the Stuffed Tees booth — in part because of John E. Hill’s big personality, and Tennessee drawl.
The Can Grip by Hartleigh Creations was a popular product. it was featured in the ASI showcase, and won “most unique” and “best bang for your buck” recognitions at the 2009 Las Vegas ASI.
“You have to have fun and open up your imagination while you’re here,” he said.
Hill promo’d a few of his products: a Stay Put foam seat that grips stadium and bleacher benches; and MicroWipes Compact Tissues, compressed travel washcloths that stretch to 10-inch-by-10-inch size when wetted.
His T-shirts and knapsacks that allow people to color logos themselves were popular too.
Green products were in ample supply. The Bamboo Studio’s reusable, disposable dinnerware was featured in the ASI showcase, and was awarded “best new green product” at the ASI in Orlando.
Michael Torres, a rep for Bamboo Studio, says the dinnerware – plates, bowls, wine plates, trays, ramekins – is made from bamboo sheaths, not the grass, but the forks, knives and spoons are made from the grass.
The Lake Forest, Calif.-based company is able to engrave clients’ logos onto the dinnerware, and it is about to roll out a carbonized bamboo line that is dishwasher-safe.
For all of the new products on display at ASI, the immediately recognizable brands popped too.
Slinky, the popular wire-coil toy, had its booth’s shelves stocked with promo products; Slinkys have been used by Google, AllState, Post-It and the Cincinatti Reds for promotions.
The iconic toy – ranked no. 9 on VH1’s list of the top 100 toys of all time – can be produced in a variety of colors, and can be branded with a four-color logo. it has also been used in special promotions. Post-It and Slinky teamed up in 2006 to develop a 640-count pad of Post-Its, packed in a Slinky.
Among the flashy new products and latest technology, Slinky still stands out, and remains an effective promotional tool, says bill Harrington, vice president of fun at the Pennsylvania-based Slinky Print.
“You walk around and see a lot of different products, but you only see one Slinky,” said Harrington. “Everyone is looking for something new – and that’s fine – but sometimes you have to go back to the fundamentals, and Slinky has been around since 1945. from a branding standpoint, you immediately know what it is.”
Tags: Advertising Specialty Institute, All-Ett, ASI San Diego, Bamboo dinnerware, Bamboo Studios, Can Grip, Hartleigh Creations, Microwipes Compact Tissues, san diego convention center, SDNN, Slinky, Stay Put foam seat, Stuffed Tee, world’s thinnest wallet
This entry was posted on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 10:44 am and is filed under Business . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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