Election Shirts, Promotional Election Giveaways

By Remy Lebeau

If you think election promotional items are a recent invention, you would be surprised to know that as far back as the 1800s, presidential nominees used 8-foot-tall burning torches in their political rallies. Some political wannabes even went as far as adding their names to juice cans! Even cigarette packs, nylon stockings, women's brushes, sewing boxes, and parasols were not spared as campaign giveaways.

One particular campaign giveaway that has seen the test of time is the button, used today across a range of industries. Some of the well-preserved election promotional items recently featured at the Museum of the City of New York, used to commemorate Washington's inauguration in 1789, read "Long live the president."

Thankfully, the mudslinging in recent electoral campaigns weren't as dirty as those back then. A case in point is the porcelain-and-cloth McKinley doll, which, turned upside down, resembled an Africa-American baby. It alluded to accusations that McKinley fathered a black child out of wedlock.

Today, the trend leans more toward practical election promotional items that can be used over and over, among them personalized T-shirts and sports caps. Such items are easy and faster to produce en masse, especially with Branders' virtual tool that allows one to see how a logo or an artwork looks on the promotional item of one's choice. Promotional wearables are great giveaways because they can be used even after the campaign period. Depending on the budget, one can also include other clothing giveaways such as jackets, vests, windbreakers, scarves, and bandannas.

Scarves are especially fashionable and will be a hit with female supporters. We're starting to wonder whether Governor Palin has any of these. (We think a promotional Palin scarf makes a good fashion statement even after the elections, and we'd be very glad to get our hands on them.)

For budget-friendly election promotional items, there are custom buttons, recent models of which come with LEDs that light up to get attention. Other inexpensive giveaways that help boost campaigns and build visibility are bumper stickers, decals, bookmarks, and lapel pins. Being lightweight, these marketing materials can be sent by mail to one's supporters across the country.

Remy is a Promotional Advisor specialising on Election Promotional Shirts, Promotional Marketing Products