Every year, we look forward to it, especially this year, after goodness knows how many rainy days
That moment when the weather turns, the outdoor events start appearing in the diary, and then suddenly everyone needs branded merchandise for a summer campaign, a team away day, or a client event that’s happening in six weeks.
The organisations that get it right are the ones that start thinking about it now, when there’s still a lovely stretch of summer ahead to look forward to.
Let’s talk about summer, and the products that are fun, useful, and make a lasting impression.
The Brief Isn’t “Summer Merchandise”
The brief is always something more specific than that. It might be keeping a team comfortable at an outdoor event. It might be creating a gift that feels genuinely thoughtful for clients who are travelling over the summer. It might be making sure your brand shows up in moments when people are relaxed and happy and more likely to remember it.
Summer products do all of that particularly well, because they’re used in the moments that matter most. Out in the world, in the sunshine, in the places people actually want to be.
Three Products Solving Real Problems This Summer
Sun cream is one of those items that people are genuinely grateful to receive, especially at outdoor events where nobody thought to bring any. A 50ml SPF50 sun lotion in a full colour tube puts your branding in someone’s bag for the entire summer, not just for one event. It’s practical, it’s used repeatedly, and it communicates something thoughtful about the organisation behind it.
Sun hats have a way of becoming the most photographed item at any summer event. They’re worn, they’re visible, and they end up in every group photo taken on the day. A well-chosen branded sun hat isn’t just protection from the sun, it’s a piece of kit people actually want to wear, which makes the branding feel like a bonus rather than the point. And there’s something to be said for a product that makes people smile the moment they put it on.
Sunglasses carry your brand everywhere. To the park, the beach, the festival, the garden. And if you want to take that further, there are options made from reclaimed ocean plastic that tell a story far bigger than the product itself. When your brand is associated with something genuinely worth talking about, people talk about it.
Why Summer Merchandise Works Differently
There’s a reason summer products consistently perform well as branded merchandise. The BPMA’s research shows that 40% of people find practical products leave the most positive brand impression, and summer items are practical in the truest sense. They’re needed, they’re used, and they’re appreciated. And in summer, they tend to be appreciated more than most.
But there’s something else at work too. When someone receives a useful gift in a moment they’re already enjoying, the association between that positive feeling and your brand is made naturally. They’re at a summer event, in the sunshine, reaching for your branded sun cream, and thinking well of the people who thought to include it.
That’s a different kind of brand impression altogether.
The Case for Starting Now
Summer merchandise ordered with time to spare looks and feels completely different to summer merchandise ordered in a panic. There’s time to get the branding right, to request samples, to make considered choices about sustainability credentials and product quality.
The best summer campaigns our team loves working on are the ones where someone had the conversation early, explored what was possible, and made choices that felt intentional rather than last-minute.
If you’re thinking about summer and want to explore what might work for your team, your clients, or your next outdoor event, we’d love to help you make the most of it.
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