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HBO Offers Game of Thrones Back to School Swag

Fans pining for the return of the Starks, Lannisters and Targaryens must wait until 2019 for HBO’s final season of Game of Thrones, but that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy the “Back to School” branded merchandise now available for the hit show. Retailing in the HBO Shop, the collection features everything from a House Stark Stationery Kit to a Night King Black Mug. Here’s a sampling of the wares from Westeros.




The Winter is Coming Stark sigil vacuum bottle features double-wall stainless steel construction, and holds 17oz. of fluid. If the toughest of medieval warriors were to suddenly reanimate and start drinking from travel tumblers, we feel this would be their container of choice. It’s that bada*s-looking.




Of course, we could be wrong about the Stark sigil vacuum bottle. Perhaps the medieval warriors would prefer This Fire and Blood Targaryen sigil 17oz. water bottle, which is equally fierce.




When you see the Night King (here depicted), you know for sure that “Winter is Here.” Good thing, then, that you’ll have this trusty mug to fill with warming tea, coffee or hot cocoa to keep you warm.




You can feel the cold winter winds blowing in over The Wall and withering away the last of the autumn in the starkly beautiful design on this House Stark Stationery Set. It includes much of what you’d need to communicate in the pre-iPhone days of Westeros, including a wax stamp, two wax sticks, envelopes, paperweight, writing paper and display box – all bearing the Stark sigil. Now, all you’ll need is a raven or a rider to carry your message.




Tyrion Lannister’s famous phrase adorns this T-Shirt, which is 100% cotton and printed in California.




Popular character Hodor’s name gets the neon treatment in this new shirt, which is 100% cotton and printed in Michigan.




This hat features the sigil of House Targaryen -- a three-headed dragon. Admittedly, we’re intimidated…




With winter upon Westeros, this 46" x 60" 100% polyester double layer fleece throw blanket featuring character Jon Snow will come in handy. Curl up beneath it and sip from your Night King mug.

Winter is (nearly) Here. Gear up for the final season of GOT!
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Starbucks Releases Autumn-Inspired Merch

Starbucks and ban.do teamed up to collaborate on the promotional products collection, which features double-wall travel tumblers, notebooks, a mug and more.

With Labor Day in the rearview, autumn’s pumpkin spice season is officially underway. Starbucks is capitalizing not only with its panoply of pumpkin-spiced goodies, but also with a new fall-inspired branded merchandise collection.


Selections from Starbucks new fall-inspired swag line. Image from Starbucks.

Created in collaboration with lifestyle brand ban.do, Starbucks just released the collection today (Sept. 5). It entails two 24-oz. Starbucks cold cups, two Starbucks double-wall travel tumblers, a ceramic mug, two notebooks and a pencil pouch. The Starbucks-branded swag features images of boots, scarves, umbrellas, flannel shirts, acorns and other items that herald the autumn. Some products also bear a “midnight floral” design.


Image from Starbucks.


The “Midnight Floral” items are available at Target. Image from Starbucks.

Starbucks has previously partnered with ban.do on merch, but the collections were only available in Asia. This time, the swag has come stateside and to Canada. To pick some up, however, you’ll have to go to a Starbucks that’s inside another retailer. The “Midnight Floral” designs are only available at Target.

While the collection was being heralded as cozy and fun by some, others felt the collaboration missed the mark a bit when it came to conveying a true autumn vibe.



Nonetheless, for promotional products pros, the collection is notable on a number of levels. It provides another example of a fast-growing trend – namely, brands collaborating on limited-edition merchandise collections, often at key points in their respective business calendars. (We especially liked the recent Ziploc/BEAMS team-up.) Furthermore, the collection is a creative way to potentially increase foot traffic at Starbucks and partner retail locations. Perhaps more brands in the retail space can take a cue and use limited-edition branded merchandise, available in-store only, to motivate consumers to get out from behind the keyboard and shop brick-and-mortar. At the least, it’s an idea promo pros can consider suggesting to retail clients.


Image from Starbucks.
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Is LinkedIns New Feature a Threat to the Traditional Business Card

In a Nutshell
  • • The simply titled "LinkedIn QR Code" debuted in recent weeks.
  • • It lets people quickly connect on the social media platform by scanning QR codes using the LinkedIn app.
Could the days of the traditional printed business card be numbered? That question is circulating in professional circles these days in the wake of the recent release of "LinkedIn QR Code."


The new LinkedIn QR Code feature. Photo courtesy of LinkedIn.

Available in LinkedIn's mobile app for iOS and Android, the new feature provides LinkedIn users with a personal QR code for their profile on the social networking platform. When another LinkedIn user scans your code – or vice versa – you instantly connect. LinkedIn says the service makes it easier than ever to capture vital business contact information anywhere – from industry conferences and networking happy hours, to sales meetings, tradeshows or other social gatherings. "Gone are the days of requesting a business card, asking the person to spell their name, or handing over your phone to make sure you found their profile," writes LinkedIn's Alice Xiong in a blog.

The new feature has been winning praise.



As you can see, folks were eagerly posting their profile QR codes on Twitter (and elsewhere online) in the hope of securing more connections.

Clearly, professionals across industries appreciate the practicality and ease-of-use of the new QR code feature. But for those in the print and promo industry who sell business cards, the offering can also represent a competitive threat. Will more people eschew buying business cards and just use digital mediums like this? We're inclined to say no – at least not for a while. Offerings like LinkedIn QR Code can complement/co-exist with traditional cards. We feel there's something tangible and validating in a printed business card that will help them stay relevant. But for how long? That's tougher to say. As LinkedIn QR Code and other digital information- exchange products populate the market, will the printed card ultimately be squeezed out? What do you think? Tweet us your thoughts.

Meanwhile, if you haven't already, do brush up on how to use the new LinkedIn QR Code feature. Tutorial from LinkedIn's blog below:
  1. Open your LinkedIn app on iOS or Android and tap the QR code icon in the search box found on the Home tab.
  2. From here you can scan someone else's LinkedIn QR code and you will be taken to their profile where you can check out mutual connections, common interests, and send a connection request. You can also upload a LinkedIn QR code image from your phone.
  3. To find your own LinkedIn QR code, tap on "My code." If you'd like to share your code through iMessage, email, or other apps you can do so directly from this page (available now on iOS and coming soon to Android). You can also save your code to your photos.
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