iPad tablet launches tomorrow

Yes, it is finally here! Another of Apples great invention will be launching tomorrow, Jan 27th, 2010.

What is the iPad?

For those who dont know, it is a new device that looks like a oversized iPhone/Touch.

Report says it will mesure 10 inch and be 3G-enabled.

I can t wait to see it in the store LIVE!

more to come tomorrow....

Hand sanitizers -Health Canada warning

Message from our supplier of hand sanitizers

Canadian Government Regulations pertaining to Sanitizers .

In an ongoing effort to protect our distributors and remain ahead of our competitors, we wish to keep you advised on the established Health Canada facts.

The following regulations when selling Hand Sanitizers should be followed:

To Sell, Hand Sanitizers in Canada by Law the product must carry and have printed on the Front & Back an Active Health Canada Registered, Approved and Certified DIN # (Drug Identification Number) or NPN #. Very few AMERICAN OR CANADIAN Manufacturers have Registered Health Canada DIN or NPN #s FDA products from the USA do NOT automatically qualify as DIN # Products.

Even if the American company has a DIN # for their product the Canadian company importing the product must meet all the Health Canada Regulations.Health Canada can and will cause Distributors, at their expense, to recall any and all health related products Imported or Sold by you or your End-User that have not met all of the above requirements.

If an End-User should report to Health Canada that the product you sold them does not carry a registered Heath Canada DIN or NPN # they will cause the Distributor to do a total recall of the Product at the Distributor's expense.

Canada Customs is fully aware of the Health Canada Regulations and they can and will prohibit the entry of these products into Canada and bill you for the costs and fees related to this procedure. Your shipment may get past Customs Canada but when Health Canada gets wind of it you can be subject to various fines, penalties and a recall at your expense.

BE AWARE: We kindly urge all our distributors to follow the above regulations, as we would not want this to happen to any of our Distributors, as it has already happened to some ''unnamed'' Distributor and Health Canada informed us that they had been fined by the Canadian Health agency earlier last year.

Cost to them, $10,800.00 plus the cost to re-call the product from their customer and the people their customer gave the products to, plus the cost to destroy the product and now they are on Canada Customs watch list. We hope this information is of help to you!

This message was distributed by PPPC Canada in October 2009.

CableDrop - cute like a bug!

We recently received this promo item and we though it was a cute idea to promote your brand on a clients desk ... that a look!

CableDrop
FIXED BEHIND OR ON THE DESKTOP, EVEN ONTO A FACING WALL
Anywhere in fact where you wish to have cables temporarily held yet easily removeable or extended. CableDrop gently grasps your power and peripheral cords so they do not fall off your desk every time you unplug your laptop.

Your Logo on everyone's desk
CableDrop with your logo will end up permanently attached to someone's desk. Such a useful product - used on a daily basis - will be leaving a very good and lasting impression of your brand an anyone who uses it. Already a blockbuster success at retail, this item is a must for anyone giving out promotional products

Contact us for more information.

A twist on the usual thermal mug

We recently stumbled upon one of these wonderful thermal mugs. What do they do? It's pretty simple, they reveal a design when heated.

So:
no coffee/tea or cold coffee/tea = no design
warm coffee/tea = design!

Plus the mugs have really sleak designs as you can see here. It gives a bit more value to a classic gift.

There's more to BlueSky...

A great friend of CC Promo dropped by today to show us all the products available at BlueSky. We talked about their biggest seller on the previous post but there are other models that are just as great.

The first one you can clip to your vanity mirror. Just like the bigger model it displays the phone number of the person that's calling you but it doesn't allow for using with your car's speakers. It works with its own little built-in speaker. The plus though is that the battery is solar.


The Bluetooth FM transmitter is a 2 in 1 as it sends and receives calls through the car speakers via the FM transmitter and works as a standard audio input jack to listen to music from mobile phone, MP3 or iPod. It comes with a bluetooth earpiece that works independently of the hands free car unit and can be used outside the car.


Last but not least this version is made to be clipped on your steering wheel. I think it's my favorite because you can easily push the button and keep your eyes on the road since it really is right next to where your hands are...or should be anyway!


This is a gift that should definitely be on your Christmas Lists.
Contact us to know more and/or to get a sample.

Bluesky: mieux qu'une oreillette

J'ai récemment succombé à l'appel de l'oreillette Bluetooth. Le luxe de se promener à la maison, les deux mains libres, sans risque de s'accrocher à la poignée de la porte à cause du fil des écouteurs...ça n'a pas de prix.

Par contre sur la route, ne pas utiliser un kit main libres bluetooth, on peut en évaluer la valeur aisément: une contravention, deux contraventions, la perte du permis etc. etc. Donc oui, un kit main libre est un investissement, ma foi, plus que nécessaire de nos jours...et pas uniquement pour savourer le luxe d'une conversation téléphonique en même temps que l'application du vernis à ongle, comme je le fais...

Il fallait donc s'y attendre, de plus en plus d'options sont possibles en matière d'e kits mains libres et la dernière innovation dans ce domaine est maintenant disponible dans l'industrie du produit promotionnel. Bluesky s’accroche par dessus le rétroviseur de votre voiture. Comment fonctionne-t-il? Bluesky est muni d'un haut-haut parleur et d'un micro et se connecte à votre téléphone cellulaire par le réseau Bluetooth également (qu'est-ce que le réseau Bluetooth? Lisez ici) . Comme une oreillette, lorsqu'on reçoit un appel il suffit d'appuyer sur un bouton pour le prendre et le son est diffusé par les hauts-parleurs de votre voiture. Mieux qu'une oreillette, le numéro de la personne qui vous appelle est affiché sur le retroviseur BlueSky et il est possible d'enregistrer des appels pour, par exemple, retenir des numéros afin de les noter ensuite.

Ce produit innovant est donc également maintenant disponible dans l'industrie promotionnelle.
Pour une commande de 100 unités et plus le logo BlueSky est enlevé et est remplacé par logo de l'entreprise. Pour une commande moins de 100 unités, les deux logos sont harmonieusement juxtaposés!

The Mingle Stick

We came across a new promotional product called The MingleStick
Its creators define it as a networking tool (akin to an electronic business card) and a new social media product that ties into Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

While those who have an iPhone can exchange numbers by Bumping and those who own a Blackberry by scanning a barcode those who are not blessed with the possession of one of these two devices can still make exchanging phone numbers and other contact information easy with the MingleStick. Whether you're in a tradeshow, nightclub, business meeting, concert, or any social event, the Mingle Stick makes it easy (and discreet) to share your contact information (phone number, email, Linkedin account etc.) No need to pull out pen and paper or get your cellphone. In personal relationships I think that it even gets rid of the awkward moment a little bit, while establishing a real contact. Hey, the thing is called "Mingle Stick" how many jokes can one crack about it? There you go, you just broke the ice!

Anyway, the Mingle Stick can be branded with logo and company colors. It is actually fully customizable. See some examples here

To see how it actually works click here

Needless to say that it is a great promotional item for all industries really, especially if your clients have to attend many tradeshows

October is breast cancer awareness month

Working in the promotional products industry we know the trends and the times where particular products are requested. At this time of the year we are flooded with requests about the Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I figured it would be nice to know a bit more about its origins and meaning. So I "wikipedied" the question to break it down to you, fellow "promotional products junkies" :)

Since when?

AstraZeneca, which manufactures breast cancer drugs Arimidex and Tamoxifen, founded the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the year 1985. The aim of the NBCAM from the start has been to promote mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight against breast cancer.^[1]

Where does the Pink Ribbon come from?

Ribbons have been used to express solidarity on the part of the wearer with the identified cause since the early to late 20th Century. Pink Ribbons (and the color pink) are used to express support for women (and men) who are diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

Charlotte Hayley, who battled breast cancer, produced peach color ribbons. She sold them with a card saying, "The National Cancer Institute annual budget is 1.8 billion US Dollars, and only 5 percent goes for cancer prevention. Help us wake up our legislators and America by wearing this ribbon".^[3] Her message spread fast. This made Penny and Evelyn Lauder interested in Hayley's concept. They offered to adapt Hayley's idea by working with her. But Hayley rejected the offer, saying that they were too commercial.

After discussing opportunities with Lauder, Hayley and their lawyers, they came up with a "new" color. The new color of the ribbon was pink and became an international symbol for breast cancer awareness.

Pretty much any product you can think of now comes in its pink version to help companies raise money and awareness towards this illness. See here some of the ideas available, it goes much further now that only sending pink ribbons or pink pens.

Everybody Loves Free Stuff

It has been a while since anything has been posted on this blog. We are still pretty inspired people but have been in a lot of projects lately that leave little time for posting on this blog that we do love dearly. This blog has now 76 posts in English and French and we hope to hit the 100th soon.
In the meantime I did stumble on a picture that made me smile

It comes from the Blog Everybody Loves Free Stuff, a blog that covers everything from promos in the news and interesting new products to promo tips and vintage promos. The promo nails are probably a step further than many company are willing to take but hey, at any event where there can be body painting (and there are many) there could be nails painting, it's less osé. Then again it also requires some pretty large nail surface...maybe the toes? Then everybody goes home with a pair of Flexflops to save the pedicure! (What a shameless plug ha!) Check the Everbody Loves Free Stuff blog for other interesting promotions of the sort.

Want to buy Flexflops?

We have talked about the Flexflops many times as a great promotional product. It still is but is now also available for individual sales in Canada and we are the official distributor. If you want to buy a pair send us an email at info@ccpromo.ca or place an order directly on the website here!