The Petrie Dish

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Every week there are articles published that are of interest to promotional products industry professionals across the land. To save you time, I have culled the internet for the ones you should read and the ones you should skip.

Company Adds Profanity to Custom Donald Trump T-Shirt – “Must Read” Article of the Week

Regardless of political leanings, any consumer of custom merchandise should have the expectation that their product is produced as requested. Sadly, this was not the case for 14-year-old San Francisco boy who happens to support Donald Trump. The distributor – Bang-On T-Shirts – put an extra message on the inside of the shirt that included a word that if typed on an iPhone would be autocorrected to “duck.” Apparently the employee who felt the need to add his view of the candidate in question has since been terminated. The lesson: keep your political leanings to yourself.  

Why Staples Has Olympics Fever

As the largest distributor in the promotional products industry, it likely comes as no surprise that Staples is a major supplier of U.S. Olympic merchandise. Whether it’s apparel, hats, tote bags, or even surfboards, Staples produced custom merchandise will be everywhere this summer – everywhere but Rio, that is. Under United States Olympic Committee (USOC) rules, Staples’ produced products can’t be worn by athletes on the ground in Rio as that is reserved for much higher profile partners like Ralph Lauren. Even so, Staples’ co-branded Olympic merchandise will be available through many employee stores.

Deputies find $250,000 in Counterfeit Sports Jerseys and Caps in El Monte

If you’re a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers or Anaheim Angels of Los Angeles (or whatever their name is these days), you may own some illegal merchandise. The merchandise was of very high quality and even included the labels of authentic manufacturers, making it very difficult to spot the fakes. Counterfeiting is a HUGE business and this seizure only serves to underscore how important it is to purchase from reputable companies.

Yeti Coolers Files for Hot IPO – “Don’t Waste Your Time Reading” Article of the Week

Is anyone else tired of the Yeti Cooler craze? Whether it’s the incessant pleading on the promotional products group on Facebook or the sheer fact that the products are overpriced (even though they work exactly as advertised), I’ve really had about enough. So, Yeti is going to file an IPO and get listed on the NYSE under the symbol, YETI. Pardon me while I stifle my yawn.