Sports World Thinks Pink

Sports-themed promotional products campaigns join fight against breast cancer

TREVOSE, Pa., Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following a trend kicked off by the NFL, MLB and NHL, the promotional products industry is helping raise money for breast cancer research with sports-themed items targeted at men, according to the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI).

Pink boxing gloves, hockey pucks, baseball bats and beyond are joining the ubiquitous pink ribbons adorning women's fashion to raise money during October's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, according to Timothy M. Andrews, ASI's president and chief executive officer.

"To spread the message about breast cancer and raise all-important research money, the promotional products industry is creating sports-themed items certain to grab men's attention," Andrews said. "Anyone trying to raise money for this cause should consider broadening their scope to include men, and what better way to do that than with stuff you can hit, throw, whack and wear?"

The professional sports community jumped on the cancer awareness bandwagon in a major way. The NFL's A Crucial Catch campaign, in partnership with the American Cancer Society, will auction off pink game apparel worn during October. Major League Baseball auctions off pink Louisville Sluggers during games played on Mother's Day, with proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The National Hockey League's Hockey Fights Cancer joint charitable initiative raises money and awareness for national and local organizations involved in cancer care and research.

Here are the top 10 "think pink" promotional items featured in breast cancer awareness promotions and fundraising drives:

• Pink foam hockey puck, from Foamworx. Hockey teams at all levels can give out pink foam hockey pucks with information on breast cancer awareness.
• Pink mini replica baseball bat, from Hillerich-Bradsby Co. Bats can be sold at games or online. Neat fundraising product for baseball teams to raise money and call attention to the cause.
• Pink aluminum sports bottle, from Direct Link Promos Inc. A PBA-free water bottle is perfect for 5k fundraising runs and walks.
• Pink boxing gloves, from Online Fitness. Boxing promoters can use these gloves in a promotion to "punch out" a cure for breast cancer.
• Pink polo shirt, from Perry Ellis Int'l. Real men wear pink, and polo shirts are ideal gifts for October golf tournaments.
• Pink tie, from Wolfmark. Corporations big and small can provide pink ties to male employees to wear during October.
• Golf balls with pink ribbon, from Norwood Tee Off. A great tee gift giveaway at golf tournaments.
• Pink mini football, from Diamond Imprints. Pro, college, high school and club teams can raise awareness by selling logoed footballs or by tossing them into the crowd during halftime.
• Sports-car-shaped stress reliever, from Jetline. Ties into men's love for their cars and racing.
• Auto racing kit, from Ready 4 Kits. Includes sunscreen, pain reliever, antacid, wet naps and earplugs, all in a pink pouch. Hospitals, doctors and breast cancer awareness activists can hand the pouches out at race tracks during October races.

Numerous promotional products companies are donating a portion of profits from pink items to the cause, including Alumicolor, of Fort Collins, Colorado, which donates 10% of the list price of aluminum pink rulers to breast cancer research, and Kingport Industries, of Northbrook, Illinois, which donates a portion of profits from its "pink ribbon" collection to the American Cancer Society and other affiliated organizations.

Promotional products, or advertising specialties, are often imprinted with slogans or logos to market a company, organization, product, service, achievement or event.  Companies often purchase them as gifts to employees or clients at holidays and for occasions year-round.  The items are used in marketing campaigns to dramatically increase response rates.

About ASI

The Advertising Specialty Institute is the largest media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry, with a membership of over 26,000 distributor firms (sellers) and supplier firms (manufacturers) of advertising specialties. Supplier firms use ASI print and electronic resources to market products to over 22,000 ASI distributor firms. Distributor firms use ASI print and electronic resources, which contain nearly every product in the industry from more than 3,500 reputable suppliers, to locate supplier firms and to market services to buyers. ASI provides catalogs, information directories, newsletters, magazines, websites and databases, and offers e-commerce, marketing and selling tools. Visit ASI at asicentral.com and on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, the CEO's blog and the ASI Social Network.

SOURCE Advertising Specialty Institute