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Category Archives: Promotional Items

Best Foot Forward For National Walking Month

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Walk To Work WeekThe month of May is National Walking Month!

Due to ‘modern life’, as a nation I feel we are now a lot less active than we used to be.  I remember that playing with my friends meant riding my bike round the block or going to the school field at the end of our road for a game of rounders, football or run outs! Now playing with friends’ means sitting in front of a television or playing a video game and with so much convenience food and fast food available we don’t move about as much or eat as well.  This is backed up by official government stats. I was astonished to learn that ‘In England 61.3% of adults and 30% of children aged between 2 and 15 are overweight or obese and are at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancers’. Source: Gov.uk

Walking is a great way to keep active and the benefits are endless!

Did you know…?  ‘Walking for just half an hour each morning can transform your fitness levels, reduce stress and vastly improve your concentration levels, giving you a clearer head and adding to better health.’ Source: Living Streets.org.uk

National Walking Month is a campaign to encourage walking and promote pedestrian safety on the streets of the UK. It was launched by the charity Living Streets and includes events such as ‘Walk to Work Week’ from 13-17th May, and ‘Walk to School Week’ from 20-24th May.  Through these events, they hope to show children and adults how easy, enjoyable and rewarding walking is and how it can lead to real changes in people’s habits and lifestyles.

Walk To Work Month 2013

Here at Banana Moon we are encouraging the staff where possible to leave their cars at home and walk to work or to have a wander on their lunch break.  Not only will it help us stay fit it and save us money it will reduce the carbon footprint on our planet. By doing this on a daily basis we could save ourselves on average £400 per year in petrol and reduce our emissions by approx. 86kg per annum. Get those legs moving guys!

I myself will be partaking in ‘Walk to School’ Week.  I love the walk to and from school with my boys, sadly I don’t do this as often as I like anymore! I am ashamed to say that I am a mum who’s children are part of the trend where walking to school is on the decline.  I will be making an extra special effort to leave my car at home and put on my walking shoes during this campaign.   The walk to school is not just about keeping us fit, it is also when I get to spend some quality time with them and find out so much about their lives, help them build independence, teach them road safety skills and build their social skills.

Banana Moon has some fantastic safety products and outerwear garments that can be personalised to keep you safe while out on our roads this May.  Whether you are just individuals, school clubs or part of a walking club we have bags, jackets and coats that will do the job to make you visible and stand out.

I urge you to get your best foot forward this May and get on your walking boots and as Nancy Sinatra sang in the last line of ‘These boots are made for walking’ …. Are you ready boots? Start walkin’!

World Fair Trade Day- 11th MAY 2013

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World Fair Trade DayA few months ago it was ‘Fair Trade Fortnight’ and my eldest son came home from school with an interesting task set by his teacher for his weekend homework. This was to research all about Fair Trade, what it was, types of Fair Trade products and where they were made.  We trailed the supermarkets looking for various information and found lots of Fair Trade products around and gained lots of facts and fascinating material for him to do his show and tell in class. Not only did he learn a lot from this but so did I!

Working within the Textile industry there are many marks of standard and ethical policy which helps us (Banana Moon) as a clothing company and you the consumer, know that the garments and companies supplying our garments adhere to the highest possible trading conditions and respect the environment in which they are produced.  Examples of these are; The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), the Fair Labor Association (FLA) mark ,OEKO -Tex 100 Standard, Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) mark and of course Fair Trade. All of which Banana Moon use and as a responsible company, it is extremely important to us that the brands sourced have an approved ethical policy.

So what is Fair Trade…

“Fair Trade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. Fair Trade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.” (Source: The Fair Trade Foundation)

On 11th of May it is ‘World Fair Trade Day’. It aims to promote global awareness of Fair Trade. It is always celebrated on the second Saturday of May each year. The event is endorsed by the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO), a network of around 400 organisations from more than 70 countries. Unlike ‘ Fair Trade Fortnight’, which focuses on events taking place in the UK, the aim of the Fair Trade Day is to bring together people from all over the world in an international celebration of Fair Trade.

Take a look at two of our biggest Fair Trade Brands Premier and OKARMA which we supply and why not support ‘World Fair Trade Day’ this year. Find out more about where the products, and in particular clothes you wear come from.  By doing this it will give you a much better understanding of what Fair Trade is all about and you may even learn something!

Good artists copy, Great artists steal

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Having recently come into possession of the awesome “Factory Records – Communications 1978-92″ cd box set I’ve been enjoying looking back at all the great bands and music that made the record label what it was… one of the most creative, revolutionary and highly amusing labels of the time which in my opinion was only really rivalled by the mighty but short lived Stiff Records. There’s so much to talk about when discussing Factory but I’m sure you all know the stories so I won’t go into it here. If you don’t know what I’m talking about I insist you Google it immediately or maybe just watch the amazing 24 hour party people film starring Steve Coogan.

The cover of the box set features the iconic Peter Saville creation “Use hearing protection” which fitted in perfectly with the image of the Factory owned hacienda club with its fresh New York inspired look, colours, feel and loud music.

The image itself or so the rumor goes was spotted by Peter Saville on a building site and was designed to draw the workers attention to the importance of wearing ear protection while using loud machinery.

Impressed by the simplicity of it Peter simply (ahem) borrowed it, altered it slightly and used the sign on promotional Hacienda flyers where it immediately became recognised as one of his many “iconic” icons associated so strongly with the clubs branding.

It really is such a simple but effective idea to take a well known image that everybody recognises (in the above case if you’re a construction worker) and place it in a different environment to give it a new meaning that works so well.

This idea can also be used by yourselves when creating personalised hoodies or t-shirt prints, especially for stag do’s and such like.

When ordering at Banana Moon many people just ask for plain text (eg. bobs stag do 2013) but without much effort you can easily turn a plain t-shirt into your own inspired masterpiece just by adding a familiar image and maybe adding a funny one liner to it.

Peter Saville 'Use Hearing Protection' Image Banana Moon

As I said before Peter Saville did alter the image to make it his own and I’m sure neither Peter or I wish to condone any copyright infringement here but have a good look around the internet and see what you can find to make your print a bit more interesting.

If you don’t feel comfortable (ahem) borrowing other people’s artwork please take comfort in the words of another great artist of our time…

“Good artists copy, Great artists steal”
Pablo Picasso

What Picasso meant by this is a good artist can copy a famous piece of artwork and show great skill while doing it but if you steal the idea and make it your own by improving it you are truly a great artist indeed, as illustrated here by Marcel Duchamps magnificent moustache masterpiece L.H.O.O.Q.

Who can argue with masters like these!

LHOOQ by Marcel Duchamps Banana Moon

 

What A Difference A Font Makes!

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Diet Coke vs Coke ZeroSince starting at Banana Moon 2 and a half years ago, I have become something of a font geek. I have to say, its bordering on obsessive, and I may have to start my own “font addicts anonymous” group. I have always been interested in advertising and branding, and paid particular attention to this part of my course at University. I am fascinated by the fact that fonts and colours can invoke a particular perception of something, and how choosing the wrong font or colour can massively impact a brand.

An example of this is Coca Cola. Just looking at that signature C, the script font or the red colour scheme, you can instantly recognise the Coca Cola brand. But the genius design and branding team at Coca Cola have taken this a step further. As a woman looking for a healthier coke option, what would you choose? Chances are, you have said Diet Coke. Now think about a man looking for the healthier option. More often than not, they will choose Coke Zero. Although not exactly the same, the similarities between the 2 products are uncanny, the differences between them, such as the caffeine and calories are so subtle, that as a consumer, we can barely tell a difference. So why have Coca Cola produced 2 products that are essentially the same thing? The answer… their target audience. Diet Coke uses the script font, the silver can and the use of the word diet, ‘cos let’s face it, how many women can claim they have never been on a diet, and let’s not forget, Mr Diet Coke Man, with his shirtless body and tight jeans. Now think of Coke Zero. The masculine red and black colour scheme, the simple sans serif font, and even the name “zero”. It’s straight to the point. Even just doing a Google image search, you can see they target a predominantly male audience, with links to James Bond, fast cars, football, and even Cheryl Cole dressed in a rather suggestive way.

Font Examples - Banana Moon personalised clothing

Getting back to the point, I want our customers to realise the importance of a good font, as it can quite literally make or break your brand. Don’t choose an italicised script font if you’re organising a stag do, or a capitalised sleek font for a hen party. Don’t choose Commercial Script if you’re a nursery and certainly don’t choose Comic Sans if you’re a funeral director.

At Banana Moon, we offer a dozen standard fonts for printing, but if you have a specific font, please don’t be afraid to ask. It may not always be a possibility, but if we can help, we most certainly will. It’s important to us that your printing is right, so let start by getting the fonts right, please, for my own sanity.

Personalised Christmas Gifts – Christmas Ordering Begins!

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Personalised HoodiesAs the office gears up for the 1st of December tradition of playing Christmas songs to get everyone in the festive mood, the pace of ordering has really picked up over the last couple of weeks.

As a bulk personalised clothing supplier we still see our customers trying to squeeze their last orders into 2011 but also with our no minimum order policy website we do receive a lot of orders for personalised Christmas present orders. Personalised Hoodies are the the most popular gifts. We put individual names on the front, back or even down the sleeves. We can put printed logos on them in one, two or multi colour prints. To make our prices a little more competitive we have completely removed our print setup charge for a limited period only!

Our message to everyone is to get your orders in soon if they are required before the end of 2011. Of course, last year the huge snowfall caused disruption across the nation. We haven’t seen anything like that yet this year, but you never know! Have a look on our website, even if it’s only to see our Christmas Countdown!

Anyway, time to dust off the Christmas hits CD………

Promotional Items Now Live!

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Banana Moon Promotional ItemsYou may know that Banana Moon are one of the UK market leaders in personalised clothing. You may also have heard about Banana Moon’s upcoming brand new full catalogue of promotional items including pens, mugs, keyrings and many more.

We are now really pleased to say this is live! The web development has now been completed so you can order online or offline. We have our very own home page to access the range, which is www.bananamoon.co.uk/promotionalitems. Due to our standing in the personalised clothing market, we can now apply the same efficient and friendly customer service and innovative web features to the promotional industry.

We have a compiled a full catalogue of over 1000 business gifts and promotional items which can be sent out free of charge by clicking here. There are some really interesting items in the catalogue from Haribo sweet pots to iPhone stands to Philips HD video recorders all with your company logo on.

Despite this, the most popular items are undoubtedly the traditional promotional giveaway items such as pens, mugs and USB sticks. However cheap these items may be perceived as, they are proven to be the most effective subliminal marketing messages available to promote one’s cause. Coupled with the fact that cost per impression of these kind of products is said to be 0.003p, this means that a promotional item is the most cost effective marketing tool available.

Here are some interesting facts about the power of promotional merchandise:

  • 66 per cent of respondents said they could remember the brand on the promotional product they received during the last year
  • 79 per cent said they were likely to do business with the company in the future
  • 84 per cent said a branded promotional gift increases brand awareness
  • 87 per cent of recipients said they kept a promotional gift for longer than 12 months
  • More than half (56 per cent) said their opinion of the brand/company was more favourable after receiving the promotional product.

Source: dmionline.net

Boxercraft Loungewear New to Banana Moon

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Boxercraft at Banana MoonBanana Moon are pleased to announce the introduction of another new brand to our range, Boxercraft. This brand is particularly exciting because it provides a number of garments totally different to anything we currently offer. These comfortable lougewear bottoms come in a number of imaginative colour combinations to suit all preferences.

Boxercraft is an American brand established in 1985 and is now available in Great Britain since July 2011. The essence of the brand is college loungewear which is extremely popular on the high street currently. The great thing about loungewear is it can be worn throughout the day, i.e to lectures, to the shops and even worn as pyjamas at night. The styles orginated as underwear which college students took to wearing more and more as everyday leisurewear. This is definitely a trend which has caught on in Britain in recent years as college students look for comfortable clothing to wear. The great thing about the Boxercraft brand is that college clubs and societies can now buy these as team leisurewear items and get them personalised with their team name or slogan. As you can see in the image the pants can be personalised down the leg, on the thigh, across the rear, and even print on the fold over waistbands and tie cords.

The range starts with a Unisex Flannel Pant BX001, which comes in 18 different colours. The BX002 V.I.P Flannel Pant is a more femenine garment which comes in an extra small size and features 6 different colours. The final part of the range is the BX004 Bitty Boxer which is a girls hot short which would be perfect for dance clothing.

Click here to contact us for a quote.

Promotional Items and Business Gifts from Banana Moon

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Promotional Items from Banana MoonBanana Moon are about to introduce a brand new range of promotional items from August. Having already had experience in this market for over 30 years, we have now decided to provide our own catalogue of a huge range of products including pens, office accessories, keyrings, USB’s, sweets and many more. Promotional products are great tools for companies looking to provide a useful gift to clients and prospective customers. The presence of the gift on an office desk or it’s use in everyday activities is a great reminder of your company to that person. Similarly with our large presence in the college and armed forces markets, we are hoping our extensive range will provide souvenirs and mementos for groups and tours.

Our brochures have arrived this morning, so we are well underway with preparations. A limited range of the best sellers will be available to buy online. Should you wish to view the full range and discuss possibilities, our catalogue’s will be available via post.

We are currently finalising our prices for the next year but if your need for a quote is urgent, please contact us and we will provide this for you: sales@bananamoon.co.uk

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