When time flies, these eye‑catching promotional timekeeping products help end users stay grounded and organized.

As much as we’d sometimes like to slow time down, that ability eludes our human efforts, but what we can do is use the diverse set of tools at our disposal to better manage time. And when it comes to keeping track of time, watches, clocks and calendars are the rocks of reliability that stay put on desks, walls or wrists, which makes them great promotional items.

Richard Low, vice president of special markets for Citizen Watch Company of America (PPAI 410292), says that a timepiece is the ultimate recognition of accomplishment and the perfect way to commemorate a milestone. “In the promotional and incentive industries, watches with advanced features such as atomic timekeeping or smartwatch connectivity perform very well. Citizen Eco-Drive is very popular because the watches are powered by light and never need a battery change—the ultimate convenience. And versatile strap models with colorful accents are hot items.” 

Because brands like Citizen offer a variety of price points and assortments, Low says it’s easy to take a tiered approach to building your incentive program. 

“Adding decorative options [to watches], like logo imprinting and laser-engraving, helps organizations and brands add that touch of personalization that is so important,” he adds. Clocks are also important products to consider as promotional items or gifts. “Wall clocks are still very popular, provide great value and have great promotional capabilities,” says Jeff Lee, vice president at STOPNGO Line (PPAI 112044). “The large size has lots of ad space, and clocks are usually kept by consumers for quite a while, not just thrown out after a few uses. They’re usually hung up on walls, so the advertising/marketing message is seen multiple times throughout a day.”

Jerome Hoxton, president of Tru Art Advertising Calendars (PPAI 113720), says that, like clocks, calendars also provide multiple daily impressions on recipients, often leading to new business for distributors. “It has been proven that distributors who sell a client calendars also earn 95 percent of their other promotional products business,” Hoxton says. He emphasizes that calendar advertising is complementary to all new-age media. “Calendars reach audiences that are otherwise hard to reach, driving calendar recipients to websites, apps, messaging services and to brick-and-mortar locations.”

Hoxton says that customization helps businesses be creative in showcasing their brands through promotional calendars. “Because of technology, businesses of all sizes, in all quantity needs, can design their own calendar product. Custom-designed calendars are the fastest-growing advertising calendar category across all calendar styles and formats because they provide advertisers the opportunity to show their business’s individuality and create calendars that are unique for their imaging, content, look and feel.”

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Classic Timepieces  Never Go Out Of Style

 


The 46mm Canvas Gunmetal Medallion Watch has a solid stainless steel case and bracelet with gunmetal plating, a rotating bezel, Japanese date movement and 10 ATM water resistance. It also comes in a 35mm ladies size.
SELCO / PPAI 113845 / www.selcotime.com

 

The Eco-Drive Pryzm Proximity is a smartwatch that requires no wires or plugs for charging. Powered by light, Pryzm Proximity has Bluetooth compatibility to sync directly with your iOS and Android device. The hybrid smartwatch also features visual and vibrating alerts, a phone search and filter, a perpetual calendar, 12/24‑hour time, dual time, alarm, power reserve, light level indicator and more. It comes in stainless steel with an azure blue dial and a uniquely cut sapphire crystal.
Citizen Watch Company of America / PPAI 410292 / www.citizenwatch.com

 

Go full speed ahead with the Moto Tire Tread Watch. The watch features a silicone band with an alloy case, a turning bezel, Ips plating, three ATM water resistance, and three‑hand date movement.
Sweda Company, LLC / PPAI 113914 www.swedausa.com

 

Stay Organized With Calendar Options For Walls

 

This made‑in‑the‑USA Easy Read Wall Calendar features larger numbers that are perfect for seniors. Submit 13 custom photos (one per month plus the front cover) or choose from stock photos. Your client’s company logo and tagline are included in a full‑color imprint on the bottom of the back sheet.
Drum-Line / PPAI 102565 / www.drum-line.com

 

Advertisers can expect strong recognition from recipients who take the opportunity to improve concentration and stimulate creativity as they complete the unique coloring designs on this calendar desk pad. Each monthly motif is an original design by Iowa‑based artist Jackie Livingston. The desk pad is a key planning tool with large daily memo space and Year‑In‑View® calendar, plus numbering that provides total cumulative days, days remaining and days remaining excluding weekends.
Tru Art Advertising Calendars / PPAI 113720 / www.truart.com

 

Say aloha with this fun combination desk organizer and colorful flip calendar. Recipients will love seeing their name cleverly embedded in each monthly photo. Choose ready‑to‑ go themed stock image sets, or better yet, use your client’s custom images for a great super‑personalized promotion with year‑round exposure.
Ad-A-Day Co., Inc. / PPAI 111105 / www.ad-a-day.com

 

The ClearView Academic Tabbed Quarterly includes a 12‑month, tabbed calendar as well as a ruled filler for notes and assignment information. Each book features a natural poly front cover, a full‑color insert, a 12‑month calendar (July‑June), 70 sheets of ruled filler, a black paperboard back cover and a wire‑bound spine.
Journal Books/Timeplanner Calendars / PPAI 110769 www.journalbooks.com

 

Watch Minutes  Fly By With These Cool Clocks

 

The Blanchard chrome finished gyroscopic clock is fixed to three accented chrome pillars for smooth 360‑degree movement in every direction. Mounted on a high‑ polished ebony base, this exquisite gift is sure to impress.
St Regis Crystal, Inc. / PPAI 230188 / www.stregiscrystal.com

 

In a time where life seems to run at hyperspeed, the Aurabox 2.0 app-enabled smart alarm clock can help recipients stay on track. This clock includes alarms, a stopwatch, a sleep timer of soothing sounds, a powerful five‑ watt Bluetooth speaker, desktop social media notifications, a built‑ in microphone for phone calls/conference calls, voice memos, weather and a digital creative palette so users can create their own animated display designs.
OrigAudio / PPAI 421483 / www.origaudio.com

 

This sleek and modern frameless slim-depth wall clock with quartz analog movement behind a domed glass pane brings a spot of vivid full color to any wall. Brand this clock with a four‑color process imprint on white stock beneath the clear cover. One AA battery is included (not inserted).
STOPNGO Line / PPAI 112044 / www.stopngoline.com

 

This 4-in-1 clock and calendar is a useful item for any home or office. It features a clock with alarm, calendar, countdown and temperature. Rotate the clock 90 degrees for each function. It includes two AAA batteries (boxed separately). The clock is available in blue and silver.
Fields Manufacturing / PPAI 111951 / www.fieldsmfg.com

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CASE STUDIES

Two Is Better Than One
A local insurance agent wanted a unique way to connect with her customers and capture new leads with a useful promotional item that would also boost her personal branding and promote her services all year round. She chose the Valoy Desk Calendar from Warwick Publishing (PPAI 114154) with her company logo printed in one color along with her contact info. Under the pad, she listed key phone numbers to different departments within the insurance company as a value add to her customers, including customer service, sales, claims, and the agent’s local phone, fax and email address.

The agent gave away the calendars at local marketing events instead of handing out business cards, and she offered two calendars to each visitor, asking them to share one with a friend or family member. She also kept a stack of calendars at her office reception desk as gifts for visitors to take home. By handing out a useful desk calendar instead of an ordinary business card, this agent set herself apart and kept her name visible to her customers every day. By giving out two calendars, she was successful in growing her referrals and added new customers to her book of business.
Source: Superior Promos, Inc.

 

Tire Time
A tire company sent a promotional clock to garages with the year’s top 10 highest sales of its tires as a gift of appreciation. Beneath the tire company’s imprinted logo, the business name of the garage and the slogan “Quality Tires Every Time” were engraved onto the imprinted clock. This marketing idea succeeded both as an advertising and promotional item as well as providing an attractive timepiece for the garages’ offices. This recognition item served not only as a token of thanks to the garage owners/managers for their loyalty to the tire company’s product, but also as a daily reminder of the company’s quality products, availability and customer service.
Source: Superior Promos, Inc.

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It’s A Good Time For Idioms
Use these eight time idioms and related marketing campaign ideas to help spark your imagination to create clever time‑related promotions that include a timekeeping tool. 

Time Flies -- Graduation‑ or anniversary‑ themed events

Time For A Change -- New companies, new events or new products

On Time -- Transportation companies, home service companies

Save Time -- Companies that provide services to save end users’ time

Like Clockwork -- When promoting reliability

It’s About Time --  New product releases; policy changes; travel companies

No Time To Lose -- Health‑related campaigns, special sales, or anything requiring urgency

The Time Is Ripe -- Food‑related events, farmers’ markets, grocery or restaurant promotions

 

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Four Fun Watch Facts

1.They Smile
Jewelers often set display watches to either 10 minutes past 10 o’clock or 10 minutes to two o’clock so they appear to have a smiley face to subconsciously entice buyers.

2. They’re Made For The Movies
The digital watch concept originated in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Director Stanley Kubrick commissioned Hamilton Watch Company to design a futuristic‑looking—but non‑functioning—timepiece to be worn by the film’s pilots.

3. They Can Be (Very) Pricey
The world’s most complicated mechanical pocket watch, the Patek Philippe Caliber 89, was created in 1989 and took five years of research and development, four years to manufacture, and is made up of nearly 1,800 individual components. The least expensive option available that year was $5.1 million. 

4. They Come From The Moon
The Analog Watch Company created the world’s first timepiece made of a solid piece of genuine moon rock. It was cut from genuine olivine basalt stone collected from the surface of the moon by the Soviet Luna probe in 1974 that has been determined to be 4.5 billion years old.

Julie Richie is an Austin, Texas-based writer and former associate editor for PPB.