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‘Harry Potter’ Series Lives on Through Branded Merchandise

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Trending Topic Tuesday,” where we share our take on what’s going on in the world and what promotional products would appropriately (or inappropriately) market the subject matter.

The final installation of the Harry Potter film series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, smashed box office records and brought in nearly half a billion dollars in its opening weekend. But the story and its revenue-generating potential are far from over, if the countless forms Harry Potter branded merchandise has taken over the years are any indicator of just how far-reaching this franchise really is.

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Mila Kunis to Attend the Marine Corps Birthday Ball

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Trending Topic Tuesday,” where we share our take on what’s going on in the world and what promotional products would appropriately (or inappropriately) market the subject matter.

The Internet is abuzz today with word that actress Mila Kunis has accepted an invitation to this year’s Marine Corps Ball that was delivered via YouTube. The video (shown above) features Sgt. Scott Moore of the 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines in Musa Qala, Afghanistan, and his polite request:  “I just wanted to take a moment out of my day to invite you to the Marine Corps Ball on November 18th in Greenville, North Carolina, with yours truly. So take a second, think about it and get back to me.” With a little encouragement from her Friends With Benefits co-star, Justin Timberlake, Mila announced that she would indeed go to the Ball with Sgt. Moore.

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Patriotic Promotional Products Celebrate July 4th and Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Competition

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Trending Topic Tuesday,” where we share our take on what’s going on in the world and what promotional products would appropriately (or inappropriately) market the subject matter.

Yesterday, Americans throughout the country celebrated Independence Day with cookouts, parades, and, of course, fireworks. One particular citizen however, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, added consuming sixty-two hotdogs in ten minutes to his July 4th to-do list. Chestnut and his opponents spent the day competing in the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest held in Coney Island.

This marks the 96th year of the competition, which supposedly originated when four immigrants eating at Nathan’s Famous stand on Coney Island conducted a competition to define who was indeed the most patriotic. While the contest has been held in the same location nearly every year since its inception, the rules for qualifying have changed over time. At first, minors were permitted to enter the competition but now only those 18 and older are able to compete. Additionally, only those under contract by the International Federation of Competitive Eating, which has sanctioned the event since 1997, are allowed to participate. Contestants must also be granted approval to compete by succeeding in qualifying competitions prior to the July 4th main event.

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“Cars 2” Inspired by Success of Promotional Products, Not Critical Acclaim

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Trending Topic Tuesday,” where we share our take on what’s going on in the world and what promotional products would appropriately (or inappropriately) market the subject matter.
cars 2 promotional products
According to movie critics, the 2006 animated film Cars was not much of a success – at least not for Disney-Pixar, which put out 6 movies before the release of Cars and never received anything lower than a 91% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. According to that site, Cars only managed to please 74% of critics and 80% of audience members. It wasn’t a failing grade, but it also certainly wasn’t the sort of feedback Disney-Pixar was used to getting.

However, while Cars-inspired promotional products earned Walt Disney Co. more than $8 billion in retail sales of everything from toys to toothpaste and bed frames to bubble gum, a sequel was produced (along with 300+ new Cars 2 branded toys and other items). Despite the fact that the movie has received positive reviews from a mere 33% of critics and 66% of audiences, making it the first Disney-Pixar film to be deemed a “rotten tomato,” Disney expects its Cars 2 promotional products to surpass the $2.8 billion in sales that Toy Story 3 earned last year. Counselor magazine notes that this would make Cars 2 “the largest branded merchandise program ever related to a single movie release.”

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Celebrate the Summer Solstice with Various Seasonal Products

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Trending Topic Tuesday,” where we share our take on what’s going on in the world and what promotional products would appropriately (or inappropriately) market the subject matter.

If you’re among the millions of people who find yourself reciting the age-old mantra of wishing there were more hours in the day, then today is your lucky day. Students, employees, and procrastinators alike scrambling to complete last minute tasks on their to-do-list can rejoice in the extra hours of daylight granted by the June 21st Summer Solstice. Although many agree that the humidity and ninety-five degree weather have been well underway since early June, today marks the official first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

The word “solstice” is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still) and refers to the moment in which the sun’s rays are positioned directly above the Tropic of Cancer. The sun continues to rise higher until it appears to come to a standstill in the sky, resulting in varied sunset times of approximately 11:42 p.m. in Alaska, for example, and 9:10 p.m. in Seattle, Washington.

For centuries, cultures throughout the world have regarded the Summer Solstice as a major celestial event and have employed various seasonal products to celebrate the annual occurrence in a number of unique ways. Ireland plays host to “Midsummer Carnivals,” which feature fairs, concerts and fireworks whereas Spain offers special foods and bonfires on the beach. Also, on this day, the Chinese honor Li, the Goddess of Light while the Swedish dance around a raised maypole covered entirely in flowers and greenery.

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Want to Know What’s #Trending? Turn On Your TV!

Watching the big game while on my MacBook Pro.

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Trending Topic Tuesday,” where we share our take on what’s going on in the world and what promotional products would appropriately (or inappropriately) market the subject matter.

Make sure your cell phone and laptop are charged- primetime tv has taken an interactive turn! Sunday night’s launch of “The Glee Project” on Oxygen featured a social media component to engage viewers across the country, and as a result, chatter about the series premiere took Twitter and Facebook by storm. Similarly, the tv show’s parent company, NBC Universal, has launched live stream discussions on other shows, like NBC’s “The Voice,” and Oxygen’s “The World According to Paris.”

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Launchpad Calling Mission Control: We’re Headed into an iCloud

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Trending Topic Tuesday,” where we share our take on what’s going on in the world and what promotional products would appropriately (or inappropriately) market the subject matter.Moscone Center
Steve Jobs addressed a crowd of 5,200 developers at the 2011 Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco yesterday, and while he didn’t announce the release of the iPhone 5 (which members of the tech world had already guessed), he did speak about a number of updates to the company’s software that will improve functionality – and, likely, sales – of Apple’s already easy-to-use products such as the MacBook, iPad, and iPhone. And if you’ve always wanted to be a pilot or an astronaut, I’m sure that some of these new products and services will catch your ear.

Indeed, some of the features of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion sound like they were developed by NASA: we’ve got Mission Control, which makes it easy for Mac users to quickly navigate among apps and spaces; Launchpad, which allows users to find and launch apps from where they left off the last time they were closed; and iCloud, Apple’s own cloud-based file storage system that gives users the ability to access music, videos, images and more from any Apple device without having to upload them from their Mac to their iPod to their iPad (and so on).

iOS 5, the operating system used by mobile devices (the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad), also features a number of significant changes that make things both easier and more efficient for users. The camera is accessible via a shortcut from the lock screen, and all devices will be equipped with iMessenger, a conversation platform that allows individuals to carry on a single conversation (free of charge) between various iOS devices. Much like Blackberry’s BBM platform, iMessenger facilitates communication between iOS users via Wi-Fi or 3G to cut back on text messages.

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Contest Challenges Artists to Create Custom T Shirts featuring “The Muppets”

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Trending Topic Tuesday,” where we share our take on what’s going on in the world and what promotional products would appropriately (or inappropriately) market the subject matter.

Threadless and Disney just announced a contest searching for friendship-themed designs to decorate custom t shirts promoting this November’s brand-new full-length movie, “The Muppets.” Users must submit original designs featuring Muppets characters, which the public will then vote on to decide a winner.

The contest ends June 20th, and the winning design will be chosen on June 27th. One lucky winner will receive $2500 cash, a $250 Threadless gift certificate, the winning custom t shirt signed by The Muppets and framed next to a signed photo of the Muppets, a $250 set of collectible statues from Disney Traditions, and an autographed copy of the upcoming album, “MUPPETS: The Green Album”.

Not so confident in your artistic abilities? There are plenty of other ways to inspire the design of custom t shirts, whether you simply vote on your favorite, host your own t-shirt design competition, or solicit the help of professional artists, like those on staff at Pinnacle!

 

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Grab Your Promotional Sunglasses and “Come gather ’round”

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Trending Topic Tuesday,” where we share our take on what’s going on in the world and what promotional products would appropriately (or inappropriately) market the subject matter.

Happy birthday to Bob Dylan. The famed singer-songwriter turns 70 years old today and people all over are taking some time to pay tribute to him and his influence on not only music, but the US civil rights and anti-war movements of his generation.

In honor of Bob Dylan, I suggest you don a pair of promotional sunglasses, styled like the Ray-Ban Wayfarers he prominently wore, and listen to one of his most iconic anthems.

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President Obama Visits Memphis; May Be in Need of Promotional Cell Phone Accessories

Welcome to this week’s edition of “Trending Topic Tuesday,” where we share our take on what’s going on in the world and what promotional products would appropriately (or inappropriately) market the subject matter.

promotional cell phone accessoriesAs threats of some of the worst Mississippi River flooding since the 1920’s continue, thousands of Americans evacuate their homes and head for higher ground. Earlier this month, a Louisiana spillway was opened and a levee was blown up surrounding the town of Cairo, Illinois. Now, US Army Engineers are opening floodgates in attempt to divert water from the Mississippi and decrease pressure on the levees to, hopefully, prevent flood water from reaching Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

The expected influx of floodwater prompted an appearance from President Obama, who visited Memphis on Monday to meet with families affected by the flooding. Unfortunately, the 25,000 people situated in  Louisiana’s Cajun country have already been forced to abandon their homes in compliance with mandatory evacuation orders. The record-setting flood waters are predicted to unleash up to 25 feet of water set to wash over approximately 3,000 square miles of low lying land.

Amidst the crisis of the impending natural disaster, Obama remained positive and offered words of comfort to young students at Booker T. Washington High School who excitedly welcomed him as their official commencement speaker. Obama’s phone however, did not meet such a pleasant fate earlier that day. The President, who currently may or may not be in need of some promotional cell phone accessories, sent his BlackBerry phone tumbling to the tarmac of the taxiway at the Air National Guard base in Tennessee. In this case, promotional cell phone accessories would have undoubtedly prevented any damage to the President’s phone.

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