Yesterday I was working out Moonpig's enviable margins using a Ryobi calculator given to me many moons ago by the firm's then UK distributor. This, along with last week's Ipex Marketing Day started me thinking about the role of promotional giveaways at exhibitions and events. That little Ryobi calculator has been in pretty much daily use ever since I received it and is an example of a relatively ordinary, but useful giveaway that tucks handily into a pocket or lives on one's desk, sometimes for years, quietly beaming out good vibes for the brand in question.

I hold my hands up to Trebus-like tendencies when it comes to hoarding stuff, especially anything that can be deemed "useful". Loupes and linen testers are always viewed as such. Hence in my desk drawer can be found a bright pink linen tester, partially broken but still functional, emblazoned with the Mannesmann Scangraphic logo. I don't even want to think about how old that is. Somewhere in my garage is a hefty cube of Perspex, also a magnifier, which could easily be used as an alternative method of despatching Colonel Mustard in the library should the lead piping be unavailable. If memory serves me correctly this was an Ipex giveaway that promoted Agfa's Lithostar film. Yes, film.

At a Newstec exhibition back when the show was in its pomp Reuters were handing out a fabulously stylish black golfing umbrella with their striking logo picked out in white. They were queuing in the aisles for it and that too, lasted for years. In fact, I think someone coveted it so badly they nicked it. Equally desirable were the Creo micro-scooters given away at (I think) Ipex 2002 when such scooters were still pretty expensive. Also years back, I recall a fab pair of pocket binoculars, courtesy of Screen. I am still working my way through a huge batch of Heidelberg pencils that were contained in a pewter tankard. My M-real plastic stress snake thing also receives a regular work-out.

Swiss penknives are always handy to have around, but as society can no longer be trusted with sharp implements, now surely consigned to the promotional historybooks. Pens are dull but always useful; and USB memory sticks, usually of a small and useless capacity, have become somewhat ubiquitous and therefore a yawn too. 

Even with marketing budgets pollarded, surely there are bound to be some good promo items to be had at Ipex. No doubt sturdy, eco-friendly bags will be big, they proved popular for Xerox and Kodak at last year's drupa and, suitably branded, have the advantage of being a sort of walking billboard for the brand in question during the show. 

Enough of my reminiscences. What are your best printing industry giveaways ever?