Summer Promotional Products – Hot Ideas for Your Next Campaign

Summer spells outdoor activities and long out-of-town trips with family. As such, this is also a good time to get your target market to notice your brand. There are many ways you can support your customers during this time. However, the key is to offer them summer promotional products that will make their life easier.

Whether you’re planning a seasonal marketing campaign, festival giveaway, or customer appreciation gift, the products below will help you stand out under the sunshine.

What Makes a Great Summer Promotional Product?

A high-performing summer promo item should be:

1. Highly Useful

People spend more time outside in summer: at beaches, parks, or festivals. Useful items like coolers, fans, bags, and sunglasses become everyday essentials.

2. Branded for Visibility

Every time your promo item is used, your logo travels with it, increasing brand recall and visibility. Items that can be customized with bold prints or full-colour graphics perform best.

3. Durable and High-Value

Products that last beyond the season provide longer brand exposure and higher perceived value among recipients.

Top Summer Promotional Products to Boost Your Brand

Below are branded product ideas, curated for maximum utility and brand impact, perfect for summer campaigns, outdoor events, beach promotions, and customer giveaways.

1. Beach Bags (Promo & Branded Totes)

Beach bags are summer staples ideal for storing towels, sunscreen, snacks, and more. They offer a large imprint area for logos and messages, making them walking billboards at pools, parks, and seaside destinations.

2. Sustainable Hand Fans

When the heat cranks up, nothing’s more appreciated than a personalized hand fan. Lightweight, eco-friendly, and highly customizable, hand fans are perfect giveaways for outdoor events, fairs, and concerts.

3. Custom Logo Cooler Bags

Coolers are synonymous with summer. Whether for beach picnics, road trips, or outdoor events, a branded cooler keeps drinks and snacks chilled while your logo stays front and centre.

4. Sunglasses – Branded Shades

Sunglasses aren’t just stylish. They’re a summer necessity. A pair of branded shades is a classic summer promotional item that gets significant visibility at beach days, music festivals, and outdoor celebrations.

5. Mini Fans & Wearable Personal Fans

Mini fans and wrist-worn wearable fans are hot sellers during the summer. These high-utility gadgets provide instant relief from heat and are ideal for giveaways at concerts, fairs, and outdoor activations.

Case Study: How The Bear’s School Made Summer Promotions Work

The Bear’s School is a popular Japanese picture book series with Jackie as the main protagonist. They recently collaborated with DCH Foods for a fun summer promotion. Their in-store promotion was a hit, especially with kids.

Not only are they eye-catching, but they are also affordable. They can buy the first set of products as a bundle for $299, but they can also buy them separately. For instance, to redeem a foldable tent, they need to add $169. They will get a mini fan when they add $89; an additional $59 for a tote bag, $89 to get a foldable chair. Add $109 to redeem Jackie and David’s custom design cups. Pay an additional $99 to redeem a plate, a mug, and a spoon and fork set.

Here’s What We Love About Their Summer Promotional Products:

Foldable Tent: The foldable tent comes with a cover and can be easily set up. This is great for picnics with kids, as this protects them from the sun and rain. Furthermore, the designs are kid-friendly. Because the tent is branded with The Bear’s School, it improves their visibility outdoors.

Mini Fan: We appreciate this branded mini fan because it looks cute and is highly functional. It has a Jackie bear topper, which caught our attention. The branded mini fan will surely help them cool off during this hot season. It is portable, so they can be kept inside their bags. Furthermore, their cute design will surely catch the eye of their target customers.

Foldable Chair: This chair folds up for easy storage. It also serves as storage, allowing customers to keep their picnic essentials inside the box. This limited-edition foldable chair is perfect for outdoor promotions because it is branded and really high utility. They are ideal for picnics and outdoor gatherings.

Tote Bag: This custom tote bag looks really cute and fun to use. It has a front pocket and a custom key chain in the shape of a Jackie bear. Tote bags are excellent marketing gifts because they are customizable and practical, and they serve as a walking advertisement for your brand.

Branded Drinking Cups and Mugs: Practical and customizable, these items will be useful to their target market. With daily use, the brand will surely gain great exposure. Furthermore, these cups are beautifully designed and make a great decorative item in your cupboard.

Cutlery Set and Plates: Kids will love this combo, as the plate is custom-designed. Because children are picky eaters, it is important to encourage them not to skip breakfast. One way to do so is to use plates, mugs, and cups that are visually appealing.

Discover how brands run their marketing during the summer season…

At first glance, the display draws you in with its inviting sense of summer escape. It’s not loud or exaggerated. Instead, it’s elegant and imaginative. The display is crafted with the same refinement that defines the Estée Lauder brand.

In Vietnam, Coca-Cola introduced a fantastic offer that allows customers to snag a free customised ceramic mug featuring an adorable polar bear in a summer outfit.

We saw MacCoffee’s promotion in Vietnam, wherein it sells its Coffee Pho brand with custom-made slippers as a GWP item.

Malibu Rum, known for its best-selling Caribbean rum with natural coconut flavour, has recently kicked off its Pina Colada promotional gift set.

Conclusion

The most effective summer promotional products are the ones people actually use. When items are practical, well-designed, and suited for real summer conditions, they continue to promote your brand long after the campaign ends.

At The ODM Group, we help brands turn these everyday summer items into high-performing promotional tools. From product selection and material recommendations to custom design, prototyping, factory audit, and quality control, our team supports the full process from concept to delivery.

Whether you’re planning a seasonal campaign, event giveaway, or long-term merchandise program, ODM helps ensure your summer promotional products are built to last, on-brand, and delivered with confidence. Contact ODM today! Let’s make your ideas a reality!

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