Throughout the past year and a half, the isolating feeling engendered by the pandemic has an antidote: exuberant team spirit.
Who wouldn’t agree with the sentiment that we could all enjoy the vivacity and warmth of team spirit – especially now? When you are united with others in fandom (or at work to achieve a goal such as corporate team building or significant projects), the sense of belonging and uplifting one another to “win” is unlike any other. It feeds itself, and we bask in the positive vibes and camaraderie.
Promotional products aimed at team spirit would therefore be kept for the fond memories, and for some individuals, quite the self-esteem booster. Primarily, team spirit items are sold as part of fundraising for the athletic clubs; these are truly win-win products!
Mini sports balls, such as footballs, basketballs, and soccer balls, are fun for the recipient, especially if they have children and dogs. Cheerleading squads will rally up the home team fan base by throwing them into the stands, and friendly competition in the bleachers ensues to see who will be the lucky one to take it home. Local businesses can be persuaded to have their logos printed on a mini football or basketball while the school’s team can be printed on the other. This can help generate revenue for the team and visibility for your client, the advertiser. These can also be sold by booster clubs.
For the Fans in the Stands
Spirit towels, when waved by fans in the bleachers, create a colorful vista. These tend to have a large imprint area, that will have room for a sponsor’s logo along with the team’s logo. This is also a popular booster club item. PMGOA, ProTowels, Hit Promotional Products, Wonderful Thinker, and AdCapitol all have a variety of spirit towels.
Similarly, pompoms are eye-catching and fun to use to rally a team. Custom imprinted pom poms are crowd favorites and can add a scintillating element to the stands. Pepco Promotions and Pepco Sports provide more than 70 different types, with varied metallics, color combinations, handles, and streamer sizes.
Also fun and bright are cheersticks, also known as thundersticks or even bam bams. These hand-held inflatable tubes are great for younger siblings to wave around; some also come with noisemakers, also delightful for children. Business logos and slogans are perfectly visible on these spirit items and they can be printed on both sides. Choose from those available from Pacific Business, Salute Promos, Sunrise Promos, P&H Business Forms, Global Promos Service, Galaxy Balloons, and Above & Beyond Inc.
Stadium seat cushions are a longstanding (and very appealing) fundraising item for stadium sports such as football and basketball, keeping bottoms comfy for a nail-biter game. Sponsors can offset the cost of the stadium cushions by ads from your clients on the back. Booster clubs typically sell the cushions for between $5 and $10 to the fans, many of whom will use them on outdoor adventures and other events they attend.
Number-one foam fingers are whimsical and make a huge statement in the stands. Also, who doesn’t want to be associated with the victor, the champs – and champs in the making? Fun fact: The first foam finger was made by teacher Geral Fauss in 1976 to raise funds for the industrial arts class at the school where he taught. His first official non-home sale was at the 1978 Cotton Bowl and he founded Spirit Industries – the rest, as we know, is history. Other companies making promotional foam fingers are Foamworx, WOWLine and Pepco Promotional, which also makes other spirit foam hand shapes such as a four-fingers foam mitt for four-time champs, and mini fingers (worn on fingers), including a paw for teams with animal mascots.
On game day, spirit arm sleeves can be worn; these have become very popular among players in recent years, and now fans can wear them too. Quinn and ImprintID offer several versions in different sizes and many color and print options. Other fan wearables include a sublimated multifunction tubular rally wear by FIEL, that can perform as a beanie, headband, face mask, neck scarf, hair cover, and rally towel. Traditional-looking and comfortable customized knit scarves, such as those by Salute Promos, make a team spirit presence.
Megaphones create a joyous noise factor that often energizes the team on the field, and they also mimic what the cheerleaders use. Your client’s logo and/or message can be “loud and clear” on a traditional megaphone. Pepco Promotional, Garyline, Brighter Promotions, and Custom Plastic Specialties all provide imprintable team spirit megaphones. For an edgier twist, check out Sunrise Promos’ mini silicone cellphone megaphones, or a combo megaphone and popcorn holder from Youth Sourcing Group, and even megaphone-shaped face decals by EyeBlack.
A novelty noisemaker is the spirit clacker gloves from Red Marketing Services.
For the Fans at Home
Team spirit lives at home, too (and even in the car and office), too. All the aforementioned promo items will likely be taken back home or kept in the car for the next game, but there are also items that show team spirit that can be used both at the game and at home.
Sports bottles and tumblers score extra points for any business that sponsors a team. These will not only be used at the game, but in the office, the gym, on the trails, and of course, at home, increasing visibility. Insulated beverage holders that keep cocoa warm are perfect on cold game days.
Also perfect for a chilly or blustery game day is the stadium blanket. Team fans will wrap themselves up with these at the game, and at home in front of the TV. Suppliers such as Garyline, BamBams, Hit Promotional Products, Brentwood Line, IMAGEN/Vitronic & Crown, Pro Towels and Wolfmark, all offer a variety of stadium blankets, many of which roll up for easy portability.
Carmagnets and yard signs demonstrate proudly and affirmatively that the driver and homeowner, respectively, are straight-up supporters of the home team. TIME FRAME/Mojo Magnets provides a cache of team spirit pride magnets, including one for “proud parents.”
Team calendar magnets with the game schedule prominently printed are a must for any player’s family, and for fans. Fey Promos provides two versions that can be used for sponsors as well.
Getting into the team spirit is, thankfully, something we can all enjoy more than ever, and also, is a good cheer practice to spread to others.