In 1789, George Washington took his position as the first president of the newly formed United States. With that came the first purposeful use of promotional products: commemorative buttons. They were printed and distributed throughout his campaign and then became so popular that similar items became available, including rulers, calendars and almanacs.

It wasn’t until about a hundred years later, in 1886, when the actual industry began to come to fruition. Jasper Meek was a printer and newspaper owner in Ohio. During slow times, he had nothing to do to keep his printing presses running. So, he decided he would print advertisements onto products — specifically on bags for books, because he’d seen a child struggling to carry books to school. He got buy-in from a local shoe shop and, shortly after, began printing burlap bags with the phrase “Buy Caldwell Shoes.” The idea was a hit and another local printer, Henry Beach, started doing the same. Soon all types of products were getting imprinted — everything from aprons and fans to buggy whips and horse hats.

By 1904, the new industry had about a dozen manufacturers. The 12 decided to join forces in an association that enabled them to discuss and advocate for pricing, procedures and product ideas. They named it the Advertising Manufacturers Association or, as we all know it today, the Promotional Products Association International. In only two short years, the association had 56 official members. Today, it has more than 10,000. In 1914, they held their first trade show, which has continued to present times as the PPAI Expo.

When the Depression occurred, the industry took a big hit. But it bounced back. By the late 1940s, sales were soaring to more than $120 million across the industry. The Advertising Specialty Institute emerged onto the scene in 1950, founded by a graduate student selling promotional products to work his way through school. Together, PPAI and ASI are the largest industry organizations and central resources for anyone in the promotional products world. The 1950s saw the entry of the promotional products industry on British soil as well, leading to the founding of the British Promotional Merchandise Association in 1965.

It’s true what they say — you can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been. Let Idea Custom Solutions help you move your business forward to the next level with the best in graphic design, from vector artwork and image editing to embroidery digitizing and custom logo design.