My parents have passed down many things to me. A lovely last name that causes people to think I speak Spanish fluently. Their good jokes, and a love for travel. Since I was a baby they've packed me and my siblings up along with the luggage and sent us out to explore the world. From the Caribbean to cross country road trips, we've seen many fascinating sights. To capture the beautiful things we see and do, my parents make sure that they have at least two cameras. And that doesn't even include the underwater cameras.

Another couple that loves travel set out in 2008 for a cruise from New York City to Southampton, England. While on the ship, their camera fell overboard along with the memory card full of photos. The couple returned home to South Africa without their photographs but recently received a peculiar phone call. The cruise line contacted the couple after a fisherman in Spain caught the camera in his fishing nets.
               
The Spaniard caught the camera off the west coast of Europe. He scanned the photographs and tied the pictures to the particular cruise line. After a friend of his blogged about the photographs and camera, a BBC reporter saw the blog and ran a clip during their newscast asking, "Do you know these people?" A friend of the couple spotted them and informed the couple that their camera had been found. How's that for a trip?
                            
                         (A photograph preserved on the memory card.)
The couple was thrilled to be reunited with their camera that had actually preserved the photos on the memory card. To make their next trip more enjoyable, I suggest keeping their camera in one of these custom imprinted Andrew Philips Collection Vaqueta Compact Camera/Day Bag. The classy bags will go over the shoulder and prevent any cameras from jumping overboard. Now all that couple needs is a promotional photo albums for their five lost and found photos.
                        
This couples next trip? To Spain where they can meet and thank the fisherman that reeled in their memories. 

Throughout life, chances are you've heard hundreds of inspirational quotes. Some, I'm sure, brought tears to your eyes while others made you gag. Some projected out of the mouths of leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Ghandi and Martin Luther King, while others were spoken to you by friends and family when you needed a pick me up. I'm a fan of all of these inspirational quotes. Why? Because they inspire us to think about the blessings we have and the opportunities that await. And believe me, a little positivity goes a long way.
                        
So with that in mind, what's something you're thankful for in your life? I am thankful for product descriptions.

As a right of passage for promotional products on our site, each merits an informative and fun product description. When I first interned for Motivators in the summer of 08, product descriptions were a very close friend of mine. While still great buddies, there is other work to tend to and I don't spend nearly the amount of time with them everyday as I'd like. Still, at the end of the day, you'll find me typing away descriptions of products we're looking to imprint for customers. After almost a year of writing them, I've caught on to some words and phrases that are frequently used. One of which could've won me $30,000.

                                            
On Tuesday night, I sat on the comfiest of couches and zeroed in on the television screen. It was the bonus round of Wheel of Fortune where the winner of the game gets a chance to guess 5 letters and solve a puzzle in a short amount of time. The woman standing in front of the puzzle had won herself a good chuck of cash but stared at this puzzle with little to say. A couple of letters had popped up, but no answer was clear.

That's when I saw it. "COMPANY LOGO!" I shouted. A few seconds later, the time ran out, the woman frowned and the final letters were revealed. It was in fact, "company logo," one of the phrases I use often in my descriptions. Pat Sajak then went on to open the prize; $30,000 that could've been mine all because of product descriptions. 

I've got the golden ticket! That's what 10 lucky people will be shouting when they find the infamous golden ticket in their Willy Wonka chocolate bars. A recent interview found on the awesome Brandweek blog got the latest information about this promotion with Wonka brand manager Vilma Livas and innovation managers Natasha Madan and Janet The Planet. (Yes, that's her legal name.)

The innovation manager, Natasha Madan said that the Wonka Golden Ticket contest is for, "...the young and the young at heart." All it requires is for you to purchase a chocolate bar from the Wonka Exceptional line. With names like the Scrumdiddlyumptious Chocolate Bar, Chocolate Waterfall Bar and Domed Dark Chocolate Bar, who could pass them up?
                
The ten people that find golden tickets in their promotional chocolate will be whisked away to a giant chocolate factory where they will be greeted by the famed Willy Wonka and entertained by stubborn yet adorable Oompa-Loopmas. All right, so you don't actually win a trip to the chocolate factory like little Charlie did, but you do win a golden experience. Each winner will be given a trip around the world for them and three guests. It's being marketed as a "family trip around the world."
                       
Madan continued saying that the promotion is for, "People who see possibilities where others see limitations, who have that sense of imagination and Wonka lets them loose in that space. It is really about capturing the hearts and minds of those people and we're hoping to bring new users into the category." This is exactly what promotional products do. They capture the hearts of consumers and make them proud of your products and services.
                             
Similar contests can be orchestrated when you make an order of promotional chocolate bars. In the meantime, make sure to buy a Chocolate Waterfall Bar or Domed Dark Chocolate Bar for a chance to win! There are a ton of other prizes including Ticketmaster gift cards, airline vouchers, movie tickets and of course...more chocolate! I'll be picking up a Scrumdiddlyumptious Chocolate Bar sometime soon. Tastey.

Find yourself totting around a new custom bag everyday? That's all right, because Tommy Hilfiger loves promotional tote bags too. The Whitney museum is gearing up for the 2010 Whitney Biennial that has a stellar exhibition list of over 60 artist.
       
Their web-site shares, "While Biennials are always affected by the cultural, political, and social moment, this exhibition "simply titled 2010" embodies a cross section of contemporary art production rather than a specific theme." To kick off the event an celebrate one of the artists work, Tommy Hilfiger has designed this custom imprinted tote bag. It can be purchased for $98, with $50 of that going right to the museum. It's a cute tote that shares many of the same qualities of ours. It features the work of artist, Ari Marcopoulos.
    

Museums are an awesome venue for promotional products. Gift shops are always stacked with imprinted items. Incorporating a showcased artist's work onto these items is an awesome way to promote existing exhibits, celebrate great artistry and boost sales.