The World Cup crowds have gone home, the scarves are packed away, and summer is next up on the calendar. That shift matters for anyone ordering branded merchandise: the products that move fastest in June and July are almost never the ones companies were stocking up on in the spring. If your promotional budget is still pointed at event-specific gear, now is the moment to redirect it toward what people actually want when the temperature climbs.
We pulled together the categories getting real attention this season — the ones people are outdoors, at the pool, or working a summer trade show floor and actually reaching for. Here's where to put your logo this summer.
Rechargeable Fans: The Sleeper Hit of Every Outdoor Event
Nothing earns goodwill at an outdoor booth, a summer festival, or a company picnic faster than handing someone instant relief from the heat. Rechargeable hand fans have quietly become one of the most requested items in our catalog, and it's easy to see why — unlike a paper fan, they get used long after the event ends, which means your logo keeps showing up on desks, in bags, and on commutes for months.
A few options worth considering depending on the crowd:
- The Rechargeable Handheld Fan With Carabiner clips right onto a bag or belt loop — ideal for anything with foot traffic, from a 5K to a farmers market booth.
- For a genuinely hands-free option at a long outdoor shift or a summer conference, the Hands-Free Rechargeable Neck Fan 2.0 is the one people actually keep using.
- If your audience skews toward the office rather than the field, the Desktop Fan With Ring Light & Wireless Charger earns a permanent spot on a desk, which is exactly the kind of daily-use impression promotional products are supposed to buy you.
Sunglasses: Still the Highest-Visibility Item You Can Brand
Branded sunglasses have one advantage almost nothing else in a promo catalog can match: they're worn on the face, in public, for hours at a time. A logo on a temple arm gets seen by everyone the wearer talks to — at a beach event, a golf outing, or just walking through an airport.
Our Full Color Malibu Sunglasses are the easiest starting point — full-color imprint options mean the branding doesn't get lost the way a single-color logo can on darker frames. For a giveaway that wants to stand out in a crowd of otherwise identical sunglasses, the Full Color Prism Malibu Sunglasses add a distinct look that people are more likely to actually wear afterward — and a promotional item nobody wears is a promotional item that never worked.
Sunscreen: A Practical Giveaway That Doubles as a Trust Signal
Handing out sunscreen at an outdoor event does double duty. It's genuinely useful — people run out of it constantly — and it signals that your brand thought about their comfort, not just its own visibility. That combination is why sun care has become a go-to for summer trade shows, sports sponsorships, and company outings.
For an easy, no-mess giveaway, the rABS SPF 30 Sunscreen Stick is simple to hand out at a booth. If your brand wants to lean into a more premium, recognizable option, Sun Bum® 3 Oz. SPF 30 Sunscreen Lotion carries name recognition of its own, which pairs well with your logo rather than competing with it.
Building a Summer Kit That Actually Gets Used
The common thread across all three categories is the same one that matters for any promotional order: pick items people would buy for themselves anyway. A fan, a pair of sunglasses, and a stick of sunscreen aren't novelty giveaways that end up in a junk drawer — they solve a real problem the moment someone is handed one, which is exactly when a brand impression is worth the most.
If you're planning orders for an outdoor event, a summer sponsorship, or just want to refresh what's sitting in your swag closet before the season gets busy, we can help you put together a kit that matches your budget and your audience. Get in touch and we'll walk you through options, minimums, and turnaround times.