a Blog from Apropos Promotions

Back to School
-Stephanie Goodwin, Apropos Intern

I love being home for the summer, but I am anxious to return to the sea of red that is University of Madison. During the freezing Wisconsin winter I see white snow, brown barren trees, black boots, and red jackets. Everyone – the jocks, the nerds, the “coasties,” the hipsters, and even the professors – don bright red Bucky Badger apparel; and at a campus of 40,000 students that’s quite an accomplishment. Before this summer I interpreted the unofficial red uniform as an explicit display of UW Madison’s fervent school spirit. Now though, through my internship within the promotional products industry, I have a much different perspective.

I see the campus’ universal and eager acceptance of the university color as evidence of one of the most successful promotional product campaigns ever. Upon its founding in 1848, promulgating the school and developing an excellent reputation with a rodent mascot named Bucky must have seemed daunting. Yet they doggedly created any product imaginable – pens, golf tees, leg warmers, calendars, iPod cases, stationary, overalls, ice cream, underwear, you name it – with the university logo or mascot. Thus UW Madison’s exhaustive red campaign thrives still today, and enthusiastic Badger students like me can revel in its success.

Ever been in the market for a particular product but you can never quite find what you are looking for? I wish this had a pocket and only if this came in a different color; these are just a couple of thoughts that have ran through my head when shopping and leaving feeling discouraged. Well what if we could take your ideas and make them a reality? Whether it is a tote, cooler, notepad or pillow, the possibilities are endless. The only limitation is your imagination.

What is even better is the unbeatable pricing but you have to be willing to wait approximately 45-120 days from proof approval as this is an overseas capability. So if you are planning for or aware of an event that you would like to see a custom product for, why not start early and get exactly what you are looking for? You will be able to choose colors, fabrics and add-on features to make that product much more memorable. Contact us today if you would like to know more about customization.