Ellen DeGeneres knows the power of promotional products. The reigning queen of afternoon talk shows is known for gifting her celebrity guests with wacky, memorable, specially designed promotional items, such as a baby carrier bearing huge angel wings for Victoria's Secret Model Miranda Kerr, complete with makeup and hair accessories.

But one of Ellen's most popular giveaways is her branded male underwear, which she presents to male celebrity guests, sometimes on air, but more often in a gift bag for appearing on the show. A number of recipients, including country singer Tim McGraw and R&B singer/songwriter Jason Derulo have been caught wearing the skivvies in candid photos, the Ellen waistband visible above their low-slung jeans. She's so well-known for the underwear giveaways that OneRepublic lead singer Ryan Tedder turned the tables on Ellen and gifted her on the show with a pair of undies bearing his band's name on the waistband.

DeGeneres offers a wide variety of promotional items for sale on her website, too, including hoodies, socks, T-shirts, bags and many others. Smart marketers like Ellen know that branded apparel is a favorite with consumers across all segments. One promotional expert says that a reason for this is that when someone is wearing such a visible branded item, "it implies a deep level of acceptance and support for that brand."

Celebrities aren't the only ones who make use of branded apparel. Colleges and universities are one of the top markets for apparel today, says The Scarlet Marketeer's Mary Ellen Sokalsi, citing admissions, bookstores, athletic wear, fraternities and sororities as prospective niches. "They either want hip, soft comfortable fashions, hardcore workout wear or spirit-boosting pride wear with a collegiate tone," she says. "The fabrics, styling and imprint are all important. The synergy of the three can make or break a promotion."

For example, Portland State University (PSU) wanted to build branding around a program, "Portland State of Mind" that celebrated events around the Portland community and on campus. So they contacted their promotional products partner who provided the school with T-shirts. The tees had a Portlandia style and feel, and were designed by PSU student artists, which included images of a campus food cart and the "Victor Viking" school mascot. The tees were sold online and on campus, and were advertised in the school's alumni newsletter, that goes out to some 100,000 people.

The success of the first year's program led to a new program called "Fearless" in which PSU students are encouraged to be fearless in their choice of academic pursuit and lifestyle. The new Fearless e-store gives the students the ability to customize their apparel to proclaim their choice. They could be a "Fearless Architect," or a "Fearless Teacher" or "Fearless Fireman." The Fearless program is supported online by YouTube videos produced by students that explain the programs and how to order the merchandise. Both programs have been very popular in terms of orders and visibility on campus. For example, Portland State University (PSU) wanted to build branding around a program, "Portland State of Mind" that celebrated events around the Portland community and on campus. So they contacted their promotional products partner who provided the school with T-shirts. The tees had a Portlandia style and feel, and were designed by PSU student artists, which included images of a campus food cart and the "Victor Viking" school mascot. The tees were sold online and on campus, and were advertised in the school's alumni newsletter, that goes out to some 100,000 people.


The success of the first year's program led to a new program called "Fearless" in which PSU students are encouraged to be fearless in their choice of academic pursuit and lifestyle. The new Fearless e-store gives the students the ability to customize their apparel to proclaim their choice. They could be a "Fearless Architect," or a "Fearless Teacher" or "Fearless Fireman." The Fearless program is supported online by YouTube videos produced by students that explain the programs and how to order the merchandise. Both programs have been very popular in terms of orders and visibility on campus.