Company Aims To Revolutionize The 'Swag Bag'
Another disruptor has entered the promotional products industry, with her sights set on revolutionizing the swag bag. How? With what some are calling the anti-swag swag bag.
Lynne Lambert is the founder of the popular NYC Subway Line collection of mass-transit merchandise. From T-shirts and hoodies to hats and backpacks, her brand of clothing and accessories pays tribute to the Big Apple and all of its iconic elements. She has taken that same geographical approach with her new company: Mapt Gear.
"Many of us are not comfortable being a free walking advertisement for a company," Lambert told Adweek, "and many companies aren't doing anything more than putting logos in big text across the products. So I think there's room for a very tasteful product to come in."
Using a license to access a cartographic library, Mapt Gear imprints canvas totes with maps that pinpoint the location of a brand's headquarters -- or its various locations, or even the location of a conference it's having. The idea is that the image of an antique map with a pushpin will arouse enough curiosity and interest in a company without splashing its logo all over a product. However, the customizable map does leave enough room for a brand's name or logo – done subtly.
New York-based Mapt Gear currently offers three styles: a Gucci Nylon messenger bag, a 100% cotton tote bag and a silky 100% Poly/Canvas tote bag. Also available is a "Pad-Folio" iPad case made of vegan leather. If Mapt Gear generates sufficient interest from corporate clients, Lambert says she'll expand the product line.