From professional sports sponsorships and college football games to corporate tailgates and team-building events, custom eye black strips are one of our favorite interactive promotional giveaways.
When you think of eye black, you probably picture football players getting ready for kickoff or baseball players stepping onto the field. But over the years, eye black has become just as popular with fans in the stands as it is with athletes competing on the field.
And that's where custom printed eye black strips have become such a fun promotional product.
At Sports Marketing Plus, we've produced plenty of custom eye black strips for professional sports teams, universities, corporate sponsors and all kinds of promotional events. We've also done a ton of these for tailgates, corporate retreats and company outings where there's some friendly competition involved.
They're affordable, easy to distribute and something people can put on immediately to get involved in the event. Plus, there's a surprising amount of flexibility when it comes to customizing them.
You can keep things simple with traditional branded eye black strips featuring your company logo or take things further with custom shapes, promotional cards, sponsor messaging, and even additional peel-and-stick designs.
Let's take a closer look at the different options available and some of our favorite ways to use them.
What Are Custom Printed Eye Black Strips?
Custom printed eye black strips are adhesive stickers designed to be worn underneath the eyes, similar in appearance to the traditional black grease athletes have used for decades.
The big difference is that these strips can be custom printed with team logos, company branding, slogans, school names, mascots and other artwork. Instead of applying messy eye black grease, recipients simply peel off the adhesive strips and apply them underneath their eyes.
While traditional eye black has long been associated with reducing glare during athletic competition, promotional eye black stickers are primarily designed for team spirit, fan engagement and branding.
One of the things I like most about these is how many different ways you can customize them. Traditional black strips with white logos are always popular, but there are also options for different colors, designs and shapes.
And depending on your event, you can choose between two primary formats.
Traditional Custom Eye Black Strips
Our Custom Athletic Eye Black Under-Eye Strips are a great starting point for sports teams, athletic departments, and companies planning large promotional giveaways.
These are ideal when you want to distribute branded eye black without needing additional promotional packaging.
For example, if you're handing out thousands of pairs at a football game or supplying them for a university's student section, traditional custom eye black strips can be a straightforward and cost-effective option.
Custom Eye Black Strips with Promotional Cards
Another option, and one that I particularly like for corporate sponsorships, is our Premium Eye Black Cheek Sticker Giveaway.
With this style, the eye black strips are paired with a custom printed promotional card, giving you additional space for branding, messaging, and special offers.
Think about a company sponsoring a college football program. The eye black itself could feature the team's logo alongside the sponsor's branding, while the promotional card could include a QR code, special offer, website or message encouraging fans to visit the company's booth.
Another great way to use these is to turn the promotional card into a redeemable offer. For example, a restaurant or bar sponsoring a local sports team could hand these out at a game and include an offer for a free drink, appetizer or discount on a future visit. Fans get something fun to wear during the game, and the business has an opportunity to bring those same fans through its doors afterward.
You could also incorporate a QR code that directs recipients to a specific landing page, promotion or online offer, making it easier to track engagement from the giveaway.
That's what I particularly like about this format. You're not just handing out branded eye black for fans to wear. You're also creating an opportunity to drive foot traffic, encourage purchases, and give people another reason to interact with your business long after the game ends.
Custom Eye Black for Professional Sports Teams, Universities & Corporate Sponsors
This is probably the area where we've had the most experience with custom printed eye black at Sports Marketing Plus.
Over the years, we've worked on numerous eye black projects involving professional sports organizations, university athletic programs, and companies sponsoring these teams.
Interestingly, many of these orders don't come directly from the teams themselves. They come from businesses that have sponsorship relationships with professional sports franchises or university athletic departments and want to create something fun for fans.
We recently worked on a custom eye black project for the official spirit sponsor of a particular sports team. The design featured both the sponsor's logo and the team's logo, creating a co-branded giveaway that tied the company directly to the team it supports.
It's a great example of how promotional eye black strips can be incorporated into a larger sports sponsorship campaign.
Rather than simply putting a company logo on a traditional promotional item, the sponsor gets to associate its branding with the excitement surrounding the game.
Fans can wear the eye black throughout the event, take photos with friends, and show support for their team while also interacting with the sponsor's promotion.
These types of giveaways work especially well for sponsored game nights, fan appreciation events, student sections, stadium entrances, and pregame activities.
Of course, if you're planning to incorporate a professional team's logo or university trademarks into your custom eye black design, you'll need the appropriate authorization. Companies with existing sponsorship agreements can often coordinate these details directly with their team or athletic department contacts.
5 Great Uses for Custom Printed Eye Black Strips
Although sports sponsorships are one of the biggest markets for branded eye black, there are plenty of other opportunities to use these.
Here are five of our favorite applications.
1. Game-Day Giveaways and Fan Promotions
Football is probably the first sport that comes to mind when talking about custom eye black, but these are also popular for baseball, softball, and other athletic events.
Professional sports organizations and university athletic departments can distribute custom eye black stickers at stadium entrances, promotional booths, student sections, or designated giveaway areas.
One idea I particularly like is creating eye black specifically for a rivalry game, homecoming weekend or other highly anticipated matchup.
You could incorporate the team's logo, school colors, a short slogan, or even the name of the event.
For corporate sponsors, these giveaways also provide an opportunity to feature their branding alongside approved team artwork.
And unlike some promotional products that fans might carry around for a few minutes, these can become part of what they're wearing for the entire game.
2. Tailgates and Watch Parties
Tailgates are another excellent opportunity for custom football eye black.
We've produced plenty of these for events over the years, and they fit right into the atmosphere of a college football Saturday or professional football tailgate.
Think about a company hosting a large pregame tailgate for customers, employees, or business partners. You've got food, drinks, music, games, and plenty of people getting ready for kickoff.
Handing out custom eye black strips gives everyone another way to participate.
They're also easy to distribute alongside other tailgate giveaways like custom stadium cups, rally towels, and other sports themed promotional merch.
And you don't necessarily need to be at the stadium to use them.
Alumni associations, sports bars, corporate offices, and organizations hosting watch parties can all incorporate custom eye black into their events.
3. Corporate Retreats, Field Days & Team-Building Events
This is one of the more overlooked applications for custom eye black, and one we've done quite a bit of over the years.
Corporate retreats and company outings often include activities like flag football, pickleball, softball, obstacle courses, relay races and other team competitions.
Custom eye black strips are a fun addition to these events because they help employees get into the competitive spirit without requiring a large investment.
For example, if your company is hosting a corporate field day with different departments competing against one another, you could create different eye black designs for each team.
Or keep things simple and feature the company logo on every pair.
We've worked on plenty of promotional projects for corporate retreats and events where the goal is to get employees involved and create a fun experience outside the office.
Eye black fits that environment particularly well because it's inexpensive, easy to hand out, and adds a little personality to the activities.
It also makes for some pretty entertaining team photos.
4. Youth Sports, Booster Clubs & School Spirit Events
Custom eye black isn't limited to professional and collegiate athletics.
Youth sports organizations, booster clubs, high schools, travel baseball teams, and recreational leagues can all use branded eye black for games, tournaments, and special events.
For a youth baseball or softball tournament, you could create custom eye black featuring the tournament logo and distribute it to participating teams.
High school booster clubs could hand out school-branded eye black during football games, homecoming celebrations, or playoff runs.
These are also great for school spirit weeks, pep rallies, and other events where students are encouraged to show support for their teams.
One of the advantages here is that you don't need an elaborate design. A school mascot, team name, or short slogan can look great on a pair of traditional eye black strips.
5. Brand Activations, Festivals & Promotional Events
Another area where custom eye black can work really well is experiential marketing.
Companies are constantly looking for ways to make their promotional booths and brand activations more engaging, especially at sporting events and outdoor festivals.
Eye black gives attendees something they can wear immediately, which is a big part of its appeal.
Imagine a company hosting a sports-themed activation at a festival or community event. Instead of simply handing someone a flyer, they can offer a pair of branded eye black stickers that ties into the event's theme.
These can also work for charity sporting events, company picnics, sports-themed trade show booths, and promotional campaigns built around major sporting events.
If you're incorporating a custom printed promotional card, you can include additional messaging that encourages attendees to scan a QR code, participate in a contest, or learn more about the sponsoring company.
It's a relatively simple product, but there are plenty of ways to build a creative promotion around it.
Beyond Traditional Eye Black: Custom Shapes, Promotional Cards & Peel-and-Stick Designs
One thing worth mentioning is that you're not limited to the traditional black strips most people associate with football.
There are quite a few options for customizing the shape, size, artwork, and presentation of these products.
Depending on the specific product and manufacturing requirements, custom shapes can be created to accommodate different logos, mascots, and promotional themes.
For example, a university might want a custom design featuring its mascot, while a company could create something that ties into a particular campaign or event.
You can also explore different types of promotional cards and peel-and-stick tattoo products.
Our Waterless Peel & Stick Tattoo Custom Promotional Cards are another option for organizations looking to incorporate multiple designs or additional branding into a giveaway.
These are particularly interesting for events where you want attendees to choose from different graphics, rather than everyone receiving the same pair of eye black strips.
For example, a sports-themed promotional sheet could include team-related artwork, sponsor branding, or several small designs that fans can apply.
We also offer Fingernail Peel & Stick Tattoo Sheets, which provide another creative way for fans and event attendees to show their team spirit.
These could be a fun addition to university promotions, school spirit campaigns, themed events, or giveaways targeting fans who want something a little different from traditional eye black.
The important thing is to think about how the product will be used and distributed before settling on a particular format.
Why Custom Eye Black Makes Such a Great Promotional Giveaway
There are a few reasons we've continued to recommend custom printed eye black strips for sports marketing campaigns and promotional events.
First, they're relatively inexpensive, especially when you're ordering larger quantities for games or events with thousands of attendees.
When you're planning a stadium giveaway, cost per piece becomes a major consideration. Eye black can provide a fun promotional experience without requiring the budget of a more expensive giveaway item.
Second, they're incredibly easy to distribute.
You don't need a large storage area, complicated packaging, or much space at a promotional booth. They're lightweight, compact, and easy for attendees to carry around before applying them.
But I think the biggest advantage is the interactive aspect.
People aren't just receiving a promotional product. They're becoming part of the promotion.
When fans put on matching eye black featuring their team's logo or a sponsor's branding, it creates a sense of participation that you don't always get with traditional giveaways.
And from a marketing standpoint, there's also the photo opportunity.
Think about all the photos taken at football games, tailgates, company outings, and sporting events. Custom eye black can become part of those photos, particularly when large groups of people are wearing matching designs.
For corporate sponsors and event organizers, that's another reason to consider these for an upcoming promotion.
Choosing the Right Custom Eye Black for Your Event
Having worked on quite a few of these projects, one thing I'd recommend is figuring out how you plan to distribute the eye black before choosing the product.
If you're ordering 10,000 pairs for a university football game and simply want fans to wear the school's logo, traditional custom eye black strips may be all you need.
If you're a corporate sponsor and want to include a promotional offer, website, QR code, or additional branding, I'd strongly consider an option with a custom printed promotional card.
And if you're planning something more creative, like a themed corporate retreat or special fan promotion, custom shapes and peel-and-stick sticker sheets may be worth exploring.
Artwork is another important consideration.
Eye black strips are relatively small, so designs generally work best when they're clean and easy to recognize. A simple logo or short phrase will usually reproduce better than artwork with a lot of tiny details.
For projects involving multiple logos, especially a team logo alongside a sponsor's logo, we'll help review the artwork and available imprint areas to determine which product makes the most sense.
I'd also recommend planning ahead when possible, particularly for larger orders or designs that require approval from a professional sports organization or university.
Production timelines can vary depending on the style, quantity, and customization requirements, so it's always helpful to get the process started early.
Get Your Fans, Employees & Event Attendees in the Game
Custom printed eye black strips might be a small promotional product, but they're one of the more entertaining ways to get people involved at sporting events, tailgates, and company gatherings.
We've had the opportunity to produce these for professional sports organizations, universities, corporate sponsors, and all kinds of events over the years, and they're a product I continue to recommend for the right promotion.
From traditional custom eye black stickers to co-branded sponsorship giveaways, promotional cards, and custom peel-and-stick designs, there are plenty of ways to make these work for your organization.
If you're planning an upcoming game-day promotion, corporate retreat, tailgate, or sports marketing campaign, take a look at our custom printed eye black strips and promotional eye black options.
At Sports Marketing Plus, we'd be happy to help you explore the different styles, artwork options, and quantities available to find the right fit for your next event.