Why custom branded rally towels, ponchos, foam fingers and other football promotional products work so well with fans 

Last Sunday, I went to MetLife Stadium for the Jets vs. Packers game, and in true New York fashion, it rained pretty much the entire game.

As someone who sells promotional products for a living, I probably pay way more attention than the average person to the giveaways, merchandise and branded gear around a stadium. Between the rain, the Jets white-out and everything being sold throughout MetLife, there were actually a lot of great examples of sports promotional products being used in a real game-day environment.

There were also a few examples of what not to do.

The Giveaway Ponchos Weren’t Cutting It

With rain expected throughout the game, the stadium was handing out cheap blank ponchos to fans. I understand the idea. When thousands of people unexpectedly need rain protection, an inexpensive disposable poncho makes sense.

The problem was that these were pretty terrible.

Luckily, we had brought our own lightweight rain ponchos, and the difference was huge.

These kept us dry throughout the entire game. I’m tall and the poncho still went past my knees, which ended up being one of the biggest advantages. It kept my upper body dry but it also covered enough of my legs that my pants weren't completely soaked from sitting in the rain for several hours.

It was a pretty good real world reminder that custom branded ponchos can be one of the more practical outdoor promotional products you can give away.

For football games and other sporting events, festivals, concerts, golf tournaments, outdoor corporate events and similar programs, having a poncho people can put on immediately gives the item a purpose right away. Add a company logo or event branding and you have an affordable promotional giveaway that can also solve a very real problem for your attendees.

There is definitely a difference between handing somebody the absolute cheapest poncho available and giving them one that can keep them comfortable for an entire event.

My Branded Rain Jacket Got a Pretty Good Test Too

I was also wearing one of my own branded jackets underneath the poncho, so the weather gave me a chance to put that through a pretty serious test too.

We offer a full selection of custom branded rain jackets, and the one I brought to New York was the Cutter & Buck Rainier PrimaLoft Men's Eco Insulated Full-Zip Puffer Jacket with my Sports Marketing Plus logo embroidered on it.

A little self-promotion never hurts.

This thing held up amazing.

Between walking around New York and sitting through an entire rainy football game, it was exactly what I wanted. It's lightweight but still gives you enough protection when the weather gets ugly.

Another feature I really like for travel is that the entire jacket packs into its own pocket. There isn't an extra pouch you have to keep track of or some complicated system to figure out. You basically fold the jacket into the pocket and you're done.

It was simple enough that even I could figure it out.

That packability is one reason I really like jackets like this for corporate apparel and employee gifts. A custom Cutter & Buck jacket or similar branded outerwear piece works especially well for sales teams, company retreats, travel programs, outdoor events and golf because it's something people can easily throw into a suitcase or backpack.

When you’re looking at higher-end branded apparel, those little functional details matter.

The Jets White-Out Rally Towels Were a Great Giveaway

The Jets were doing a white-out for the game, so there was a custom rally towel waiting at the seats.

This was probably my favorite promotional giveaway from the game.

Rally towels are obviously nothing new but seeing thousands of people using them at the same time reminds you why they continue to be such a popular stadium giveaway.

On third downs, you had basically the entire stadium waving white towels. The same thing happened after big plays and scores. It's an inexpensive giveaway but when 70,000 plus people are participating, it creates a huge visual throughout the stadium.

That's why custom rally towels work so well for football promotional giveaways, hockey games, basketball games, college athletics, high school sports, playoff games and sponsored fan promotions. You don't necessarily need to spend a huge amount per person to create something that becomes part of the game-day experience.

And because it rained all day, ours served a second purpose. We used it as a rag to wipe the rain off our seats. Maybe not exactly what the Jets had in mind when they ordered them but it worked.

From a sponsor's perspective, that's also what I like about promotional rally towels. The fan isn't just receiving something when they walk into the stadium. They're holding it, waving it and using it throughout the game. That creates a lot of exposure for a team logo, corporate sponsor or event branding without requiring an expensive promotional item.

The Merch at MetLife Was Pretty Nice Too

Of course, I also spent some time looking around the merchandise stores.

They had a pretty good selection, including mini football helmets and full-size replica helmets. Those immediately caught my attention because sports-themed merchandise like helmets, footballs and other team gear can also translate really well into corporate gifts, sponsorship programs and event merchandise.

There were also a ton of New Era hats.

One thing I noticed was how many performance-style caps they were selling. Lightweight fabrics, breathable materials and more athletic-looking designs were everywhere. That's something we've also seen become more popular with clients ordering custom embroidered performance caps.

People still want traditional hats, but performance headwear has become a much bigger part of branded apparel programs, especially for golf tournaments, outdoor events, fitness programs and corporate teams.

I ended up buying a couple of two-tone Jets hats myself.

I've always liked the look of contrasting colors on a cap, especially when the colors tie directly into a team or company brand. We have a lot of similar options in our custom two-tone caps category that can be embroidered with a company, team or event logo.

Looking around a professional team store is also a good way to get ideas for corporate promotional apparel. The same styles people are willing to spend money on at retail are often the styles they want to receive from a company.

A Few Other Football Giveaways I’d Love to See

The rally towel made perfect sense for the Jets white-out, but there are plenty of other affordable football promotional products that can get fans involved during the game.

Custom pom-poms are always one of my favorites. Match them to the team's colors, add a sponsor or team logo and you've got an inexpensive giveaway that people can immediately start using in the stands. They're great for college football, high school athletics, cheer programs, pep rallies and sponsored stadium giveaways.

I'm also a big fan of custom cowbells and noisemakers. If the goal is to get a crowd louder and more involved, these do exactly that while keeping the sponsor branding right in the middle of the action.

Custom eye black strips are another fun option, especially for football. They're inexpensive, easy to hand out and give fans something they can wear during the game. They can work really well for tailgates, student sections, youth football programs, team events and sponsor promotions.

And then there are custom foam fingers. It's hard to get more classic than a foam finger at a football game. They're big, visible and instantly associated with sports. They also give sponsors a lot more branding space than many smaller stadium giveaways. Custom foam fingers can be made in team colors and printed with sponsor logos, school branding, mascots or event graphics.

For the right event, they're tough to miss.

That's really the key with football giveaways. They don't always have to be expensive. A relatively affordable product can have a lot of value if fans immediately understand what to do with it and it becomes part of the experience.

Why Stadium Promotional Products Work So Well

Being at the game made me think about how different stadium promotional products are from a lot of traditional giveaways.

Everything is happening immediately. The rally towel gets waved on third down. The poncho goes on as soon as it starts raining. The pom-pom comes out when the team scores. The cowbell gets used when the defense needs a stop. The eye black goes on before kickoff. The foam finger gets held up throughout the game.

These aren't products people receive in a bag and look at a week later. The promotional product becomes part of what they're doing at that exact moment.

For teams and corporate sponsors, that's a great environment for branded merchandise.

It also means choosing the right item matters. The best custom stadium giveaways usually fit naturally into the event instead of feeling like something was handed out just because a sponsor needed its logo on something.

Promotional Products for Football Games, Sports Sponsorships & Fan Giveaways

I went to MetLife expecting to watch the Jets and Packers play football. I came home with a couple of new hats, a rally towel, a very well-tested poncho and an even greater appreciation for promotional products that make sense for the environment they're being handed out in.

Especially when that environment includes several straight hours of rain.

Whether you're planning a professional or college sports promotion, sponsoring a high school or youth team, putting together a corporate tailgate or looking for promotional products for a sporting event, there are a ton of ways to get your brand involved.

From custom rally towels, ponchos and foam fingers to performance caps, pom-poms, noisemakers and branded outerwear, we can help find sports promotional products that fit the event, your audience and your budget.

And if rain is anywhere in the forecast, I strongly recommend bringing the better poncho.