New Promotional Items
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Swiss Made
Phone accessories
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Portfolios & notebooks
Audio items
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Tools & flashlights
Umbrellas
Promotional keychains
Bags & travel
Textiles and clothing
The promotional item with more than one trick up its sleeve: the tote bag, a truly “bag-nificent” giveaway!
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” said Leonardo da Vinci, and when you look at the tote bag, you can only agree.
Two rectangles of fabric or canvas, a pair of wide handles to slip over the shoulder, and there you have a fashion and everyday accessory that is as basic as it is versatile. No fastening, no frills: the tote bag embodies the very essence of simplicity.
A formidable accessory for showing off one’s style, it can be found in every wardrobe and on every self-respecting shoulder. An everyday carry-all satchel or a shopping bag, the tote bag is quite simply everywhere. But how did this simple fabric bag become such an emblematic accessory of our time? Let us trace back a little of its history to understand what leads so many companies to adopt it as a custom giveaway.
Relatively recent, the history of the tote bag reflects multiple trends in our society: a practical item, a customisable promotional item, and finally an eco-friendly item. With its English name, derived from the verb “to tote” (to carry), one can easily guess the British origins of this highly practical fabric shopper. Indeed, worn over the shoulder, it was first used by English postmen and newspaper vendors, who made use of this large canvas bag. From the mid-20th century, the cotton bag’s popularity took off among workers, who found it far lighter than the traditional leather satchel.
Who invented the first promotional tote bag?
While it is difficult to date the creation of the tote bag as a promotional item, since the use of carry-all bags goes back to ancient times, its marketing origins are easier to trace.
Free or costing next to nothing, today’s tote bag is given away in small shops or bought at the local supermarket to replace disposable plastic shopping bags.
In both cases, a logo or message will inevitably recall the original brand behind this stylish shopping bag. This modern use of the tote bag comes mainly from the marketing move of an independent New York bookstore: The Strand, which in 1980 sold its first fine canvas bags printed with its logo and address. Well played! Simple, light, perfectly sized, this little shopper has continued to take up more and more space in our everyday lives.
The tote bag comes in endless variations…
With the tote bag, creatives have found a limitless medium of expression, where everything can be tailored to each person’s taste and colours, from XXL to mini. Material, colours, printing: the tote bag is an excellent canvas for creativity. Customisable and affordable, it is undeniably a highly effective promotional medium.
The must-have promotional item
A tote bag for every event: trade shows, festivals, fairs, incentives, press events, etc. The tote bag stands out as the essential giveaway for professional events. Its practicality allows you to slip all your communication materials into a bag that also helps convey your brand image.
The cotton tote bag: the eco-friendly giveaway
Good news: in France, Switzerland and many other countries, the law prohibits the distribution of plastic bags. All the better—so we will use tote bags!
By choosing certified organic cotton as the material of choice for making tote bags, this reusable bag becomes part of an eco-responsible and sustainable approach. Cotton, a natural and biodegradable material, offers an ecological solution to plastic pollution. Other materials, such as natural hemp fibre, are also recommended.
Tote bag: a distinctive giveaway
The tote bag is the advertising medium best suited to personalisation. With its two fabric sides, the tote bag is like a blank canvas, just waiting to be decorated!
Just as with promotional textiles, your logo can be embroidered, printed or heat-transferred. Better still, request an original artist creation, dare to use drawing or photography, opt for committed or humorous messages, or take a philosophical approach with a quote. The tote bag invites unbridled creativity—and that feels good!
Ask your My Gift advisory agency and create, starting today, the tote bag that will be all the rage on beaches and café terraces this summer!
