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The Cap and the Hat
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| Whether you’re walking down a busy street or riding the subway, chances are you’ll see caps and hats of almost every color, shape, size, texture and style. Those adorned with logos or ad messages have become as ubiquitous and often used as T-shirts these days. You can find them in offices, stuffed into beach bags, stacked in closets, in briefcases, in the trunks and on the backseats of cars – literally everywhere. And when it comes to promotional power, headwear is where it’s at. It’s gotten to the point where a cap without a logo on it looks positively naked and out of place. | |
Older And Visor As you probably know, you can get all kinds of imprintable hats, from sombreros to fezzes. But those fall into the special circumstances category where promotional applications tend to be somewhat limited. There are, however, other non-baseball styles out there that can do the job – buckets, visors, knits, and safaris, etc. If your company decides it wants to move beyond the ball cap and distinguish itself from the crowd, which direction do you head in? Promotional consultant, Steve Susa, says you may want to consider visors: “What we’ve seen in terms of trends in the last year has been a doubling of visors. At one time, the only people wearing visors were guys playing golf. Now it’s become much more of a younger fashion item. I laugh when I see a school bus go by and see kids with visors turned upside down and backwards – you know it’s a fashion trend [if they’re doing it].” A large part of the visor’s recent success is due to its versatility. “Visors appeal to almost everyone,” Susa continues, noting that they’ve become a good fit for many promotions because they’re no longer a simple piece of foam or plastic that looks slightly better than it feels. “Visors are good for a promotion because today’s models are much more hip and athletic,” he notes. “You used to see them worn on the beach by older consumers, but now companies are putting a greater emphasis on cooler, more stylish visors.” Others note the trend as well. “Visors are huge right now,” agrees promotional consultant Kevin Adams, “It’s not just adolescents who are wearing them; they’re popular across our marketplace. I think bucket hats have seen their peak, but visors have taken over that spot.” It’s In the Tones Of course, even the slickest promotional hat can crash and burn if its color, material, imprint and target audience aren’t carefully planned. Color is crucial: “The basic colors like white and navy are still the best combination because they’re especially denim- and khaki-friendly,” says Susa, adding, “there are no neon colors happening right now – that’s for sure.” As it did other products, September 11 influenced headwear, too. “The color combination that’s still hot is red, white, and blue -- for obvious reasons,” says Adams. “Anything with those colors or with a flag still sells well. Aside from that, a popular color still going forward is stone. It’s slowly surpassing khaki in terms of sales.” “I’ve noticed that most companies use the same styles, so everyone is copying everyone,” says promotional consultant Johnny Ko. “So now, some companies are using color to set themselves apart. For example, firms are using pastels to differentiate themselves from the usually strong colors like red, black and royal blue.” Just make sure you talk it over with your counselor before deciding to wow employees or customers with periwinkle, crimson, or nutmeg. “With ad specialties, most people go with black, navy, or green – things men and women would be interested in wearing,” says counselor Steve Angeline. “When you get into lighter colors, men might tend to shy away because they’re not as likely to wear that. So basic is better. ”Promotional consultant Cindy Ward agrees: “As far as color, it’s still navy, khaki and white. They’re the top sellers right now. There aren’t any ground-breaking shades right now; it’s more of a back-to-the-basics revival.” Touch Me Color and shade aren’t all to consider. Material is far from immaterial. Typically, the softer the fabric the better. But sometimes an unusual or unexpected material can work just as well – and maybe even better. “Knit visors are extremely hot,” notes Susa. “Fabrics make certain items work, not just the style.” Fabric options essentially fall into three categories: 1) all cotton; 2) cotton blends; and 3) synthetics. Within the all cotton category, the most popular weaves are chino twill, distressed twill, denim and relaxed twill. In blends, twill is the top choice (65% polyester/35% cotton), followed by poplin, which has the same percentage but a more breathable weave. With synthetics, nylon tends to dominate – at least right now. Maximize The Message Usually, the main reason you’d consider headwear for a promotion is its imprint capabilities. Just a few years ago, your message or logo was limited to the crown and maybe the back just above the closure. But what a difference a few years can make! “You can put imprints on the bottom and top of the bill, both sides, across the back seam – everywhere,” says Susa. “It’s not just the basic front panel anymore.” Others note the limitless options too. “We’re putting designs on hats now with stitch counts of 17,000 to 20,000,” says promotional counselor Mark Blutstein. “Three years ago, the average stitch count for a hat was around 7,000. Even designs on the front of a cap have increased – 9,000 to 10,000 counts. The trend we’re seeing is that clients really want a highly-decorated hat.” With increased stitch counts, the opportunity for additional corporate tie-ins expands dramatically. Blutstein says, “Some clients are becoming increasingly creative with secondary promotional messages – for instance, an Interstate Batteries logo affixed to the side of a NASCAR hat.” Consider your options to achieve a design that’s memorable. “The imprints we’ve had the most success with have been high-density embroidery that’s stacked, not flat – something that has definition and sticks out,” says Susa. A Tip of the Cap Whatever headwear you choose, if you do it right you’re bound to get positive feedback from customers. The hat has been a staple for decades, and with good reason – it gets the message out there. “Headwear is worn a lot and it’s at eye-level,” says Adams. “If you want to show your logo off, hats are a great way to do it, so make sure your hat is going to be worn.” To help ensure a hat gets valuable head-time, Angeline says never to skimp on quality or overall fashion appeal. “If someone’s walking down the street or at a football game, a lot more people are going to see that [promotional product]. Whenever someone’s wearing your logo, that’s a good ad.” But, Adams warns, it is possible to overdo it. Going overboard with a hat’s design can land it in the land of Never Seen Again. “The retail and licensed worlds don’t necessarily reflect what’s happening in the corporate world,” he says. “It’s more conservative. If you’re going to do 2,000 hats and want to appeal to the masses, stick to the basics.” One final aspect of headwear’s universal appeal is its flexibility. “You can customize it any way you want,” Ward says. “That’s one of its biggest advantages.” Also, the product has longevity and staying power. “The hat is almost like a T-shirt,” Blustein adds. “For 50 years it’s been popular, no matter how you slice it.” We’d say not too thin, with lots of exposure ... Josh Vasquez is assistant editor of Imprint |
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Bucket hats remain a hip and popular option to caps. |
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New design opportunities open the door to new ways that grab attention. |
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As technology grows, so do headwear options as these caps highlight the wearers’ team loyalty night or day. |
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Solid
colors give your logo the chance to stand out in high places. |
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Winter headwear has moved from functional to fashionable. |
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Hats are also a way to show identity as this identifies its bearer as a “Kook.” Ask for asi/60282; The Headwear Professional line – specify Winter Imprint. |
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| Mesh caps are no longer something from our past. They’re making a comeback with improvements in quality. Ask for asi/34850; Alternative Apparel line – specify Winter Imprint. |
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