Team owners and franchise execs are always looking for the next big thing. Every team wants a promotional item that becomes as much a legacy as the team itself.

Myron Cope, voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers found that product- The Terrible Towel. Everyone in Pittsburgh, and most football fans in the country, know the Terrible Towel. That little piece of yellow terrycloth has rallied the team many a time to win an important game. The power of the towel seems endless.

When Myron passed away in 2008 he had a chance to make the Terrible Towel into much more than just a fun giveaway. He gave the rights to a school for mentally disabled individuals. By giving the rights as a donation, the school gets thousands of dollars from Terrible Towel sales, allowing them to continue operating day to day.

Just another case of sports merchandise making a difference (and a big difference at that!).

So if you’re a Pittsburgh fan, don’t ever give up on the towel because every purchase is a contribution.

Posted: October 22nd, 2009 under General.
Comments: none

After talking about the place of promotional towels in professional sports, I was lucky enough to stumble on this video which gives a very brief history of the most famous example of the rally towel: The Pittsburgh Steelers Terrible Towel. The footage of entire stadiums waving their giveaways sure is awe-inspiring. I’m a big proponent of teams providing their fans with ways to get involved and show their support during the game, and the Steelers certainly know what they’re doing in this regard! Check out the video here:

Posted: November 17th, 2008 under Football, Souvenirs, stadium giveaways.
Comments: 1

How about using promotional products to help your favorite team win? Lots of teams understand that providing noisemakers such as promotional boom sticks to their fans can actually give stadium-goers a chance to influence the game! This engages fans and gets them more involved in the action and excited about coming to the stadium. Boom sticks are especially popular at basketball games, as fans go wild attempting to distract free throw shooters on the opposing team. Other items like the Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Terrible Towel” help fans display solidarity and support for their team at both home and away games.

When fans leave, they can take noisemakers and other promotions home as a free souvenir. The multiple imprint options on branded boom sticks also makes them great for co-sponsored promotions, which are popular at many sporting events.

Posted: August 27th, 2008 under Basketball, Football, General, Souvenirs, stadium giveaways.
Comments: none