Most swag ends up in the trash. You know the kind: cheap pens, awkward-sized shirts, mugs that never leave the cabinet. At some point, someone signed off on that stuff thinking it would “build brand awareness.” It didn’t. It annoyed people.

Branded merch doesn’t work because it has your logo on it. It works when it connects, lands, and sticks around. At BRND, we believe good merch should feel like a gift—not an afterthought.

Here’s how to make that happen.

1. Start With the End in Mind

Before you choose a product, ask yourself:

• Who’s receiving this?
• What do I want them to feel when they get it?
• When or how will they receive it?

A new hire welcome box? A conference giveaway? A client thank-you? Each one has different stakes. Great branded gear supports the moment it’s tied to.

2. Fewer Items, Higher Quality

We’d rather send someone one incredible tumbler they use every day than six forgettable trinkets. You’re not trying to flood someone’s junk drawer—you’re trying to create a brand moment they remember.

Focus on:

• Materials that feel great to hold or wear
• Products that fit into daily life
• Brands people already trust (Stanley, North Face, Moleskine, etc.)

3. Don’t Overbrand It

If your logo is the loudest thing on the item, it’s probably not getting used. We design for subtlety. Tasteful placements, tone-on-tone embroidery, clean screenprinting. People don’t want to feel like walking billboards—but they will rep gear that looks good.

4. Make the Packaging Count

The unboxing matters. A softshell jacket tossed into a plain poly mailer? Forgettable. That same jacket, folded into a tissue-wrapped box with a handwritten note? Now we’re talking.

The goal isn’t just to deliver items. It’s to deliver a moment.

5. When You Get It Right…

The ROI is real. We’ve seen it firsthand:

New hires feeling instantly connected

Clients sharing their BRND boxes on social

Teams rallying around their merch like a badge of identity

This stuff doesn’t have to be transactional. It can actually mean something.

Let’s Make Something People Keep

Whether you’re planning an internal rollout, onboarding package, or high-end client gift, we can help you do it right—from concept to fulfillment.