Few businesses have quite the panache of a modeling agency, and you might think it would be hard to come up with a promotion that reflects so much glamour. If so, you’ll be surprised to learn that Fred Sweet, president of San Diego Model Management, has been using the same promotional staple to thank clients and attract prospects for some 15 years: a baseball cap.

“They’re good, because they fold flat, and they’re light, and they’re durable,” Sweet says. “People have tried to get me to do all sorts of other stuff over the years, but nothing else works. With bags, they get stuck in a closet. They never come out. And anything that would be on a desk is really too heavy and fragile to send in the mail.”

The hat that Sweet is currently giving out is navy blue with his company name and Web site embroidered on it in white. Given the simple design, one suspects that the cap’s appeal lies in the imprint. After all, who wouldn’t want to wear a cap that suggests you have a connection to a model management company?

According to Sweet, when he presents the caps in person, he always gets a strong reaction. “We could have arranged a huge deal, but that’s meaningless, because when they get the hat, that’s what they’re happy about,” he says. “It’s completely human nature. If it’s on paper, it’s so abstract and vague, but if they have a cool hat that they can wear out of here, it’s really nice.”

Promotional Items from LogoSurfing.com