The promotional products industry is witnessing a fascinating evolution in trends and preferences, but the most popular promotional products 2023 continue to be those which are affordable and offer great return on investment.

Businesses and marketers are keenly observing which items capture the public's imagination, offering invaluable insights into effective branding strategies.

This article shows the most popular promotional items of the year, reflecting a blend of innovation, practicality, and environmental consciousness.

From low-cost branded to eco-friendly merchandise, we summarise the best sellers in branded products this year below.

Best Promotional Pen of the Year:

Curvy Pen with White Barrel

The Curvy pen is an excellent promotional item due to its practicality and wide rangine appeal.

Pens are daily essentials, enduring frequent use and visibility for the brand. The sleek design and white barrel offers a clean, professional look, making it suitable for a wide range of audiences. Printed with your logo, this is an effective and low cost way to promote your brand.

These promotional pens available in a selection of grip colours, offering versatility to match different brand themes.

Although the white barrel pen is the most popular option, this pen also comes in a coloured barrel and satin silver barrel version.

Other best-selling pens in 2023:

  • Supersaver Click Ballpen: A quality budget ballpen with opaque white barrel and a choice of coloured trims. A hard pen to beat for cost, quality and style.
  • Electra Metal Ballpen: A stylish aluminium ballpen with anodised finish and chrome trim. The unique positioning of the chrome rings around the pen allows for a large print area.
  • BIC Grip Roller Ballpen: Enjoy a smooth writing experience with the genuine BIC grip roller. Glide across the paper easily without smudging thanks to the quick-drying ink. Ideal for both left and right-handed people.

View our full range of promotional pens.

Best Promotional Mug of the Year:

Cambridge Mug

Branded mugs are one of the most commonly used items in the office, giving fantastic visibility for your logo and branding.

The White Cambridge Mug, in particular, is a classic design that suits a variety of settings, from offices to outdoor environments and construction sites, making it ideal for a broad audience.

Its large surface area and huge print area is perfect for branding with your logo, with lots of space for slogans or messages.

This combination of utility, aesthetics, and branding potential makes it a valuable tool in any marketing or promotional campaign.

This mug does also come in a variety of colours, so an honourable mention goes out to our Coloured Cambridge Mugs which are ideal for logos on coloured backgrounds.

Other best-selling mugs in 2023:

  • Dishwasher-Safe Full Colour Cambridge Mug: Specifically manufactured for full-colour dishwasher-proof prints. Dishwasher safe to approx. 2000 washes before the image starts to fade, and the print area goes from just under the rim right down to the bottom of the mug.
  • Marrow Mug: The Marrow mug is one of the most popular stoneware mug styles, in a modern tapered design, and is 100% dishwasher proof.
  • Polo Insulated Travel Mug: These affordable double walled travel mugs with screw on lid and matching coloured sip cover are perfect for targeting customers who travel a lot, or commute regularly.

View our full range of branded mugs and branded travel mugs.

Best Promotional Bag of the Year:

Natural Cotton Shopper Tote Bags

Our printed natural cotton shopper tote bags are an excellent promotional product due to their utility, eco-friendliness, and wide-ranging appeal.

Tote bags are a practical everyday item, used frequently for shopping or carrying personal items in a public setting, for consistent brand exposure.

Their cotton material makes them an eco-friendly alternative to plastic bags, aligning with the growing trend of environmental consciousness. Additionally, the branding space on these branded tote bags is ideal for branding, allowing for clear and effective display of logos or marketing messages.

Not all bags are created equal, and although these are the cheapest cotton shopper bags that we offer, we don't skimp on quality.

These bags are most cost-effective in natural colour, but are also available as a coloured cotton shopper bag in a variety of colours.

Other best-selling printed bags in 2023:

  • Large Exhibition Jute Bag: The large exhibition jute bag has a natural texture and earthy appeal of jute that adds a rustic charm to your branding.
  • Polyester Drawstring Bag: This best-selling promotional polyester drawstring bag is made from 210D recyclable polyester with black artificial leather corners.
  • Tucana Non-Woven Shopper Bag: Eco-friendly recyclable non-woven bag for life with long handles.

View our full range of branded tote bags.

Best Promotional Notebook of the Year:

Spectrum A5 Soft Touch Notebook

The Spectrum A5 Soft Touch Notebook stands out due to its versatility and range of branding options.

This notebook is printed to the front cover in full colour print as standard, giving a vibrant end result, and you effectively have the whole front cover to print onto. Despite this, it is one of the lowest cost notebook options available with a premium-feel soft touch hard cover.

You can also choose to deboss your design into the cover, or we can stamp your logo in gold or silver foil.

This affordable branded notebook also comes in a variety of colours.

With a low minimum order of just 50 units and a long lifespan, this is a great value promotional item.

Other best-selling printed notebooks in 2023:

  • A5 Soft Touch Notebook with Pen Loop: A great mid-range A5 soft-touch lined notebook with bookmark, document pocket at the back, pen loop and an elastic closure band.
  • A5 White Notebook: Ideal for multi-coloured logos, this A5 white notebook has a soft touch finish, a coloured bookmark, document pocket at the back, elastic pen loop and elastic closure band.
  • A5 Natural Recycled Notebook: An eco-friendly recycled A5 notebook with coloured bookmark and coloured elastic closure band.

View our full range of branded notebooks.

Best Promotional Sweets of the Year:

Milk Chocolate Neapolitans

These foil-wrapped squares of chocolate, available in Mint Chocolate and Orange Chocolate flavours as well as classic Milk are an exceptional low-cost promotional product, blending the allure of chocolate with a branding opportunity.

Individually wrapped, these Neapolitan Chocolates are printed in full colour to the outer wrapper as standard and are perfect for being printed with your logos or message, for a budget-friendly sweet treat.

Ideal for diverse settings, including restaurants, corporate events, hospitality, or as giveaways at trade shows, these chocolates are one of our favourite branded items.

Other best-selling printed sweets in 2023:

View our full range of branded food and drink.

Best Promotional Bottles of the Year:

Finger Grip Sports Bottle 500ml

The 500ml Finger Grip Sports Bottle stands out for its ergonomic design and broad branding area, as well as its low cost price point. The bottle's finger grip area ensures comfortable use, making it ideal for sports, outdoor activities, or everyday use.

Particularly popular as a branded bottle for schools and school sports clubs, it offers a large area for customised branding, giving your logo great visibility.

Available in various body and lid colours that you can mix and match, they are suitable for a wide range of promotional events or corporate wellness programs.

This bottle also comes in other variations, incuding a 500ml Biodegradable Finger Grip bottle, a 500ml Recycled Finger Grip Bottle, a 750ml Finger Grip Bottle and a 750ml Teardrop Bottle.

Other best-selling printed bottles in 2023:

  • Tarn 750ml Sports Bottle: A fantastic all-rounder bottle with a folding spout and straw, available in a range of trim colours.
  • Oregon Aluminium Bottle with Carabiner 400ml: A great budget-friendly aluminum bottle with carabiner attachment on the lid, with a large rotary branding area to the bottle body.
  • Protein Shaker 700ml: Popular with Gyms and Sports Clubs, the Protein Shaker 700ml/24oz features an integrated mesh mixer, rounded inner base for easier cleaning, mix and match lid and clip colours and displays capacity levels in ml/oz.

View our full range of branded bottles, protein shakers and infuser bottles.

Best Promotional Keyrings of the Year:

Recycled Trolley Coin Keyring

The Recycled Trolley Coin Keyring is an effective promotional item, particularly for its practicality and environmental friendliness. Made in the UK from 100% recycled plastic, it's a sustainable choice that resonates with eco-conscious consumers.

The keyring features a 12-sided £1 trolley coin, ideal for supermarket trolleys, and includes a lobster clip fitting. With a branding area to one or both sides of the coin, it's a handy low-cost tool for increasing brand visibility in an everyday situation.

This promotional item is particularly popular with retail brands, but is suitable for any business looking for long-term brand exposure.

Other best-selling printed keyrings in 2023:

  • Ralli Bottle Opener Keyring: This metal keyring is durable and functions as a bottle and can opener with a split ring attachment.
  • Recycled Pop Coin Trolley Coin Keyring: Made in the UK from recycled plastic, this keyring holds a trolley coin that neatly ‘pops’ in and out for use. The coin and the holder are both branded.
  • LED Keyring Torch: A compact and practical promotional item that will brighten up your brand’s visibility. Batteries included.

View our full range of branded keyrings.

Best Promotional Tech of the Year:

Halo Wireless Charging Pad

The Halo Wireless Charging Pad is an excellent canvas for branding and customisation, allowing your business to prominently display its logos or message on someone's desk every day of the year.

Whether you’re want to enhance your brand’s visibility, reward employees, or impress clients, this charger is a practical and highly desirable gift that is guaranteed to impress.

Its minimalist yet sophisticated design complements any environment, making it an excellent addition to any desk or workspace.

Other best-selling printed tech in 2023:

  • Connect 3 in 1 Charging Cable : This charging cable is perfect for connecting to a variety of phones and tablets. With a generous printing area for its size, this charger is ideal for long lasting brand exposure.
  • Pocket Size 5000mah Powerbank: The Pocket Size 5000mah Powerbank is made easily portable with its lighter, more compact design, whilst still maintaining ample battery size. Perfect for on-the-go charging.
  • Span 1200mAh Powerbank: A great entry-level powerbank to suit all budgets. Printed in full colour as standard.

View our full range of branded tech.

Best Eco Promotional Product of the Year:

Renew Eco Travel Tumbler 350ml

The double-walled Renew Eco Travel Tumbler 350ml with screw-on lid contains 25% plastic derived from sugar cane. The tumbler is 100% recyclable, is made in the UK, and is packed in a home compostable bag.

This renewable source absorbs carbon dioxide whilst growing and is a by-product of the sugar industry. The use of sugar cane means less oil is used in the manufacture of each tumbler.

The Renew eco travel tumbler 350ml is the perfect blend of sustainability, style, and functionality.

It also comes in a version with a spill-proof closing lid.

Other best-selling printed eco items in 2023:

  • Recycled Turbo Pro Frisbee: Compact and lightweight flying disc designed for maximum flight and entertainment, making it a perfect promotional item for outdoor events, picnics, beach days and more. Made in the UK from 100% recycled plastic.
  • A5 Cork Notebook With Pen Loop: A great eco-friendly notebook choice, which looks fantastic with your logo laser engraved into the front cover.
  • Super Hit Biodegradable Pen: A quality EU-made branded pen which is made from bio-based material which completely biodegrades in landfill conditions.

View our full range of branded eco promotional items.

Best Exhibition Giveaway of the Year:

Hard Top Coaster

If there's a better low-cost way of getting your brand onto your customer's desk every day, we have yet to find it! These budget branded coasters safeguard your desk from unsightly spills and heat marks, maintaining the pristine condition of surfaces.

Made in the UK and available in Round or Square, with a 4mm anti-slip foam base and long-lasting print under a hard top surface.

An honourable mention also goes to the hard top mousemat, for maximum desk real estate!

Other best-selling printed exhibition giveaways in 2023:

  • Car Air Fresheners (UK Made) : An ideal low-cost branded giveaway, made in the UK to high standards and with natural fragrance oils.
  • Rectangular Mint Tin : This compact tin provides a convenient and refreshing treat wherever your customer goes. Its durable construction makes it a perfect companion for your pocket, purse, or desk.
  • 20mm Full Colour Lanyards: These full-colour branded lanyards are perfect for holding ID cards, badges, keys, and other essential items securely. Whether you’re attending conferences, trade shows, or simply navigating the office, this lanyard is a great low-cost solution.

View our full range of branded exhibition giveaways.

As we conclude our exploration of the most popular promotional items of 2023, it's clear that the key to successful branded items lies in choosing products that are not only practical and visually appealing but also resonate with the values and interests of your target audience.

From eco-friendly options to tech-savvy gadgets, this year's top picks offer a diverse range of opportunities for businesses to make a lasting impression.

Whether you're looking to enhance brand visibility, improve customer loyalty, or stand out in a competitive market, these promotional items are an effective solution.