McDonald's is a brand always on the cutting edge of innovative marketing ideas. Their latest is a unique yet practical item they've developed for boosting their brand during the Northern Hemisphere summer - a custom printed smartphone speaker made out of a standard McDonald's drink tray! ... Wait, what?

Recyclable Branded Drink Trays

It seems hard to believe that something as simple as a McDonald's drink tray could turn out to have a secret hidden feature and yet that's exactly what has happened with this latest marketing drive from the burger chain. Developed alongside the University of Waterloo and design group Stacklab, the

When you first get a new car, let's face it, you're going to spend a lot of time checking out all its awesome features. Whether you're testing the speed or simply the durability of the drink holders, there's always something interesting to be found. That's why we were so shocked to see that Honda installed a super secret promotional easter egg into their latest Honda Civic sedan -- what a fantastic find!

1. Be unique and creative.
2. Know your target audience well.
3. Brand and package your gifts.

Custom Corporate Gift Hidden in Cars

The easter egg, which you can find in 2016-2017 models of the Honda Civic sedan is not the kind of thing you're

It's easy to take for granted the modern convenience of being able to listen to music, podcasts, or our favourite streaming videos through earbuds or headphones. When we're wearing these natty devices, we don't have to worry about anyone else hearing what we're listening to, which means they're extremely popular on public transport and for athletes and gamers. But when were they invented and who was responsible for coming up with such a cool design?

How Did Custom Headphones Originate?

Although we all think of promotional earbuds as thoroughly modern inventions, around since Walkmans in the 80's and Discmans in the 90's, they actually have a rather long history. During the 1850's medical

When a medical solutions company needs a revamp of their corporate look and feel, what do they do? Most organisation would go for a simple, almost sterile look in the medical industry but Vuelo (formerly Membracel) opted to go with something completely different. Along with the Centro Brasil Design agency they came up with a vibrant range of marketing merchandise that you won't forget in a hurry!

Bright Colours Equals Memorable Marketing

What immediately grabs your attention about the Vuelo rebrand is its vibrant colours. Rather than subscribe to the quiet and dour colours so prominent in their industry, they wanted bright colours that would inspire consumers to be curious and positive. The use of eye-catching purples and blues, used consistently throughout the branding,

To those who are old enough to remember Atari, the brand's name is synonymous with classic gaming. Asteroids, Centipede, Pong -- all the old school early 80's favourites were Atari titles. Although Atari are still around as a company, most people still associate them with their retro image. In conjunction with the upcoming Blade Runner 2049 film, the organisation are embracing their old school cred and uniting it with modern technology to create a branded hat worth talking about!

Branded Headwear With Inbuilt Bluetooth

Because Blade Runner 2049 is a sequel to one of the early 80's classic films, it seems quite fitting that Atari would launch these stylish

In our daily lives we see a lot of corporate logos. When we catch the train, grab a coffee, look out our window at work, or simply watch TV at night - advertising is everywhere and logos are part of our everyday experience. Although we see these memorable brands such as the Commonwealth Bank or Toblerone regularly on items like chocolate bars and promotional pens, there may well be parts of their famous logos that we don't notice at all...

1. Uncover hidden meanings in logos.
2. Logos are vital for promotion.
3. Design logos with impact and purpose.

Logos With Disguised Meanings

It's not every day that a top brand like Nike takes over uniform responsibilities for the NBA from previous supplier Adidas, but that's exactly what's just happened in the US. Such a major changing of the guard is bound to bring with it a few alerations, but it's the exact nature of these changes that has people talking.

1. Use sustainable materials for products.
2. Eco-friendly products create a positive image.
3. Promote brand while being environmentally responsible.

Eco-Friendly Nike Basketball Uniforms

While keen sports fans will notice that the cut and style of promotional

AIf you follow our blog regularly you'll know that here at Cubic Promote we love our branded sneaker collaborations. They can be a great example of co-branding done right for limited edition promotional events or anniversaries. Once again, custom sneakers deliver the goods, albeit this time these are a unique artistic customisation rather than part of a full campaign.

 Promotional Shoes With Custom Branding

Fans of early Nintendo gaming and classic Nike Air Jordan sneaker style will undoubtedly be keen to check out these shoes that manage to combine the durability of the Air Jordans with the recognisable brand colours of the NES game system (complete with "cartridges" on the tongues).

Lego is one of those brands that's been around for so long, and has established itself so well, that it's difficult to imagine a childhood without them. After all, Lego toys are in most Aussie homes and have been for generations. While the Lego brand logo is one of the most recognisable in the world right now, it actually took quite sometime to develop. Check out the unique history of this highly memorable logo below.

Lego's Promotional Branding Over The Years

While the above the current Lego logo above is probably the one freshest in our minds there have been a lot of logos come and go for the brand over the years. Interestingly when Lego first started it was a general product company making things such as ladders, chairs and children's wooden toys. The first logo off the block was a

Brands don't come much bigger than friend chicken restaurant KFC and  telecommunications manufacturer Huawei. Given the huge difference between their industries, you wouldn't normally expect to see them working together on a project. So what could possibly bring them together in 2017? Why KFC's 30th anniversary in China, that's what!

Collaborative Branding on Custom Phones

While it might seem hard to believe now, KFC was actually one of the first large western food chains to expand into China in the latest 80's. Even today, KFC enjoys higher popularity than McDonalds and similar competitors within China. That's why it seems oddly fitting that to celebrate their local anniversary, KFC would collaborate with China's own Huawei to release a custom