Promotional Merchandise: How Leading Snack Brands Work with Cubic Promote?

Walk down any supermarket aisle in Australia, and you’ll see them—bright packaging, bold flavours, and familiar logos. Twisties. Nobby’s Nuts. Heinz. Coca-Cola. Bega Cheese. What brings these brands together? They’re all clients of Cubic Promote, and we handle their needs.

Snack brands operate in a highly competitive market, striving for consumer attention, loyalty, and the critical moment of product selection. Before exploring specific examples, it’s worth highlighting an important trend seen across the work with leading brands. Leading snack companies extend their marketing beyond the supermarket shelf by offering merchandise that people keep, use, and often collect.

Cubic Promote has partnered with major food and beverage brands to develop promotional products that achieve this goal. Each project addressed unique objectives and audiences, but the core principle remained consistent: Make the brand tangible.

The following examples illustrate how well-known snack brands have used promotional merchandise to create memorable brand experiences and reinforce their identities.

When Bega Cheese Turned a Promotional Product into a Hosting Experience

Bega Cheese is synonymous with heritage. Established in 1899, Bega Cheese has built its reputation on quality Australian dairy. When the marketing team considered promotional merchandise, they asked: What product actually reflects the brand?

A generic plastic giveaway would not suffice. Instead, the team selected beautifully crafted bamboo cheese boards, a fitting choice for a cheese brand. Each custom board was engraved with the Bega logo and the historic “Since 1899” branding. Rather than mass-market giveaways, these items were presented to key retail partners, hospitality contacts, and corporate stakeholders during meetings and events.

The value of this item lay in its relevance to the brand. Every time recipients hosted, served cheese, or assembled a platter, the Bega brand was present. For a detailed overview of this project, please refer to the full case study here: Bega Cheese Case Study

Often, the most effective promotional product is one that aligns naturally with the brand.

Coca-Cola and the Power of Practical Merchandise

Coca-Cola doesn’t need brand recognition. What it does need — like any global brand — is continued engagement with partners, distributors, and stakeholders. For this campaign, the goal was straightforward: create something practical, durable, and aligned with modern sustainability expectations.

The solution was stainless steel insulated drink bottles. These bottles kept beverages cold for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 12. They featured Coca-Cola branding and were distributed to partners, event sponsors, and business contacts.

Why did they work so well? Because people actually use drink bottles. Drink bottles sit on desks, travel to meetings, and appear in gym bags. Each use quietly reinforces the brand without overt advertising.

You can explore the full project here: Coca-Cola Case Study

After decades in promotional marketing, we’ve learned one key lesson: Practical items almost always work better than novelty ones.

Nobby’s Nuts: When Merchandise Becomes Part of the Brand Personality

Some brands are serious. Nobby’s Nuts delivers its message with a playful and cheeky approach. If you know the brand, you know the unmistakably Australian, playful, and cheeky tone. Their marketing always leans into humour and personality. So when the team began exploring promotional merchandise, the products needed to reflect that same energy.

The brainstorming process produced a range of items, including bucket hats, drink coasters, bottle openers, and aprons. The apron quickly became the standout. Bold graphics. A cheeky tone. And something that made sense in social settings where people actually eat snacks — barbecues, pubs, and casual gatherings.

The result was promotional merchandise that didn’t feel corporate. It felt like an extension of the brand itself. If you’re curious about how the campaign came together, the full case study is available here: Nobby’s Nuts Case Study

Good merchandise doesn’t just show a logo. It carries the brand personality.

Twisties and the Challenge of a Tight Deadline

Marketing campaigns rarely run on comfortable timelines. When Twisties came to Cubic Promote, their request was clear: create custom merchandise for an upcoming event, and do it fast. The chosen product? Custom promotional socks.

Now, socks might seem like an unusual promotional item. But in recent years, they’ve become incredibly popular because they blend creativity with practicality. For this project, the Twisties marketing team collaborated on two bold sock designs featuring edge-to-edge colour printing. The socks were packaged with custom tags and retail-ready presentation, turning them into collectible merchandise rather than simple giveaways.

And the timeline? Just about one month from concept to delivery. Despite the tight schedule, the products were completed and delivered ahead of the event deadline. You can read the full story behind the project here: Twisties Case Study

Sometimes the most memorable merchandise comes from campaigns where speed matters just as much as creativity.

Heinz: A Brand That Understands Everyday Visibility

Heinz is another global brand that understands something many companies overlook. Brand visibility doesn’t always happen in big advertising moments. Sometimes it happens in everyday routines.

In kitchens, offices, or events, the right promotional product keeps a brand present in small, repeated ways. These moments build familiarity and trust over time. That’s the quiet power of promotion. Unlike digital ads that vanish after a click, physical products remain in people’s lives for months or even years. months or even years.

What All These Snack Brands Have in Common?

Looking across these projects, the main lesson stands out: successful promotional merchandise reflects each brand’s identity and purpose while engaging the audience in memorable ways.

Each brand approached promotional merchandise differently.

• Bega focused on heritage and hospitality.
• Coca-Cola prioritised practicality and sustainability.
• Nobby’s leaned into humour and personality.
• Twisties created something fun and event-ready.

But they all shared one important idea: Authenticity is key—promotional products are most effective when they truly reflect the brand.

• A cheese company gives out cheese boards.
• A playful snack brand creates humorous merchandise.
• A beverage company distributes drinkware that people use daily.

When the product matches the brand story, promotional marketing becomes effortless and memorable—a key takeaway for any brand considering merchandise.

Why Promotional Merchandise Still Works in a Digital World?

It’s easy to assume digital marketing dominates everything. But physical promotional products have a big advantage: they create a lasting connection with people outside of digital spaces. They live in the real world.

• A branded bottle on a desk.
• A pair of socks worn to an event.
• A cheeseboard is used at dinner with friends.

These items reinforce a brand again and again without interrupting anyone’s day. That’s the difference between what marketers notice and what people actually use in daily life. For brands, keeping this in mind is vital: staying top of mind after the campaign ends requires memorable, relevant merchandise.

Interested in More Client Campaigns?

If you’re curious about how different companies use promotional products in real marketing campaigns, you can explore more detailed examples in our full case studies section.

Each case highlights one main point: brands use custom merchandise to create practical and memorable connections with their audience. Want us to create memorable merchandise and apparel for your next campaign? Reach out to us today on: 1300 858 288 (Within Australia)