Product Award Winners in Focus: Bags and Apparel
The apparel category for the BPMA Product Awards is always a hotly contested one; the apparel sector has come on leaps and bounds in recent years with major players in the market. Innovative production techniques and sustainable offerings have impressed the industry together with the traditional and loved staples which form the foundation of many orders.
As our sustainable tastes and desire to understand our supply chains increases, the Product Award winners demonstrate the leaders in their product categories have been hard at work developing the goods that matter.
This year’s BPMA Product of the Year categories for apparel and bags didn’t disappoint. In the apparel category, the Silver Apparel Product of the Year was bagged by PromoCollection’s Full Size Sublimation Bucket Hat. A fun and versatile product with fully customisable print, this was a popular choice for festival branding and outdoor sports.
Like many entrants to this category, the next category winners were represented by robust and stylish jackets. The Hiker Jacket from United Brands of Scandinavia was a perfect example of a high quality shell jacket with all the superb functions we expect from this supplier who took the Gold Apparel Product of the Year. With all the features you’d expect, the Hiker Jacket also features zipper pullers in contrasting colour and it is possible to add zip pullers in other colours matching the company logo.With great sustainable touches such as its compostable polybag, judges praised the function and form of this promotional staple.
The Platinum Product of the Year was hands down the Rab Downpour Eco Waterproof Promotional Jacket from The Outdoors Company. With a key component to be the ability to brand, this high spec jacket boasted a sustainable menu of features to impress. Built from recycled 2.5-layer Pertex® Revolve fabric with a fluorocarbon-free DWR treatment, the Rab Downpour Eco Jacket is Rab’s first ever mono-polymer waterproof jacket. Using polyester outer and membrane, in addition to being 100% recycled, the jacket has the potential to be fully recycled once the jacket has reached its ‘end of life’. The Rab Eco is availabel in an array of corporate colours making it an excellent, sustainably made piece to co-brand.
The Bag & Folder categories also presented some fantastic product ranges, finishes and options. Judges for the Product Awards awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ for Oldeani’s Shield rPET Laptop Bag; made of recycled bottles for a durable and attractive finish.
The Silver Bag & Folder Product of the Year came from multiple award winners, Juniper with their Como recycled PET Folder and Binder Range. These high-quality range of folders and binders are made from recycled material; cover material and inner pockets are COMO rPET made from recycled plastic bottles. The linings are made from rPET polyester (again recycled). Recycled board is then used and the padding switched from pvc foam to an organic cellulose cloth. The writing pads are also made from recycled paper.
Samedaybags.com scooped the Gold Bag & Folder Product of the Year with their Salvage Recycled Shopper Tote Bag, which takes waste to inspirational style. This soft feel tote bag is made from 100% recycled materials featuring a T gusset and twill effect to the fabric face.
The Platinum Bag & Folder Product of the Year winner came from another multiple winner, JuteBag with the Ninga Recycled rPET Recron® GreenGold Tote Bag. This trailblazing bag was loved by the judging panel who applauded the credentials of this latest star from JuteBag. Ninga Recycled PET Recron® GreenGold Tote Bag is made from 100% recycled plastic water bottles. A stylish, robust and eco-friendly shopper, each bag is embedded with tracer technology for forward and backward traceability, providing full product transparency. The Ninga has an extensive list of eco-credentials that sets it apart from standard rPET bags. Plastic bottles are shredded, transformed into yarn and woven into beautiful and versatile tote bags.
