DNC-BoothPromotional products have a long history in political campaigns and party conventions, and they were on full display last week in Cleveland, Ohio, during the Republican National Convention. This week, attention turned to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the Democratic National Convention and the promotional products followed.

In March, PPB Newslink spoke with distributor Impact Dimensions, LLC (UPIC: IMPA0005), after it was selected by the Philadelphia 2016 Host Committee for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) as its official merchandise provider and manager. In the intervening months, the Philadelphia-based company has designed and manufactured products, launched an online store and established retail locations both within and around the convention site, and at affiliated events.

The brick-and-mortar and online stores Impact Dimensions established offer apparel, buttons, drinkware and other accessories, featuring the Host Committee’s logo and designs from seven Pennsylvania artists, six of which are based in Philadelphia.

“A challenge of working with the Host Committee was that we were limited to using its logo,” says Norbert McGettigan, Jr., chief operating officer of Impact Dimensions. “That challenge turned into a huge opportunity because it encouraged us to work with seven local artists who each developed their own interpretations of convention imagery. We ended up with a robust variety of merchandise that appeals to a broader market. We were so happy to provide local artists with the opportunity to share their creative work with a national and international audience.”

Impact Dimensions and the Host Committee were only one part of a diverse tapestry of promotional products on-hand in Philadelphia. The Clinton campaign, the Democratic Party and numerous other groups brought products to the event as well.

As seen in Cleveland, certain groups, including media members and convention delegates, have been targeted with gift bags and other products. Journalists, when picking up their media credentials, received bags emblazoned with “Philadelphia 2016: Let’s Make History Again” and featuring a selection of branded items, including refrigerator magnets, a coffee cup and water bottle, luggage tags, lapel pins, city guides and more. Convention delegates received a bag with a range of products including notepads, antibacterial spray, pedometers and a DVD of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II.