10 Branded Merchandise Case Studies: Real Campaigns, Strategies, and Results

Last updated: September 08, 2026

Effective branded merchandise depends on the right fit between the product, audience, brand, budget, and purpose. What works for a trade show may not work for employee onboarding, a brand launch, recruitment, or an ongoing merchandise program.

In this roundup, GiftAFeeling looks at 10 real-world branded merchandise case studies to see how organizations balanced those factors across different business needs. The examples include a merchandise program planned months ahead for a trade show expected to attract more than 130,000 attendees, a sustainable brand launch, personalized onboarding packs, international recruitment merchandise, and large-scale event distributions.

Reported outcomes include Ford distributing all 8,500 recycled bottles at the Cleveland Auto Show, an automotive company calling its custom sunglasses campaign its best bowl-game promotion in five years, and every custom pillow created for TBS's Conan O'Brien press launch being taken home by attendees.

Each case study breaks down the audience, product, objective, strategy, and result or outcome behind the merchandise program.

 

10 Branded Merchandise Case Studies

Case Study #1: How TBS Used Custom Pillows for Conan O'Brien's Show Launch

Takeaway: TBS designed merchandise that served two roles at the launch: decorating the event space and giving press attendees something they wanted to take home.

Company Overview

Company: Turner Broadcasting System (TBS)
Industry: Broadcast Media
Audience: Press
Product: Custom throw pillows
Objective: Create a memorable press-event product that reinforced Conan O'Brien's new show branding and continued beyond the event as a take-home keepsake.

Strategy: TBS created custom throw pillows in Conan's signature orange, using the slogans “Conan” and “Very Funny.” The pillows were placed throughout the lounge areas as part of the event decor, then offered to attending media as take-home merchandise.

Result: All of the custom pillows were taken home by attendees by the end of the event.

Case Study #2: How Liebherr Planned Branded Merchandise for CONEXPO-CON/AGG

Takeaway: Liebherr started planning its merchandise six months before the trade show so it could outfit its team consistently, prepare enough products for a large audience, and better manage costs.

Company Overview

Company: Liebherr
Industry: Construction
Event: CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023
Audience: Liebherr's event team and trade show attendees
Products: Custom apparel and event merchandise
Objective: Create a coordinated trade show presence with consistent team apparel and sufficient merchandise for a large-scale event.

Strategy: With more than 130,000 attendees expected, Liebherr began sourcing approximately six months before the event. The program included branded apparel for its team as well as merchandise for the show. Some items were sourced internationally to help control costs while maintaining the quantity needed for a high-traffic event.

Outcome: Liebherr had its team apparel and event merchandise ready in time for the trade show, while early planning helped keep costs under control.

Case Study #3: How Tirlán Built Sustainable Merchandise Around Its Brand Launch

Takeaway: Tirlán made sure its launch merchandise reflected the same sustainability values as its new brand.

Company Overview

Company: Tirlán
Industry: Agri-Food and Nutrition
Audience: Marketing professionals
Products: Backpacks, jackets, caps, journals, and lanyards
Objective: Deliver sustainable branded merchandise for a confidential brand launch while meeting a tight international deadline.

Strategy: Because sustainability was central to Tirlán's new brand, the merchandise program was built around eco-friendly products. Production was managed under strict confidentiality, and deliveries were coordinated across Ireland and other locations ahead of the launch.

Outcome: Tirlán launched with a coordinated merchandise range that matched its sustainability requirements, arrived on schedule across multiple locations, and remained confidential until launch.

Case Study #4: How Aptiv Created Personalized Merchandise Packs for New Hires

Takeaway: Aptiv tailored its onboarding merchandise by recipient group instead of giving every new employee the same standard welcome pack.

Company Overview

Company: Aptiv
Industry: Automotive Technology
Audience: New hires and management
Products: Notebooks, water bottles, and mugs
Objective: Create a more personalized onboarding experience across a large workforce.

Strategy: Aptiv created separate welcome packs for new hires and executives, adjusting the merchandise mix for each audience while keeping the overall program consistent.

Outcome: New employees across multiple locations received tailored branded merchandise as part of their first-day onboarding experience.

Case Study #5: How Custom Sunglasses Supported College Bowl-Game Promotions

Takeaway: The company chose sunglasses that fit the daytime games and customized them for each college, making the merchandise more relevant to fans.

Company Overview

Industry: Automotive
Event: College Bowl Games
Audience: College football fans
Product: Custom sunglasses
Objective: Increase brand visibility at college bowl games with merchandise suited to the event and its audience.

Strategy: The company customized the sunglasses for each bowl game, placing its own branding on one side and the participating college's name, mascot, and colors on the other. It distributed 5,000 pairs to early-arriving fans across four games.

Result: The company called it its best bowl-game promotion in five years. The concept was later used again for another co-branded sports campaign.

Case Study #6: How Uber Eats Used Beach Towels as Employee Merchandise

Takeaway: Uber Eats chose merchandise that fit both its Sydney employees and the local summer lifestyle, making the product feel relevant rather than generic.

Company Overview

Company: Uber Eats
Industry: Food Delivery
Audience: 300 head-office employees
Product: Custom beach towels
Objective: Give Sydney employees a branded product that suited their location and lifestyle.

Strategy: Uber Eats adapted a beach towel concept that had previously been popular with customers and created a version for its Sydney team. The towels featured food illustrations, smiley faces, and flamingos, connecting the product to both the Uber Eats brand and Australian beach culture.

Reported Result: The towels generated strong engagement among employees, and managers in the U.S. later requested them as well.

Case Study #7: How Xref Managed Recruitment Merchandise Across Four Countries

Takeaway: Xref chose practical merchandise that fit its budget and could be used across recruitment events in four countries.

Company Overview

Company: Xref
Industry: HR Technology
Audience: Recruitment-event attendees in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK
Products: Water bottles, notebooks, pens, and reusable totes
Objective: Deliver practical branded merchandise for international recruitment events within a set budget and timeline.

Strategy: Xref chose hardcover notebooks and matching pens for everyday desk use. To control costs across the larger international order, it switched from glass and metal drinkware to plastic bottles and added reusable totes as another practical item.

Outcome: Xref supplied the merchandise for recruitment events in all four countries on time and within budget.

Case Study #8: How a Social Media Team Built Sustainability Into Its Event Merchandise

Takeaway: The team chose eco-friendly merchandise that matched the event’s sustainability goals and supported its broader environmental message.

Company Overview

Industry: Social Media
Event: Team-Building and Training Event
Audience: 400 content-strategy team members
Products: Eco journals, pens, stickers, plantable bookmarks, reusable straws, and apparel
Objective: Build a locally sourced merchandise program that reflected the event's sustainability goals.

Strategy: The team chose eco-friendly merchandise and explained the environmental benefit of each item. They also added a T-shirt recycling activity so employees could actively participate in the event’s sustainability goals.

Event Result: Attendees brought more than 950 old T-shirts for recycling during the event.

Case Study #9: How Ford Distributed 8,500 Recycled Bottles at the Cleveland Auto Show

Takeaway: Ford chose an affordable recycled bottle that could be handed out at scale while reinforcing its environmental and union-made message.

Company Overview

Company: Ford
Industry: Automotive
Event: Cleveland Auto Show
Audience: Auto show attendees
Product: Reusable water bottle
Objective: Distribute affordable branded merchandise to auto show attendees while reinforcing Ford's environmental and union-manufacturing message.

Strategy: Ford selected a U.S.-made reusable bottle produced from 100% recycled materials by union workers. At approximately $0.85 per unit, the bottle could be distributed at large scale while keeping costs controlled. Its black body, red cap, and white branding also matched Ford's event advertising.

Results: Ford distributed all 8,500 bottles. The company also reported a 3% increase in sales over the following six months, which it linked to increased brand visibility alongside its other marketing.

Case Study #10: How Fourth Built a Branded Merchandise Range for Multiple Business Needs

Takeaway: Fourth created one coordinated merchandise range that could be reused across events, client interactions, internal requests, and new service launches.

Company Overview

Company: Fourth
Industry: Hospitality Software
Products: Oyster card holders, pens, notepads, mugs, thermos mugs, golf towels, and apparel
Objective: Build a consistent branded merchandise range that could support a growing variety of business activities.

Strategy: Instead, the company built a larger, organized merchandise collection that included stationery, drinkware, apparel, golf products, and other branded items. All of these products had a similar look and quality level, so they could be used consistently for different events and business purposes.

Outcome: Fourth created a consistent merchandise range that could be used for events, client meetings, internal needs, and new service launches.

What These Branded Merchandise Case Studies Show

These case studies show that effective branded merchandise is shaped by the audience, occasion, and purpose of the program, rather than by the product alone.

Across the examples, five patterns stand out:

• Relevance matters. Uber Eats chose beach towels that fit Sydney's summer lifestyle, while the bowl-game campaign used sunglasses suited to daytime sporting events.
• Planning can make large programs easier to manage. Liebherr began sourcing about six months before CONEXPO-CON/AGG to prepare merchandise for a major trade show while controlling costs.
• Different audiences may need different merchandise. Aptiv created separate onboarding packs for new hires and executives instead of using one standard pack for everyone.
• Sustainability can become part of the experience itself. One team combined eco-friendly merchandise with a T-shirt recycling activity that collected more than 950 old shirts.
• When merchandise has a clear purpose, the results speak for themselves. TBS had every Conan pillow taken home by attendees, Ford distributed all 8,500 recycled bottles, and the sunglasses campaign was described by the company as its best bowl-game promotion in five years.

FAQs

 

How far in advance should I plan branded merchandise for an event?

Lead time depends on order size, customization, sourcing, and delivery requirements. For CONEXPO-CON/AGG, Liebherr began sourcing approximately six months in advance to prepare team apparel and event merchandise for a trade show expected to attract more than 130,000 attendees while also managing costs.

How do I choose the right merchandise for different business needs?

Choose merchandise based on who will receive it, where it will be used, and what the program needs to achieve. Aptiv created different onboarding packs for new hires and executives, while Uber Eats chose beach towels that matched its Sydney employees and local summer lifestyle.

Does branded merchandise need to be expensive to be effective?

No. Ford distributed all 8,500 reusable bottles at approximately $0.85 each at the Cleveland Auto Show. Xref also controlled costs across an international recruitment program by switching from glass and metal drinkware to plastic bottles while keeping practical merchandise in its overall product mix.

Can sustainable merchandise still meet brand and business goals?

Yes. Tirlán built its launch merchandise around eco-friendly products because sustainability was central to its new brand, while still meeting confidentiality and international delivery requirements. Another team paired sustainable merchandise with a T-shirt recycling activity that collected more than 950 old shirts.

How do companies manage branded merchandise across multiple countries?

International merchandise programs require coordinated sourcing, product selection, budgeting, and delivery. Xref supplied water bottles, notebooks, pens, and reusable totes across recruitment events in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the UK, adjusting product choices to control costs while delivering the program on time and within budget.

How is the success of a branded merchandise program measured?

Success should be measured against the program's objective. Ford distributed all 8,500 bottles, an automotive company described its sunglasses campaign as its best bowl-game promotion in five years, and every custom pillow created for TBS's Conan O'Brien press launch was taken home by attendees.

Can one merchandise program support multiple business needs?

Yes. Fourth developed a coordinated merchandise range covering stationery, drinkware, apparel, golf products, and other branded items. By maintaining a consistent look and quality standard, the company could use the same broader collection for events, client meetings, internal requests, and new service launches.