A US-based company committed to offering employees eco-friendly, sustainable gifts that align with their values. Their goal was to create an impactful holiday experience without resorting to the typical promotional items that often clutter the season. They wanted to provide practical, thoughtful gifts that employees could use during their holiday travels, without being overly branded.

When a US-based company came to GiftAFeeling for their employee holiday gifting, they arrived with a brief that was unusually specific — and unusually thoughtful.

They had three non-negotiables.

Made in the USA. In a season flooded with imported promotional items, they wanted to give something local. Products manufactured on home soil, supporting American makers and American standards.

Genuinely sustainable. Not greenwashed, not just recyclable packaging with a badge on it; but real material choices, certified credentials, and a kit that aligned with the values the company actually holds.

Built for the journey, not the desk. Most of their employees travel over the holidays - flights home, layovers, family visits across the country. The gift needed to be useful in transit, not just pretty under a tree.

108 kits. Shipped individually to employee addresses across the United States. And the branding? Quietly placed on the back of each product. present, but never the point. The theme was winter. The feeling was warmth.

TSSL (The Shared Secrets Lab) recommended a carefully curated holiday gift kit that would be practical for travel, functional, and completely in line with the company’s eco-friendly goals. The kit was designed to include locally made items, using sustainable materials and a clean, winter-themed design to avoid the typical “corporate feel.”

• The Travel Essentials Trio: We included Wellable™ Noise Reducing Ear Plugs (made from 100% recycled ABS) for quiet transit, a FSC-certified bamboo phone/iPad stand for hands-free entertainment during long flights, and a natural sustainable tote for easy-access storage.
• The "Winter-First" Aesthetic: To ensure the gifts felt personal rather than corporate, the theme was centered on "Winter Magic" rather than "Holiday Branding."
• The "Hidden Logo" Approach: Following our successful branding strategy, the company logo was moved to the back or underside of products. This shift transformed the items from "company swag" into "personal gear" that employees would proudly use in public.
• Eco-Infrastructure: Every touchpoint was sustainable. This included USA-made journals for note-taking and custom boxes printed with sustainable water-based inks, designed to be kept and reused as storage.

By focusing on the employee's journey rather than just the destination, the client achieved a higher level of brand affinity than previous "standard" gift years.

• Strategic Timing: 108 kits were individually shipped to home addresses, arriving just as the holiday travel rush began.
• USA-Made Integrity: By sourcing locally and focusing on FSC-certified materials, the client reinforced their brand’s commitment to sustainability without sacrificing quality.
• Utility-Driven Engagement: Employees reported using the earplugs and phone stands immediately during their holiday transit, leading to high internal social engagement within company communication channels.
• Zero-Waste Goal Met: The reusable nature of the bamboo stand and the recycled material of the earplugs ensured the program had a minimal environmental footprint.

THE IMPACT

• 108 kits delivered to individual US residences.
• 100% recycled or sustainable material composition.
• 4 travel-specific pain points solved (noise, entertainment, storage, and planning).