And that's a wrap: Standout projects from 2025

Year after year our team is met with these amazing projects that continue to exceed expectations and bring new meaning to what the promotional industry is capable of. This year was nothing short of that. Each person on our team played a role in achieving success within these collaborations that ultimately made them stand out. Whether that be through strategy, design, or intentionality, these projects had a bit of each.

Read below our team's standout projects from 2025 and what made them so meaningful.

Grand Rapids Public Library: Keychains

Reading is fun! And combining it with engaging merchandise? Even better.

In preparation for Library Card Signup Month (September), the team at Grand Rapids Public Library (GRPL) collaborated with Green Giftz to deliver a simple, yet engaging, incentive for signing up for a library card... and people were OBSESSED. These keychains took over social media and had everyone showing off their new branded swag. With playful sayings and clever marketing, the team at GRPL had over 2,000 signups (way to go!). This was such a fun way to elevate a low-cost item into a strategically driven impact.

KELLY BROWN

Director of Marketing & Operations

"I love being able to combine my love for reading and branded merchandise by supporting the Grand Rapids Public Library with its initiatives. The Summer Reading Prize is a gift that is given to folks who participate in their annual summer reading program. The keychains were part of a larger initiative during September, which is Library Card Sign-Up Month, to encourage people to sign up for library cards. The team at GRPL does a great job using their brand standards while incorporating playful sayings and designs, which elevates a simple (and low-cost) item into a keepsake & collectable giveaway!"

EMMA CREVIER

Project Coordinator

"One of my favorite projects this year was the keychains for GRPL! It was so fun to see the designs come to life, and even more fun to run into friends who already had one or were hoping to get one. They were simple and cost-effective, yet the designs made them genuinely covetable. The merch offered a simple, tangible way for patrons to buy into the brand and proudly share their love for the library. These are the kinds of projects I love bringing to life at Green Gifts. When our partners know who they are and invite their audience to connect through bold, intentional branding, they’re able to tell a story that speaks volumes."

Grand Valley State University: Holiday Gift Set

Looking ahead towards the holiday season, Grand Valley State University's (GVSU) President, Philomena Mantella, set out to strategically plan an intentional gifting experience. When it was decided that she'd look to alumni-owned businesses to include in her gift, we were beyond thrilled that she turned to Green Giftz. With this opportunity, we thoughtfully curated a set of playing cards that allowed for 52 ways GVSU could share its story.

In 35 years of curating intentional, branded merchandise gifts, the lower budget items can be the more challenging ones to bring in usefulness, storytelling, meaning, and the wow-factor. In the case of the playing cards, we achieved all of that. Through applying unique graphics, engaging statistics, and powerful collaboration, we were able to elevate the overall gifting experience.

KAREN SCARPINO

CEO & Owner

"When you add the fact that GVSU’s President, Philomena Mantella, intentionally included this item along with items from two other GVSU alumni-owned businesses, in her own holiday gift box experience, we are beyond grateful. She featured all three alumni businesses (Mosby's, Long Road Distillers, and Green Giftz) by sharing our stories, logos, and QR codes to encourage recipients to support us. With most of the Green Giftz team being GVSU alumni, this project is something we can all be proud of. It checked every box, thoughtful, community-centered, beautifully executed, and deeply aligned with who we are."

ELGi: Distributor Kits

While having already done New Hire Kits with ELGi, they were looking to extend the same concept to their Distributors as they onboarded. This process took almost a full year to come full circle. From initiation, product storyboards, budget approval, production, kitting, and more! Green Giftz worked with ELGi through each step and looked closely at every detail to ensure every component are aligned with the ELGi brand help them connect with the new distributors. The kits were geared with an ELGi branded banner, Carhartt hats, Yetis, Leatherman tools, journals, pens, etc. All which are prepped to be used at the Distributors discretion

to create brand awareness and excitement.

LINDSAY VAN WIEREN

Senior Project Manager

"Initiating & kicking off this program with a client to cohesively customize & kit all components while managing different level tiers & budgets. This project was a favorite of mine because it constantly kept me on my toes. After working through ideation & revisions/approvals, it's always fun to see a project come full circle!" 

Green Giftz: 35 Anniversary

Our 35th anniversary has allowed us the opportunity to reflect on our success, but most importantly... CELEBRATE! In more ways than one, we have seen our team come together to cheer and work towards such an incredible milestone. Though, in Green Giftz fashion, it wouldn't be a celebration if branded merchandise wasn't involved. Our Senior Graphic Designer, Casey, took on the branding of this project and designed all key touchpoints that perfectly encapsulated the achievement. By developing the campaign logo, colors, and products to overseeing the execution on an event level, she truly saw beyond every detail and turned it into something we can all be proud of and celebrate.

CASEY COCHRAN

Senior Graphic Designer

"This year's standout project for me was our very own Green Giftz 35 anniversary celebration! It was so much fun paying homage to the original Promotional Impact logo and mixing things up with some purple, yellow, and a vibe inspired by the overlapping 80's - 90's era it was born in. Here's to 35 years!"

MARCO: Event e-Store

When creativity, strategy, and intention align, you can rethink a simple branded touchpoint and make it into an overall experience.

This e-Store was used as a 'Thank you Gift' for people who stopped by the Marco booth at an industry tradeshow. Typically, at tradeshows, vendors will hand out small giveaways however what often happens is that they get left behind because the recipient has no room to pack them. By setting up an e-Store with Green Giftz, Marco offered a unique way to thank their potential client, connect with them AGAIN after the tradeshow, as well as collect information like their email and shipping address so they could be added to future marketing efforts. PLUS, the tradeshow attendees were given the power of choice to pick a gift they loved. Their options were a Marco branded candle, blanket, or a Yeti water

bottle. There were SEVENTY redemptions placed and the Green Giftz team hand packed and shipped each item direct to their homes.

CORI McCURREN

eCommerce Program Manager

"The concept of this project reimagined just how valuable our e-Stores solutions truly are. While we can set-up an overall company e-Store and build out a cohesive brand... how cool is it to also create these unique touchpoints! Almost every tradeshow vendor will have a giveaway item but not every vendor will have a ready to go follow-up plan, with this e-Store, Marco secured both and more. Seeing this unfold in its entirety made me excited for what future e-Stores can achieve."

RAMPF: Virtual Lookbook

From concept through production, this project represents how merch is more than just your logo on a product. It's about building a brand that is recognizable and desired.

When RAMPF first met with our team, we learned their business goals, audience, and intention behind what they hoped to achieve with their program. From there, we created an intentional lookbook experience that showcased merchandise options fit to their expectations while also establishing a cohesive program. Through this collaboration, we developed a meaningful partnership that started with a brainstorm of ideas and ended with a sleek and admired program.

CASSIDY SCARPINO

New Business Development

"This project stands out to me because it shows what can happen when merchandise stops being reactive and starts being intentional. What began as simply processing orders for urgent needs turned into meaningful conversations with RAMPF about how their brand shows up across events, gifting, and internal use. Together, we identified their needs, visualized a cohesive program, and brought that strategy to life. By the end of 2025, they weren’t just ordering products; they had a branded merchandise program that truly worked together."

CHEERS TO ALL THAT 2026 MAY BRING!

Green Giftz Strategic Planning Calendar for 2026