Harry and the Potters is one band that’s definitely on top of their merch game. We’ve featured them a few times already on the blog, and each time we’re pleasantly surprised by the high-quality products they have available for their fans. Well, here’s another example of some fine music merch. This promotional foam finger is something you expect at sporting events, not concerts. It definitely adds to the party atmosphere and allows the band to stand out - at least the merch table does, anyway.

Simon dTOUR Live, which was coordinated by Simon Brand Ventures, a brand of Simon Property Group, Inc., was a series of teen targeted mall tours that ran from mid-June to August that featured both upcoming and established musical acts. Teens not only enjoyed their favorite musicians but they also could have fun participating in the various interactive events, learn about the latest technology and fashion etc. Free music promotional items were being given out by the concerts’ sponsors including ABC Family, Coca Cola, and Sprint. This concert series was definitely an awesome blend of entertainment, fashion, music, technology, and the teen lifestyle. This is unquestionably a fun promotional event from Simon Property Group.

Here’s a cool item that I’ve never seen at a merch table before: a wind-up music box! I actually haven’t seen any sort of music box in years, and figured they had gone the way of the Dodo…but apparently some modern day artists like Feist are bringing them back from the dead. I can’t say it’s not a great idea either. These inexpensive music boxes are sure to catch the eye of fans looking for something a bit more unique from their favorite artists. When it comes to promotional products, this music box is one of the coolest items I’ve seen in awhile!

There really isn’t much that can be said about Green Day. This promotional knit hat with the Green Day logo is pretty awesome though. Knit hats are a great giveaway at an outdoor concert or any promotion.

Does any one remember the band Sabbat? Until I came across this bunch of concert schwag I completely forgot about them. This collection of giveaways includes promotional t-shirts, which are always a popular concert giveaway.

Here’s an interesting piece of band merch: a promotional kazoo! Finding unique and uncommon products is a great way for bands to cook up some fan demand for merch, but I’m not sure if I want hundreds of crazy fans buzzing their imprinted kazoos during my concert. It would be interesting to hear from The Long Winters about how popular these noisemakers were.

(pic via Flickr)

A super simple and quick way to promote is to imprint your brand name on concrete. Nine Inch Nails promoted their August 27th concert at the IZOD Center doing just that.

Now don’t run off inking your brand name into the pavement. You have to get permission from the city! I would also suggest thinking about if this specific type of guerilla promotion matches your brand image and if so what kind of sidewalk ink promotion would be sustainable and influential. You would definitely have to couple this promotional tactic with a more substantial one.

For those who love Jimi Hendrix like I do, a free poster of the music legend would be a great compliment to any Hendrix collection. I am always skeptical about the text-this-get-this exchanges that companies are now implementing, but for those who have ever successfully received free merchandise from sending a text, this seems like an easy way to get complimentary products. Posters especially are one of my top promotional products picks.

In light of the ringtone generation, music companies have leveraged their artists by submerging them into the realm of mobile music. Many businesses like Jamster have become models for having an extensive collection of ringtones. Even cellular phone companies are joining in on the emergence of free ringtone offers!

Free ringtones are a great promotional idea because consumers have access to their favorite artists in order to customize their phone ringers; customizable promotional products are an awesome way to engage your target market, creating an enjoyable brand experience.

The Today Show (NBC) hosted a Miley Cyrus concert recently, giving out tons of fun free promotional products. At related outdoor concerts, you would normally see the simple t-shirt being handed out. At this particular concert, The Today Show gave out cool promotional items with a high degree of quirk; in addition to the limited edition Miley Cyrus custom t-shirts, the coordinators were giving out foam microphones, inflatable guitars, and the like. Thinking imaginatively creates very memorable experiences.

So what is the hubbub about the Jonas Brothers anyway? If you have children then you have probably heard them harp the brothers’ names, seen the band perform in concert or on television or heard a few songs blasting from the kids’ room.

American Eagle Outfitters is working with their subsidiary company, 77kids, to sponsor a “Party with the Jonas Brothers and 77kids” contest targeted towards pre-teens or any Jonas Brothers fanatics! The grand prize winner will get the royal treatment: a trip to LA for the opportunity to walk the red carpet, enjoy Jonas Brothers’ music, and hang out with the group backstage. This buzz worthy promotional contest is a great way to build positive energy around the young band.

Back in February, Pepsi launched a new promotional campaign called Pepsi Stuff, where you pretty much get free merchandise like music with your Pepsi merchandise. In the age of downloading, sampling music, and online shopping, getting complimentary music promotional items like free MP3 downloads is the ultimate incentive for customers to buy entire albums.

Check out this cool bunch of Smashing Pumpkins schwag. Posters and promotional buttons fill out the majority of this group of awesome concert giveaways.

Some friends of mine went to the Nine Inch Nails concert last night in East Rutherford, NJ. Of course front man Trent Reznor would not disappoint, and would bring tons of free concert giveaways. As the tour continues across America, I’ll be showing some more schwag from the shows. Till then, here is some fan made schwag. They look to be drawstring backpacks imprinted with a charcoal gray flag to go along with the song Survivalism.

Stay tuned for more concert schwag.

I just thought that this is an awesome piece of Foo Fighters Merchandise. This promotional jacket features the Foo Fighters logo and frankly is just a really cool high-end piece of merch that would make a great holiday gift.

Keeping with the trend of creative merch we’ve been following lately, I present to you: stuffed animal merch! A band called Angry Panda brought these cute/angry screen-printed stuffed pandas to Warped Tour. According to one band member, Angry Panda “sold a lot of dolls and made a bunch of friends.”

It’s important to note the dual purpose of band merch in this scenario. Most bands use their merchandise to raise money they can invest into their endeavors, while others simply use these products to attract people to their merch tables. Getting some face time with concert-goers gives bands a chance to do some networking with fans and industry contacts. Who knows…maybe the guy checking out your unique merch owns a label or knows one that’s looking to sign? At the very least, merch can help you meet some cool people

(photo via Flickr)

Talk about unique band merch! A popular German punk rock band called The Beatsteaks is selling logo’d lollipops at their concerts and on their website - a sweet merch idea! The Beatsteaks “b” logo appears on the surface of the raspberry lollipop in red sugar, creating truly original merch that fans are guaranteed to love. By introducing these unique products into their merch lineup, The Beaksteaks demonstrate how a little bit of creativity can create massive surges in merchandise sales. These fun, edible, and inexpensive promotions are likely to remain a Beatsteak best-seller into the future.

(photo via Flickr)

(photo via Flickr)

I’d never miss an opportunity to blog about my favorite progressive rock jam band, Umphrey’s McGee - especially when band merch is involved! I recently received this jumbo promotional sticker after purchasing a digital recording of a live show that I attended at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Looks like UM has decided to send out a sticker to everyone who buys a copy of these live recordings, and it’s certainly a good idea. Right now I’ve stuck the high-quality sticker on the bumper of my car where plenty of people can see it. A small investment for Umphrey’s, but they just gained more respect from an existing fan, and more exposure to potential fans!

The sequel to the overwhelmingly popular “Rock Band” video game has quite a surprise in store for music and merch lovers everywhere. The game allows players to create their own band, which they can customize down to the tiniest detail. The band’s name, logo, appearance, and members can all be adjusted to suit the tastes of creative rockers worldwide…but there’s a surprise for hardcore fans in the upcoming release:

Rock Band 2 plans to allow gamers to log on to the official site, where they will be able to order posters, T-shirts, and other band merch featuring the custom bands they’ve created in the game! This awesomely interactive feature is sure to send sales skyrocketing as fans rush to immortalize their digital creations with branded merchandise.