Branded playing cards, electronic scrolling badges, edible insignias, and logos embedded in neon serving trays and glass plates—to some this may sound rather decadent, but for event marketers it’s the latest trend.

Dubbed ‘Loco over Logo’ in “Companies Demand smart branding for their events” (Bizbash.TO, Spring, pg 5), Stacey Bernstein reports, “Competitive businesses know that like theatre, the successful launch of a new product or the announcement of a corporate IPO requires a dramatic event that captures imaginations by providing a wealth of sights and sounds, and scent, and a lot of interactivity and creative integration branding that reinforces corporate identity.”

Recently, Maytag hosted a casino-themed party to launch a new product lineup. Dealers received invitations and branded dice enclosed in tin boxes labeled ‘The Sure Thing’. Everything was branded with Maytag’s logo—from playing cards at pokers tables to each stage at the event. Some companies have even gone as far as creating giant sized edible logos. Take Porsche, for example, who created a strawberry, pineapple and blackberry emblem for the launch of the Front Street dealership of Downtown Fine Cars.

Branded LED-flashing pilsner glasses, LED ice cubes, electronic scrolling nametags, neon serving trays, and customized table food and floral applications are great ways to promote your company logo in a trendy and classy way. But do keep in mind that there are limits—you don’t want to over do it. Then again, maybe the thought of guests eating your logo off a branded plate, and then wiping their mouth using a napkin with your name on it sounds far worse than it being done.

BizBash.To offers great tips for brand exposure in events, especially when launching a new product or a corporate brand. However it is important to align the way your logo is introduced with the brand message—it takes more than branded silverware and ice-sculptured logos to create and maintain a brand’s positioning.

So what does it take? It takes Henderson Robb’s Branding process that begins with examining the brand’s environment, developing a brand strategy and identity, followed by consistent execution in all areas of marketing.

Henderson Robb utilized this process to launch CIBC Mellon. Henderson Robb developed the brand personality and campaign that included a corporate launch event, online advertising and stationary materials. Check out our CIBC Mellon Case Study.