Promotions are everywhere. And many of you have, no doubt, pondered from whence these innovations came. Fret no longer. This month, in honour of its 100-year anniversary, the Irving, Texas-based Promotional Products Association International unveils its choice for the top five promotional products of the century. The winners were judged the best of 33 supplier entries based on originality, quality and industry impact. Behold.

The Quikoin coin purse

Quikey Manufacturing, Akron, Ohio

First introduced in 1951, the Quikoin was designed as an ad platform that would be used frequently and seen a lot – the very definition of a promotional product. Squeeze the plastic, football-shaped purse together and it opens for coins.

The embroidered polo shirt

Vantage, Avenel, N.J.

Prior to the 1970s, the decorated wearables market was largely limited to screen-printed T-shirts. In 1977, recognizing an opportunity for an upscale alternative, Vantage introduced the embroidered polo shirt, one of the first to target the corporate market with printed wearables. Until then, embroidered or crested apparel was limited to country clubs.

The original Koozi ®

Norwood Promotional Products, Austin, Tex.

The foam insulator for cold drinks, created in the latter part of the 1970s, grew out of a genuine need in hot and muggy southern Texas summers. Its practical use, low-cost and ease of printing and shipping has made this an extremely popular product, with sales of over 200 million units.

The Press N Stick calendar

Vitronic, Wiesbaden, Germany

The calendar industry has been a vital part of promotional products since the 1800s. Most calendars were primarily for walls and desks, until the Press N Stick, which allowed for a calendar that could go anywhere – a refrigerator, a filing cabinet, the dashboard of a car… wherever it was needed.

Custom printed Post-it® Notes

3M Promotional Marketing Department, St. Paul, Minn.

The custom-printed version of this popular product was introduced in 1983. Today, they are used for a wide variety of applications, including sales call hand-outs, coupons, custom-printed forms, tradeshow giveaways, premiums, signs and direct mail inserts. The creative options are almost unlimited.