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Rubber Cancer Bracelets

Byline: BRIAN ANDERSON

You very probably have clients or potential clients who are looking for a perfect little fund-raising item to help them raise money for whatever worthy cause they champion.

If you haven't thought of it yet, you should consider pitching them a very simple, affordable promotional product that also happens to be very trendy right now.

Judging by my e-mail, the hottest wearable out there right now is the rubber wristband, which is also known as an "awareness bracelet."

In case you've been in a cave for the past few months (possibly to avoid hearing all the paid political advertisements) you know the rubber wristband craze is the result of the wildly successful "Livestrong" rubber wristband sold for $1 apiece via the Lance Armstrong Foundation. They are meant to show support for individuals living with cancer, and proceeds from sales of the wristband go to cancer research.

Armstrong kick-started the craze by wearing the signature yellow rubber wristband, made by Nike, during his record sixth-straight victory in July's Tour de France.

I have noticed many of my friends and acquaintances wearing authentic "Livestrong" bracelets since the Tour de France, and they are still wearing them today. Wearables Business editor Jeff Rundles has worn one since early this summer. Presidential candidate John Kerry could be seen wearing one throughout the arduous campaign, and a host of other politicians, professional athletes and celebrities sporting them in photo-op after photo-op further advanced them to pop-culture status.

An Oct. 25 story on CNET News.com said the Lance Armstrong Foundation estimates it had sold 20 million of the wristbands and at that point was still selling 200,000 per day via its website.

The strong demand led to a 3-to-4-week wait for shipments of the Livestrong bracelets, which in turn led to a hot and controversial side market on e-bay (controversial because sellers were asking around $5 per bracelet, and proceeds from these resales were not going to the Lance Armstrong Foundation).

And while the yellow "Livestrong" ones are ubiquitous, I have seen in the past couple of months many people wearing other rubber wristbands that support a great many other causes. At the University of Michigan, the Wolverine football team began wearing "M GO BLUE for Mott" wristbands to raise awareness and funding for the "Champions for Children" campaign currently underway to build a new children's and women's hospital. Examples of other uses of rubber wristbands are "Give Blood" wristbands given to blood donors, "Support Our Troops" wristbands, or AIDS awareness. Still others are being offered as more traditional promotional products; for example a high school selling school name rubber bracelets, perhaps with proceeds going towards new band or team uniforms.

Rich Soergel, who runs San Diego-based Pacific Sportswear & Emblem, says average prices to the public are about $2 with a portion of the cost going to the cause. Costs for distributors ordering awareness bracelets range from 19 cents each to 69 cents each with molds at $175+. For decoration, he offers debossing (engraved style like the "Livestrong" wristbands), embossed (raised) or imprinted (up to four colors).

Soergel's company (which has a website at www.rubberwristbands.com) can Pantone match any color, and also offers 100% silicone wristbands in styles that glow, have a tie-dyed pattern, and even a style that changes color in water.

Awareness bracelets are clearly the latest example of the promotional products market reacting quickly to a fashion craze. While wearing them is a fad that will no doubt fade away significantly by 2006, they are hot, hot, hot as a promotional product right now, and I would expect them to stay that way for the next several months before falling out of favor.

Here is a list of all the industry suppliers I could round up who are offering "awareness bracelets":

AAA Line: 866-327-8378, www.aaaline.com

Avaline: 800-932-8256, www.avaline.com

Genesis: 800-454-9631, www.genesisline.com

Global Solutions: 614-235-8889, www.889globalsolutions.com

GM Marketing: 310-921-9653, www.tintown.com

Infinity Recognition: 800-893-8464, www.infinityrecognition.com

Keepers Unlimited: 713-332-7729, www.keepersunlimited.com

Pacific Sportswear & Emblem: 800-872-8778, www.rubberwristbands.com

Providence: 800-556-6860, www.providenceline.com

Webb Company: 800-999-9322, www.webbcompany.com

Brian Anderson is Senior Managing Editor of Wearables Business.

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