Branded Items for Events as Novel Memory Markers

The way people remember brands isn’t built on repetition alone — it’s built on experiences that stand out. In today’s crowded marketing landscape, traditional ads often blend into the background. What makes a brand truly memorable is the creation of unique experiences that linger in the mind long after the event concludes.

Promotional games are an underutilized tool in this arena. They do more than entertain—they contribute to forming unique brand experiences, which in turn create novel markers in memory. By strategically leveraging games from Promotoss, brands can craft experiences that generate distinctive memory landmarks, ensuring their presence in the crystallized memory space of their audience.

1. The Science Behind Novelty, Memory, and Time Perception

Relative Perception of Time

Humans perceive time differently as we age. Childhood is full of “firsts”—the first bike ride, the first day of school, the first summer camp. At age 5, one year represents roughly 20% of a person’s lived experience, making each year feel expansive. By age 30, a year is only 3% of experience, and the brain compresses time, making it feel as though life “flies by.”

This compression is closely linked to novelty and attention. When fewer novel markers exist, the brain registers less of what happens around us, and experiences blur together. Adults often perceive time as moving quickly precisely because much of life becomes routine.

Novel Markers and Adults

Unique experiences interrupt this routine. They capture attention, create distinct memory landmarks, and expand the subjective perception of time. From a marketing perspective, forming novel markers is a win-win: adults enjoy richer, more engaging experiences, and brands secure stronger recall.

Key takeaway: Promotional games → unique experiences → novel markers. By designing memorable interactions through branded games, companies give their audience experiences that stand out, slow the subjective perception of time, and lodge the brand deeply in memory.

2. Branded Games as Unique Brand Experiences

Promotional games don’t just entertain—they engage the brain’s natural memory processes. Each game contributes to:

Sensory encoding: Colors, shapes, textures, and sounds make the experience noticeable.
Emotional encoding: Surprise, delight, or excitement strengthens memory consolidation.
Conceptual encoding: When the game reflects the brand message, participants link the experience to the brand.
Contextual cues: The setting, surrounding materials, and event context improve recall.
Repetition and familiarity: Multiple interactions reinforce memory traces.

A branded game is more than a giveaway—it becomes part of a brand story, a memorable touchpoint that people remember. Consider these examples:

Shuffleboard at a trade show: An insurance company placed a shuffleboard game in their booth. Visitors were surprised to see a leisure activity used as a marketing tool, making the brand interaction memorable.
Full-bleed can cornhole boards: The bold, immersive imprint was so novel it inspired the creation of can-shaped cornhole. The shape of the game itself became a novel marker, reinforcing the brand experience long after the event.
Other branded options like full-bleed putting mats and miniature drop-to-win games offer similarly memorable touchpoints for a variety of audiences.

3. Standing Out in a Crowded Market

Buying a game is easy, but simply owning one rarely creates unique brand experiences. Unbranded games are a huge missed opportunity. The differentiator is intentional customization:

Design, shape, imprint, or messaging specific to the brand transforms a standard game into a novel experience.
Customization strengthens brand association and improves recall because the audience links the memorable activity directly to the brand.
In a landscape saturated with marketing messages, these novel interactions ensure that the brand sticks in memory.

Popular customizable options include:

4. Beyond the Game: Creating Holistic Novelty

Novelty isn’t just in the object—it’s in the experience surrounding the game. Marketers can amplify novelty in several ways:

Altered gameplay: Customize rules or objectives to reflect the brand message.
Environment: Music, themed décor, and supporting marketing materials enrich the experience.
Unexpected settings: Playing traditionally outdoor games in offices, trade shows, or unusual venues creates a memorable contrast that heightens novelty.

Each additional layer increases the chance that the interaction will form a distinctive memory landmark, solidifying the brand’s place in the audience’s memory.

5. The Marketing ROI of Novelty

Experiences > impressions: Traditional advertising may fade quickly, but interactive play leaves lasting impressions. When participants actively engage with a branded game, the experience embeds the brand in long-term memory.
Brand crystallization: Novel experiences anchor the brand in the crystallized memory space, where long-term, stable memories reside.
Scalability: From small giveaways to fully custom game builds, Promotoss provides flexible imprinting options, enabling brands to create immersive, memorable experiences at any scale.

Conclusion

Promotional games are far more than giveaways—they are engagement engines that create unique brand experiences and form novel memory markers. For brands aiming to stand out and exist in the crystallized memory space of their audience, investing in novel, branded experiences with Promotoss games is a proven, future-proof strategy.

It’s a way to expand subjective time, capture attention, and ensure the brand is remembered long after the game ends. Whether through custom cornhole sets, branded pickleball gear, or interactive tabletop games, the potential for memorable experiences is limitless.

Ready to create a lasting impression with your brand? Request a free mockup, submit a PO, or simply contact us today and start building your unique branded game experience. Explore additional ideas and templates at Promotoss Downloads or view our full portfolio of branded games and new products.