The stress ball is one of my favorite promotional items for a lot of reasons. For one thing, if you want to express your business’s identity or show off a tagline, a stress reliever is a great option because of all the shapes, sizes, and colors you can choose from. But, perhaps even more importantly: there are so many cute animal stress balls out there! Who can resist a free promo product when it’s an adorable little animal that you can squish and play with when you’re stressed?
On that note, I bring you my list of the top ten cutest animal stress relievers:
10. Goldfish
Bright colors, a swishy tail, and memories of winning one of these fellas from a ring toss at the local fairgrounds. What’s not to love?
Great for: pet shops, swimming facilities, and carnival-themed promotions.
9. Hippo
This guy’s dopey smile and roly-poly body make him simply adorable.
Great for: zoos, wildlife foundations, and the food industry (as in, hungry hungry hippos!).
8. Cow
Look at his floppy ears and that big snout! Too cute.
Great for: the beef industry, ice cream shops, and dairy farms.
7. Pig
That tiny mouth gives this pig a sweetly puzzled expression. Plus, he’s pudgy and pink.
Great for: banks, tailgating promotions (pigskins!), and county fairs.
6. Rabbit
Who doesn’t love bunnies? This one’s pink nose and soft smile really ramp up the adorable.
Great for: springtime promotions, magic shops, and veterinary clinics.
5. Parrot
This guy just looks so happy, and his large blue eyes and colorful body give him even more charm.
Great for: travel agencies, pirate-themed promotions, and art studios.
4. Giraffe
The stubby horns, equally stubby legs, and childlike smile are what catapult this giraffe from nice to full-out cute and lovable.
Great for: safari-themed promotions, childcare centers, and conservation societies.
3. Zebra
How can you say no to a face like that? He just looks so sweet and cuddly!
Great for: nature centers, museums, and the publishing industry (black and white and read all over!).
2. Mouse
The round ears, the whiskers, the paws outstretched for a hug … have you ever seen a cuter mouse?
Great for: gourmet cheese shops, kids-themed promotions, and computer companies.
1. Turtle
Look at those giant dewy eyes! Those stumpy legs! He’s almost too adorable for words—which is why he’s my number one cutest animal stress reliever ever.
Great for: aquariums, water parks, and beach-themed promotions.
Honorable Mentions
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Plenty of cute stress balls didn’t quite make the list: the Dinosaur, Koala Bear, Bull, Sea Horse, and Squirrel Keychain are just a few of the many other lovable stress relievers you can find at QLP. And cuteness isn’t restricted to stress balls; the Mischief Monkey Bank is just as adorable as many of the other options here!
Don’t forget that any stress ball, no matter the shape or style, can be relevant to your business or event as long as you imprint the right tagline. Hippos might have nothing to do with your company, for instance, but if you want to promote a BIG sale, the hippo stress reliever or one of his many jumbo animal cousins can be clever promotional items. So don’t be afraid to bust out those thinking caps and be creative!
Do you agree with my top choices? Would you pick a different winner? Which adorable stress relievers did I miss?
Image credit to *jude*.
Article by Rachel Hamsmith
When not writing for the blog, Rachel is a data entry specialist at QLP. She spends most of her free time consuming a variety of geeky TV shows, movies, and books, as well as funny cat videos and other Internet oddities. Otherwise, she moonlights as an editor for a literary magazine and tries to spend as much quality time as she can with friends and family. You can also connect with Rachel on Google+.
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
The turtle? Really… the turtle? Not even Michelangelo, Donatello, or Raphael (TNMNT) – a freaking sea turtle?!?!
Nice list, but I think the mouse stress ball (with cheese) should have won #1, that or the tropical fish!
Aww, but the sea turtle is so adorable!!! The mouse with cheese was definitely a contender, though in the end the cheese-less mouse won me over. I also love the tropical fish–another great choice! There are just too many cute ones to choose from.
I. want. ALL. of. these!!!!!! They’re too cute, Rachel! Kudos for getting through this post without squealing loud enough for me to hear, I don’t think I could’ve done it hahaha.
I’ll have to hunt down a sample of that goldfish, he’s too cute!!!
There was definitely a lot of (inward) squeeing! The worst part was trying to narrow down the list to just ten; we have so many adorable stress balls! And I’m with you on hunting down some samples of all of these, goldfish included.
I threw up in my mouth a little bit this was so adorable. Too much sweetness! Too much I say! I think the goofy hippo might be my favorite…
I love the goofy hippo’s buck teeth.
Glad you liked the list!
I love the parrot! And oh my sweet goodness that turtle is adorable. I think I need a sample of him stat. I just feel proud to have that seahorse sitting on my desk! And Amy has the dinosaur! Also, if someone could point me in the direction of a business passing out Mischief Monkey Banks, I would appreciate it.
I love that you mentioned the with the right tagline you could apply almost any stress ball to just about any promotion. Great post, Rachel! I think there might have to be a follow up…
Yes, the turtle is almost too adorable to handle.
And the right tagline can definitely make any stress ball–or any promotional item, for that matter–appropriate for the occasion.
Thanks, Mandy! And we’ll see about a follow up…
OMFGZ! What a precious list! (Sorry, there’s nothing like cute animals to make me resort to Internet slang…)
Good call, especially on the koala stress ball, the squirrel stress keychain, and the pink piggy! That pig is my favorite one on our site…he’s so irresistibly squee-worthy.
I have a few more cuties to add to your list. You ready? I’m partial to the panda bear stress ball, the fat dog squeezie, the teddy bear stress reliever, and the Gentleman Groundhog Stress Ball (even though some people don’t find him as cute as I do).
I’m sure I’ll think of more as soon as I hit “submit.” Nice post, Rachel, and thanks for the afternoon dose of AWWW!
Aww, so many cute suggestions! I think the teddy bear is my favorite of that bunch. There are just so many adorable stress balls to choose from; narrowing the list down to ten was harder than I thought it would be! Glad you liked the list
I love your list Rachel! The goldfish is soooo freaking cute I want it so bad! I also love the zebra and parrot! But don’t forget the cutest stress reliever of all…Bubba!
Ah, you’re so right! Bubba should be on the top of every list, of course. Glad you liked the list, despite his absence from it!
SQUEEEEE! They are all so adorable, especially the turtle one!
Agreed! Also, I’ve noticed you have several of the stress balls from this list along the wall of your cube … jealous!
I think the pig won me over with his tiny anime mouth…
The pig is super adorable, especially his little mouth!
Goldfish, goldfish, goldfish!
I’ll pair it with aquarium we sell and start a collection. It’ll be adorable!
Sounds perfect! An aquarium full of cute stress ball fishies would be amazing. Let’s make this happen!
I.want.the.monkey. As always.
Of course you do, haha.
Thanks for commenting, Becky!
Love the little pig and his “Huh?!?” surprised expression on his face. Think that’s the one getting my vote, here.
The piggy is definitely adorable! His expression is the best part.
Aww, I love all of these adorable stress balls! Great picks Rachel! My favorite is the giraffe. I love that he has a smiley
on his nose!
Oh my goodness, that goldfish is so cute! How have I never seen it before?! I need one, STAT.
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