Are your car keys loaded with keychains? You might have an Eiffel Tower from your trip to Paris or a mini flashlight for finding change under your driver’s seat. No matter what your style, a keychain adds a personal touch to anybody’s daily commute or walk through the front door.
What are the different types? Why do we love them so much? It’s time to find inspiration for your next gift or advertising item!
Why Do You Need Keychains? Top
Before we get too deep into all the styles out there, it’s important to ask yourself why you need a keychain. There are many reasons why you might be looking for one.
Advertising
Businesses often print their name, contact info, and logo on keychains to bring more attention to their brand at trade shows and other promotional events.
Collector
You might have thousands of keychains stored away, each with its own unique story. There are many people who love finding new ones to add to their collection.
Gifts
Whether you’re looking for a housewarming present or something small for a graduation, a keychain is a simple gift that’s always appreciated.
Wedding Favors
Any married couple will tell you weddings can get pricey. Keychains are budget-friendly favors that remind your guests of your big day.
Souvenirs
Gift shops are one of most popular places to find keychains. They are great souvenirs for vacations and visits to theme parks and museums.
Once you know why you’re looking for a keychain, it’s easier to whittle down your choices and find the right one. There are many options out there to choose from, making it super easy to find something awesome!
What Are the Different Types of Keychains Top
It’s time to find keychain inspiration! Whether you keep yours stashed away in a shoe box or need something to advertise your business, you’ll definitely want to look into all your options.
Shaped Keychains Top
Keychains come in any shape imaginable! Think about who you are and what you want to represent when choosing a keychain. The sky’s the limit with what can be created, so if you want a keychain in the shape of your boss, favorite superhero, or next snack you definitely have that option!
A shaped keychain adds a personal touch to your keychain, whether it’s a gift for a friend or a reminder for customers to check out your business. It’s definitely worth taking the time to find the right design.
Keychain Materials Top
Keychain rings are made from metal or plastic. The charm on the ring is made from any of these materials:
- Fabric
- Hard Plastic
- Soft Plastic
- Rubber
- Crystal
- Neoprene
- Metal
- Glass
- Wood
Fabric Keychains
Whether it’s cotton, plush, or fleece, a variety of fabrics are used to make keychains like this adorable teddy bear.
Hard Plastic Keychains
Plastic is more durable and well-suited to three-dimensional shapes like the construction helmet pictured here.
Soft Plastic Keychains
Softer plastics are often used for key tags. plastic keychains are extremely easy to shape, making them a good choice for a variety of occasions.
Rubber Keychains
Rubber is similar in appearance to soft plastic, but is slightly more flexible and smooth. This type of keychain was super popular in the 90’s, especially in the shape of a #1.
Crystal Keychains
Don’t confuse this material with precious gems. Crystal, in the case of keychains, is a hard material that coats flimsier paper or cardboard.
Neoprene Keychains
Neoprene is used to make wetsuits, but you can also dive in and find keychains made from the same material!
Metal Keychains
Metal is one of the strongest materials on the planet. For that reason, metal keychains can withstand a lot of wear and tear.
Glass Keychains
If you’re not very clumsy, glass is a great option for your keychains. It’s more fragile than other materials, but results in a visually-pleasing look.
Wood Keychains
Eco-friendly organizations might like to promote their cause with wooden keychains. This is especially true if it’s been repurposed from leftover scraps.
Leather Keychains
Be fancy by putting a few leather keychains on your ring. They’re great promotional giveaways for luxury brands.
You’ll also find keychains made from foam, real gems and stones, microfiber, paper, and many other materials. It just depends on how it’s made and how it’s being used.
What Are Other Types of Keychains? Top
Wouldn’t it be cool if your keychain could do something extra? Well, you’re in luck! You’ll find keychains that feature a variety of useful essentials.
If you have a friend that’s renovating their house, you might want to offer a tape measure keychain as a housewarming gift. Do you work for a college? Branded flash drive keychains can be on sale in your bookstore.
The possibilities are endless! Keychains are portable and fun, which makes them excellent swag giveaways for a variety of events. They’re also the perfect souvenirs in gift shops!
Why Advertise With Keychains? Top
As mentioned, keychains are a great way for a business to advertise their products or services. This is true for colleges, non-profits, realtors, car dealerships, Fortune 500s, and any other organization that needs a marketing boost.
The best way to advertise with keychains is to offer something interesting. Take a look at some unique ways brands have used promotional keychains!
https://deskgram.net/explore/tags/sonicsweettea
Sonic
Sonic, a fast food chain in business since 1959, started selling $2 red tray keychains to bring in more business. Customers showed off their keychain when they visited the restaurant and got a nice discount on their beverage in exchange.
https://www.brit.co
Disney
Disney brought back the 90s with a collection of promotional gear. Aside from video tape keychains, they also offered sweaters, journals, t-shirts, clocks, and more at Disney Stores across the country!
https://ocweekly.com
Wendy’s
Wendy’s is another fast food chain to use promotional keychains. In 2015, they unveiled mini key tags that cost only $2 each and guaranteed customers free Frosties for a year!
https://www.wgrz.com
Aldi
Aldi shoppers pay a quarter for their shopping cart, which is what prompted the store to create these clever keychains. The “quarter keepers” cost 99 cents each and were only offered for a limited time.
https://www.businessinsider.com
Intel
In 1995, Intel had to recall one of their Pentium P5 chips. Rather than throw the chips in the garbage, they turned them into keychains for employees featuring an inspirational inscription from former CEO Andy Grove.
https://divisionstreetboutique.com/collections/swag
Division Street Boutique
Located in Detroit, this fashionable brand shows hometown pride with branded keychains, glassware, t-shirts, and more. These promo products help bring attention to rising artists in the Motor City.
https://www.theverge.com
Nintendo
Gamers will be overjoyed to see a playable Game Boy keychain on the market. This little gadget received crowd funding to become a reality, bringing free publicity to the Nintendo brand.
https://hypebeast.com
Atmos Labs
Fashion line Atmos Labs showed the power of a good collaboration with these eye-catching keychains. Homer, Bart, and Krusty the Clown are all characters who’ve gotten the x-ray treatment.
If you’re a business owner, it’s definitely a good idea to take inspiration from these unique giveaways. Even if you’re not, it’s still cool to think about all the fun ways brands are trying to get our attention. You might even want to add a few to your own keyring!
Why Do We Love Keychains? Top
Some people have keychains from childhood, while others are always looking for the next big thing. With that in mind, it only makes sense for you to consider keychains if you need a gift or just a cool way to advertise your business. It’s a win-win for both the people who love keychains and the companies looking to gain consumer interest.
Collecting is about keeping things that make you happy, whether they’re souvenirs, memories of fun time, or objects you treasure.
Stephanie Turnbull, author of Try This! Collecting
The Bottom Line
A good keychain should be on every set of car keys. These little items are part of big moments, whether it’s your home team becoming division champs or your company hitting it big at the trade show. No matter why you need one, you can always tell your story with the right keychain.
References
Gerson, L. (2016, June 13). How American Tourism Began. Retrieved December 17, 2018 from https://daily.jstor.org/how-tourism-began/
Sonic. (2018). The Sonic Franchise Story. Retrieved December 20, 2018, from https://sonicfranchises.com/research-sonic/the-sonic-franchise-story/
Snopes. (2018). Sonic Drive-In Red Tray Keychain Promotion. Retrieved December 20, 2018, from https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/sonic-red-tray-route-44-promotion/
Atwood, T. (2014, July 7). Fendi’s New Karl Keychain Joins These Four Ridiculously Expensive Designer Keychains. Retrieved December 20, 2018, from https://www.bustle.com/articles/30717-fendis-new-karl-keychain-joins-these-four-ridiculously-expensive-designer-keychains
Berger, S. (2018, August 6). Over $600,000 Has Been Raised on Kickstarter for Ruth Bader Ginsburg Action Figure. Retrieved December 20, 2018, from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/06/fctry-kickstarter-raises-money-for-ruth-bader-ginsburg-action-figure-.html
Fulton, W> (2016, December 1). $2 Will Get You Free Wendy’s Frostys for a Year. Retrieved December 20, 2018, from https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/wendys-frosty-deal-key-tag
Graham-Jones, L. (2018, October 17). Meet the Disney ‘90s Throwback Collection of Your Pre-Teen Dreams. Retrieved December 20, 2018, from https://www.brit.co/oh-my-disney-90s-throwback-collection/?slide=12
Division Street Boutique. (2018). About. Retrieved December 20, 2018, from https://divisionstreetboutique.com/pages/about
Patos, R. (2018, August 16). Atmos Lab & ‘The Simpsons’ Tape Secret Base on a Trio of Keychain Designs. Retrieved December 20, 2018, from https://hypebeast.com/2018/8/atmos-lab-the-simpsons-secret-base-keychains
Gartenberg, C. (2018, February 8). The Keychain Game Boy is Now a Real Crowdfunded Gadget, and I Want One. Retrieved December 20, 2018, from https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/2/8/16988482/game-boy-keychain-pocketsprite-emulator-crowdfunding
Tyko, K. (2018, July 5). New Product Alert! Aldi Shopper Won’t Want to Miss This New Limited Item. Retrieved December 20, 2018, from https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/nation-now/new-product-alert-aldi-shoppers-wont-want-to-miss-this-new-limited-item/465-7a00c059-1dc9-4b20-9639-cc0cf3298916
Villas-Boas, A. (2018, January 5). Intel Recalled a Major Chip in 1995 and Turned Them Into Keychains Inscribed by the CEO. Retrieved December 21, 2018, from https://www.businessinsider.com/intel-pentium-p5-chip-recall-1995-keychain-ceo-inscribed-2018-1
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