2025 SWAG Trends by Industry: What’s In, What’s Out, and What Your Brand Needs

By Dean Schwartz (SWAG Master): The days of tossing out logo-heavy lanyards and stress balls are (thankfully) behind us. In 2025, SWAG is about emotion, immersion, and meaning. Whether you’re a luxury hotel, an up-and-coming snack brand, a nonprofit, or a booming startup, your branded merchandise should do more than promote—it should connect.

At SOBO Concepts, we specialize in designing SWAG that’s bold, beautiful, and built for impact. So what’s in, what’s out, and how can your brand stay ahead of the curve? Let’s break it down by industry below.

Hospitality & Hotels: Make It Feel Like a Getaway

🔥 What’s Hot:

• Experience-first SWAG like in-room surprises: custom puzzles, aromatherapy kits, or post-stay cocktail mixers.

• Quiet Luxury: High-end items with minimal branding—think linen robes or leather luggage tags that guests will actually use.

• Sustainability: Products made from ocean plastics or recycled hotel linens.

• Destination-Driven Storytelling: Every product tells a story tied to the property’s location.

• Multi-Sensory Unboxing: Scented packaging, soft-touch papers, or embedded audio via QR codes.

❌ What’s Not:

• Overbranded lanyards and generic tote bags.

• “Spa kits” that don’t offer a multisensory moment.

Food, Beverage & CPG: Flavor Meets Feeling

🔥 What’s Hot:

• Snackable storytelling: QR codes linking to recipes or brand stories.

• Textural play: Corduroy caps, puffy prints, raised-silicone labels.

• Playful Nostalgia: Retro lunchboxes, mini cereal boxes, and slap bracelets.

• B2B Sample Drops: Stylized “PR boxes” designed for distributor engagement.

❌ What’s Not:

• Chip clips, plastic cups, and one-note food gifts without a surprise element.

Education: SWAG That Supports Students

🔥 What’s Hot:

• Belonging-Based SWAG: Pronoun pins, cultural celebration kits, neurodiversity symbols.

• Lifestyle Packs: Dorm kits, mental health bundles, and hybrid-learning essentials.

• Productivity Tools: Desk accessories that enhance study habits and student life.

❌ What’s Not:

• Lanyards, cheap notebooks, and low-quality drawstring bags with no emotional payoff.

Tech & Startups: Human-Centric Innovation

🔥 What’s Hot:

• Wellness-Focused: Eye masks, zen gardens, and tactile fidget tools.

• Digital Crossover: NFC-embedded cards, tappable onboarding kits.

• Analog Revival: Board games, luxe journals, and collectible decks of cards.

• Color Psychology: Earth tones and moody palettes create calm, trust, and focus.

❌ What’s Not:

• USB drives, webcam covers, and tech without emotional benefit.

Events & Tradeshows: Engagement, Not Giveaways

🔥 What’s Hot:

• Interactive Swag Stations: Patch-your-own hats, sticker bars, and button booths.

• Event Continuity: Pre/post-event kits to build story arcs.

• Functional Wearables: Sling bags, collapsible visors, and sustainable accessories.

❌ What’s Not:

• Foam fingers and blinking lights.

• Flyers and catalogs that go straight to the recycling bin.

The Macro Trends You Can’t Ignore

🔥 What’s In Across All Industries:

• Minimal Branding, Maximum Feeling

• Purpose-First Design: Think sustainability, cause alignment, and community impact.

• Hyper-Personalization: Names, signs, local culture, and lifestyle.

• Bold Typography Meets Muted Tones

❌ What’s Out:

• Anything that screams “cheap promo.”

• One-size-fits-all design with zero emotional resonance.

SOBO’s Take:

You don’t need more SWAG, you need better SWAG.

At SOBO, we create high-quality, emotionally intelligent branded merchandise that people actually want to use, wear, and talk about. If your brand is ready to ditch the bland and embrace bold, we’re here to help you tell your story. .

👉 Click below to talk about your next SWAG drop.