👋 Welcome back to This Week in Print-on-Demand, Episode #61. This week, we’re digging into smarter gifting, better experiences, and why letting people choose almost always leads to a win. From behind-the-scenes moments to real-world swag stories, we’re sharing what’s influencing how teams recognize, reward, and connect today.

NEWS & NUGGETS: A DASH OF INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

 🦝 Raccoon Merch: A tipsy raccoon that broke into a Virginia liquor store became an unlikely fundraising star. After the boozy bandit’s viral fame, a local shelter launched “Trashed Panda” merch, including T-shirts, hoodies, stickers, & tumblers featuring the drunken critter. The result? Over $250,000 raised in days for the shelter’s animals. This is the power or merch. Source.

🎬 Chalamet’s Jacket Steals Spotlight: Timothée Chalamet’s upcoming film Marty Supreme doesn’t premiere until Christmas, but its $250 limited-edition windbreaker is already a blockbuster. Celebs from Kylie Jenner to Bill Nye (yes, the Science Guy) have been spotted in the retro-style jacket. The jackets – designed by streetwear guru Doni Nahmias – sold out in 15 minutes. Source.

😮‍💨 Burnout Breeds Turnover: Employee burnout remains alarmingly high as we wrap 2025: 55% of U.S. workers say they’re burned out right now. Why does that matter for retention? Burned-out employees are nearly 3× more likely to plan a jump to a new job in the next year. It’s a flashing neon sign for employers – invest in easing workloads and supporting wellbeing, or risk a post-holiday turnover wave. Source.

🤖 Coke’s AI Holiday Ads: Coca-Cola put a high-tech twist on its iconic holiday marketing, and the internet is… conflicted. The brand’s new AI-generated Christmas ads reimagine its classic seasonal scenes using generative tech. Love it or hate it, Coke’s pressing on with the global “Refresh Your Holidays” campaign – a bold experiment blending Santa vibes with sci-fi flavor. Source.

🤯 Oxford > Aztecs: Oxford University (est. teaching in 1096) is actually older than the Aztec Empire. Yep, the famed university was already cranking out scholars for over 300 years before the Aztecs founded Tenochtitlán in the 1400s. It’s a wild reminder that timelines aren’t as intuitive as they seem. Source.

 🎉 Giveaway Winner Alert: Shoutout to the winner from last week: Mary Colley & Beth Falkenstein, who each scored either a Set of Old Fashioned Whiskey Glasses or the Eco-Deluxe Tech Case by participating in our weekly giveaway. We’ve got another giveaway waiting for you below.

BEHIND THE SCENES

👕 The Power of Swag @ Printing United in Orlando

In this 30-minute clip from a Printing United event, Ross breaks down why the future of corporate swag is surprisingly simple: build a company store, skip the inventory, and let people choose what they actually want.

He explains how the old way can take 20–40 hours of back-and-forth for a single order, while an on-demand store turns the entire experience into a five-minute “add to cart” moment.

If you work in swag or want to understand how the industry is evolving, this 30-minute video is well worth your time.

Better swag isn’t about sending more. It’s about sending smarter.

WEEKLY POLL + GIVEAWAY

🚨Giveaway Alert: BlueSEQUOIA - Wireless Speaker and Charging Station

Ready to pump up the jams and juice up your phone at the same time? This sleek gadget does both, making it the MVP of any desk setup.

Details:

• Several lucky readers will score a BlueSEQUOIA 2-in-1 speaker/charger, custom-branded with their company logo

• Winners will be announced in next week’s newsletter

👉 To enter, recommend your favorite holiday movie or tell us the one you never skip this season. 

📖 What’s on Our Community’s Reading List

Thank you to everyone who shared their recommendations. Here’s what our community sent to read:

• Isles of the Emerdark

• Tools of Titans

• Dungeon Crawler Carl ⭐ (recommended by multiple readers)

• Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

• When the Moon Hatched

• Harry Potter Series

• Assistant to the Villain

• The Creative Act

• Raving Fans

• Anything by Michael Lewis

And a big thank you to everyone who shared kind words about the newsletter. We genuinely love hearing from our readers and knowing what’s resonating. Don’t be a stranger. Reach out anytime with your thoughts, ideas, or things you’d love to see us cover.

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT

🤝 Meet Oil Changers

Meet Oil Changers, the drive-thru oil change pros who turned car maintenance into a genuinely good experience. Since 1984, they’ve been perfecting the art of the 10-minute oil change, pairing speed and precision with friendly service that lets customers stay comfortably in their cars. It is fast, efficient, and surprisingly enjoyable, especially when a complimentary soda shows up while the techs handle the rest.

Headquartered in California with locations well beyond the West Coast, Oil Changers has built a loyal following by treating hospitality as a core brand value, not an afterthought. They have even expanded that same energy into their sister brand, The Wash Shop, a bright, bubbly car wash concept built around suds, sunshine, and feel-good vibes. From service lanes to branded swag, everything they do reinforces one idea: car care can be quick, welcoming, and fun.

📣 Our Collaboration

This year, Oil Changers wanted to treat their employees without the usual holiday headache. (No more giant spreadsheet of who gets a jacket vs. a mug, thank you very much.) So we built them a custom Holiday Swag Store for their team. Employees received a special link to the website and – voilà – they could pick out their own gift from a curated selection of branded merch! From cozy beanies and jackets featuring the Oil Changers logo to cute Wash Shop accessories with that new bubbly branding, there was something for everyone. The best part? Each employee got exactly what they wanted, in the right size, delivered straight to their door, with zero logistical stress on management. Brand Sauce handled the design, the sourcing, and the fulfillment so Oil Changers’ leadership could focus on what matters: spreading cheer.

🤝 Connect With Oil Changers

Shoot me a note at [email protected] to get connected with the team.

WEEKEND UPDATE

Around the Water Cooler With Ross AKA The P.O.D. Guy

If you follow me on LinkedIn or Instagram, you know that last weekend I took my son Bo, who is 11, to Kansas City for his first NFL game.

Bo’s friends at school love Mahomes, Kelce, and the Chiefs. I think it is because the Chiefs were always in the Super Bowl when the kids were younger, and because they have a great team in Madden, which clearly matters at that age.

Bo also knows I am from Minnesota and cheer for Minnesota teams. Being the contrarian that he is, and fully aware he can get a rise out of me, he cheers for almost any team except mine.

Earlier this summer, we started looking at the Chiefs' home schedule to see which game we could attend. The fall filled up quickly, and the only one that worked was a December game against the Chargers.

At some point in the fall, I mentioned the trip to my parents, and my dad asked if he could join us. I warned him it might be cold, but he did not hesitate. He did not want to miss it.

I knew there was a chance it would be cold. I never imagined it would be twenty degrees. For some people, that is not a big deal. For two boys from San Diego, it felt arctic. We layered up, filled our pockets with hand warmers, and still had the best time.

We flew out Saturday, checked into the hotel, we bought some Chiefs gear, and then took Bo to an activity center with mini golf, bowling, laser tag, go karts, and an arcade. Everything he loves in one place.

It is not my dad’s ideal Saturday night. Those places are loud. But he was a trooper. Watching the joy on Bo’s face for three straight hours made it all worth it.

Sunday morning, we went to the gym, had breakfast, and headed to the game.

The outcome was not what anyone hoped for. The Chiefs blew a ten-point lead, their quarterback tore his ACL, and the loss ended their playoff chances.

But none of that really mattered.

Bo will remember his first NFL game for the rest of his life. His favorite moment was when the entire stadium chanted Refs, you suck in unison. That sound, that energy, and that shared experience are things you cannot recreate.

After the game, we went back to the hotel for the jacuzzi and then headed to a sports bar for dinner and more football. The Vikings beat the Cowboys on Sunday night, and Bo casually mentioned that maybe next year we will go to Dallas for a game.

I do not know if this will become a yearly tradition.

What I do know is that this weekend was special.

I know how fortunate I am to be able to take a trip like this with my son and my dad. For any parents reading this, I know how hard it can be to slow down and make the time, but I cannot recommend it enough. A one-on-one trip with your child creates space for connection in ways that everyday life rarely allows. If you can include a grandparent, it makes it even more meaningful.

The memories, the bonding, and the laughter are what stay with us. That is what life is really about.

Happy Holidays to all of you.

Be safe.

In honor of the victims of the Bondi massacre, please give your loved ones an extra hug and kiss this holiday season.

👥 Connect on Social Media

Not following Ross & Brand Sauce on social media yet? Let’s change that. Click the links below to stay connected for fresh ideas, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive updates 👇

• Ross’s LinkedIn

• BrandSauce LinkedIn

• BrandSauce YouTube Channel

• In Print on Demand | EP#60, we leaned into year-end energy with secret swag moves, resilience-fueled storytelling, and a giveaway built for both slow sippers and tech tinkerers. We spotlighted bold updates from the promo world, stirred in a little AI merch envy, and wrapped it all with insights to keep your culture sharp. It’s an episode that blends grit, gifting, and just enough weird to make your scroll worthwhile.

• In Print on Demand | EP#59, we glided into December with fresh takeaways from our latest webinar, new swag stories shaping the industry, and a winter-ready giveaway that made bundling up look good. We dug into why appreciation is becoming the new retention strategy, spotlighted trends from Boston to Pantone, and served up a few fun moments along the way. It’s an episode that warms your brain and your inbox. Consider it your weekly nudge to slow down, get cozy, and swag smarter.

• In Print on Demand | EP#58, we charged into December with a mix of promo wins, HR truth bombs, and a retail season that crossed the trillion-dollar mark. We unpacked burnout trends, highlighted smart swag plays, and kept things festive with a holiday fun fact or two. It’s an episode that’ll spark ideas, lift moods, and maybe convince you to finally embrace that cozy office blanket.

• In Print on Demand | EP#57, we brought the holiday heat with burnout-busting HR tips, promo trends that prove swag still reigns, and a peek inside our Brand Sauce Holiday Deck (yes, pet swag too). Plus, the Ducks showed us how merch becomes movement. It's an episode that’ll recharge your strategy and your spirit. Maybe hum “Jingle Bells” into your next team meeting.

THAT’S A WRAP

That’s a wrap on Episode #61. From smarter gifting strategies to real examples of swag done right, we hope this week sparked a few ideas you can actually use. If you’re thinking about launching a company store, upgrading your employee gifting, or just want to chat merch, our inbox is always open.

Until next time, stay saucy! 👋

– Ross & the Brand Sauce Team

© 2025 On Demand Global, LLC, DBA Brand Sauce