Promotional Pullovers Guide: Styles, Popularity and Strategies

In the world of promotional apparel, you generally find a few specific categories of clothing and accessories. The humble t-shirt is everywhere, of course, as a cheap, useful, effective, and easily branded option. Hats are a common choice as well, offering some utility and a long-lived lifespan to rep your brand.

A less common but no less valuable option is the pullover. What are promotional pullovers, and how can you use them for effective brand marketing? Let's talk about it!

What are Promotional Pullovers?

Promotional pullovers are pullovers that are promotional in nature. Easy, right?

A pullover is a hoodie, or hooded sweatshirt, usually made to be relatively loose and baggy for its size so it can fit anyone. They generally have hoods sewn as part of them, with pull cords to tighten them around the face to keep the wearer warmer in a cold environment. Some may have a small zipper or even a button for the collar, to allow them to be looser when wearing them and to add some comfort to the apparel.

There are a few variations on the promotional pullover, too. Some aren't hoodies at all! When a pullover lacks a hood, it can be a bit smoother cut and a little more generally useful, especially for people who don't like the hooded sweatshirt look. Another variation is the sweater, which is usually a tighter weave meant to trap warmth. Sweaters are often knit and occasionally harder to add branding to, so the majority of the time, a promotional pullover is going to be some form of sweatshirt.

The main quality of a pullover, though, is that it requires just that: pulling over. A pullover, regardless of weight or material, doesn't have a front zipper or other connector that can be undone all the way down. If it's a zip-up hoodie, then it's not a pullover.

If you're interested in taking a look at the options available to you, we have a dozen different styles, weights, and types of sweatshirts, including both zip-ups and pullovers, available in our store. Check them out!

Are There Different Styles of Promotional Pullovers?

Certainly!

First of all, you have the basic pullover hoodie. These are the simplest possible design; they're a long-sleeved hoodie, usually a medium to heavy weight, with elastic at the cuffs and the waist. They have simple hoods with drawstrings to pull them tighter, and they generally have a "kangaroo pocket" across the front, which serves as a single pocket with two access points as opposed to two separate pockets.

Fitted hoodies are similar but have three key differences. The first is that they're much more tightly sewn, so they're designed to be snug to the body. They tend to look better for this reason, but if a person isn't the right size for the hoodie, it can be uncomfortable. They also don't tend to have elastic around the cuffs and frequently don't have pockets because they're meant to be slimmer and more flattering. Finally, they're generally lighter weight because they don't have as much room to save air and warmth, so they're less of a cold-weather option.

Fitted hoodies are less commonly seen as promotional items just because it's so much harder to make sure you have an appropriate size for the people who attend. With a baggy standard pullover, you don't have to worry as much about getting the right size.

There are also textural and design styles to consider.

• Color block hoodies are two or three-tone hoodies. They might have a block of color from mid-chest up, one from mid-chest down, and possibly another for the sleeves. They're more complex to create and are more expensive, but they're more fashionable and can better fit your brand.
• Raglans are a two-tone style. The raglan style is a distinct two-color block style with one color for the torso and another that encompasses the shoulders and arms. The difference in design makes them fit differently, and some people prefer one style over the other. Usually they are contrasting colors, but sometimes they can be the same color and use seams as accents.
• Cropped and cut hoodies are a relatively rare fashion choice. There are cutoff hoodies, which have the hood but lack the sleeves. They're generally lighter weight and meant more for active fashion than for utility. Cropped hoodies, meanwhile, are hoodies where the lower hem is cropped high to show the stomach. They're almost universally female and are rare to find as promotional items.
• Knitted hoodies are a sort of retro-throwback hoodie made with a knitted fabric that is more reminiscent of a sweater than a traditional hoodie. They're available in all sorts of styles, weights, and designs but are usually harder to brand because a knitted fabric is harder to print on.
• There are also a variety of more exotic cuts. Tunic hoodies drape way lower than normal hoodies, and are meant to hang below the hips instead of around the waist. Asymmetrical hoodies are a style choice and have an off-cut hem for fashion reasons. Baja hoodies are a Mexican staple and are made of a unique fabric and style.

All of these different styles and textures are broadly available, but relatively few of them are commonly used as branded hoodies, either because of the expense, the difficulty in adding branding to them, or because of how difficult it is to get the sizing right for an unknown audience.

Some kinds of pullovers have additional features sewn into them, though the popularity of these features comes and goes. Some, for example, feature reinforced holes in the pockets where a set of wired headphones can be run through, so you can listen to music or other audio while keeping your phone or other device in your pocket and not having wires dangling free. These were very popular in the era of MP3 players and wired headphones but are less popular now that Bluetooth earbuds are much more common.

Are Promotional Pullovers Popular?

This is a tricky question. Fashion trends come and go, after all, and the popularity of a given item can be different depending on social circle, activity level, geographic location, and much more.

Some people – often those who sell hoodies – will tell you they're timeless. The truth is, nothing is really timeless, and trends can vary from year to year.

Basic pullover hoodies can be a good option for a few reasons, though.

• They're broadly comfortable and accessible to just about everyone. A nice relaxed-fit pullover hoodie can fit just about anyone within a broad set of body types and sizes, so you don't have to worry quite as much about sizing.
• They're long-lasting. While printing can fade over time and with multiple washes, hoodies are long-lasting items that can be part of a recurring wardrobe for a decade or more. With your branding attached,
• They're a little more unique than the basic promotional items you see everywhere. They have the most in common with promotional jackets, but jackets offer slightly different perks. They outdo t-shirts in terms of broad utility but less in terms of daily wear. They definitely outdo things like stationary.
• They're cost-effective. While hoodies are more expensive than t-shirts and comparable apparel, they're perceived as having more value as well, so they feel more cost-effective to the recipients. They're also better for your budget than jackets and other more long-lasting apparel items.

There are, however, a few drawbacks to using hoodies as promotional items.

The first is that not everyone wears hoodies. There are definitely groups of people who feel like they aren't fashionable or don't fit their style, so they refuse to wear hoodies and don't find value in them. They might still take them as a promotional item, but they'll give them away. If that suits your branding needs, that's fine, but keep it in mind.

The other issue is that hoodies are usually a moderate or cold-weather item. You see them most in early spring, late fall, and winter, and more so in northern, cooler areas. You're not terribly likely to see as many hoodies in Texas, Florida, or SoCal as you are in Montana, Michigan, or Maine. You need to keep climate in mind, and if your recipients aren't in an area where hoodies are going to be used, they aren't a good promotional item. In those cases, you might go with something more like a towel or even an umbrella.

What Are the Best Strategies for Promotional Pullover Design?

If you want to use pullovers as a promotional item, you have to decide how you want to make them branded. Here are a few options you can consider.

The simple logo. This is your simplest option, where all you do is put a relatively small logo on the front of the hoodie, usually where a pocket on a shirt might be. It's simple, tasteful, and doesn't make the wearer feel like a walking billboard. On the other hand, it's a little more understated and might not suit your brand as well.

The back banner. This is a much more promotional design, where the back of the hoodie is emblazoned with your design, likely a larger and more elaborate version of your logo. You might include a slogan or other appealing text as well, or just compelling graphic design. The downside to this is the hood itself, which can hang over the top edge of your design, so make sure that the top edge isn't the critical element.

Sleeve designs. Another option is to go with something printed on the sleeves. Not every promotional apparel company will print on the sleeves, which makes it a more unusual style, which can stand out. You need a compelling design for the sleeves, though; text alone doesn't generally work as well. Note that some printers also allow printing on the hood as well, for added interest, but since the design will be hidden most of the time, don't make it too critical.

You can also go with one of the more exotic styles of hoodie, like the block-colored type, and accompany it with a design that speaks to the wearer. That will take more design attention, so make sure you have people with that eye for detail to help out.

How to Use Promotional Pullovers for Marketing

Once you've come up with a promotional pullover design and have had it printed and shipped to you, how do you make the best use of it as a promotional item?

You may want to consider:

• Giving them out at events. Hoodies can be a compelling item for trade shows, conventions, job fairs, and other events, though since they're relatively bulky, you might want to also include a large tote or some other way to make them easier to manage. You don't want your hoodie to be a burden on your recipients, after all.
• Using them as prizes for raffles and giveaways. Since hoodies are often perceived as being higher in value than many other promotional items, and since they're generally more useful than a lot of other items, they can make good door prizes and raffle rewards.
• Offering them in a shop. You can set up a storefront for branded items, or you can make it part of a loyalty program for employees, customers, or both.
• Offering them to influencers in exchange for promotion. Influencers wearing your hoodie as part of their fashion can be a good way to use them for advertising, and for just the cost of a hoodie, it really isn't a high bar to clear.

These ideas only scratch the surface of what you can do with hoodies as promotional items. Why not explore your options? Here at Ethix, we pride ourselves on ethically produced and sustainably made apparel, from the farms that grow the cotton to the facilities used to do the printing and everything in between. Feel free to browse our store and check out your pullover choices! You can also message us with any questions, including anything about graphics, printing, or the ethics behind our items. We'd love to chat!