Pen friends
Writing instruments and stationery remain ever popular standbys of merchandise, but that doesn’t mean that they are standing still
Despite our ever more digital lives, it seems many of us can’t quite seem to shake off some of our more analogue habits, not least when it comes to pen and paper.
Take a look at the desk in front of you and the chances are that whatever piece of tech you favour – PC, laptop, tablet, or phone – it is supplemented with more traditional tools such as a notebook and pens.
Scribbling our thoughts, taking notes on a conversation, compiling to do lists, or simply doodling, remain activities that are second nature to many of us and can aid productivity and creativity.
So, it’s no surprise that writing instruments and stationery remain among the most popular of promotional merchandise items. If an item can be guaranteed a place on the desk of someone you want to influence – be it an employee, customer, or supplier – then a branded version of it is an ongoing reminder of your organisation.
Best sellers
According to Statista, the UK spent £1.2bn on ball point pens in 2022, and although it is a mature market, it continues to grow.
Promotional pens are a relatively low-cost item that are pretty much universally acceptable to all demographics and age groups. They can be easily branded and come in a variety of styles and price points meaning that there is something for all campaigns. They can be left behind after meetings, handed out at events, or even sent cost-effectively through the post. For more valued customers there is also the option of going for more expensive writing instruments as gifts or a reminder of a particularly valuable business deal.
In these days of environmental concern, writing instruments are also being produced that offer a more sustainable choice for the growing number of customers with a serious ESG remit. Pens are now available that are recyclable, made with recycled materials, and last longer so fewer are needed.
Take a note
The UK is also a buoyant market for notebooks – the biggest in Europe according to research by the Dutch trade association, CBI, which found the UK accounted for 23% of European notebook imports, followed by Germany (19%), France (12%), and the Netherlands (11%). Together, these countries accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total European notebook imports.
Trends that are driving notebook growth include a post-pandemic focus on wellness that has seen many individuals adopting a more considered and offline lifestyle that has seen the growth of reflection and a desire for more ‘me time’.
Notebooks are also increasingly seen as gifting options rather than simply utilitarian school or office supplies. Well-designed and stylish products have a higher perceived value that make them great for reward and recognition of employees, suppliers and customers. Growing options for personalisation, such as embossing and digital printing, has also changed the perception of notebooks, especially among millennials, some of whom are turning back to paper-based communications.
With plenty of life in pen and paper yet, Product Media takes a look at some of what the market offers.
Pen trends
Promotional pens continue to be a powerful marketing tool, evolving to meet the demands of an increasingly conscious and discerning market. Tancia Group, trading as The Pen Warehouse and Snap Products, notes significant shifts in customer preferences and industry standards.
One major trend is the move towards environmentally conscious materials and production processes. It is estimated that 130 billion ballpoints are produced every year, and according to the UN, nine million plastic pens end up as landfill annually.
End-users are prioritising pens made from GRS (Global Recycling Standard) materials, which align with the growing emphasis on sustainable practices and a broader commitment to responsible consumption and production.
Tancia recently released several more sustainable pens, including the Astra-i Ballpen and the award-winning Second Life Ballpen which features recycled materials.
In terms of functionality, Tancia has spotted a noticeable demand for pens with longer writing refills, which aligns with the desire for products that offer greater value and longevity. The company is adding longer-life refills to its range, such as the Electra Ballpen.
On the printing front, direct digital print is rapidly replacing traditional pad printing. This method allows for vibrant, full-colour digital wrapping, offering unmatched customisation options and higher quality finishes. It caters to businesses looking for visually striking promotional items that can capture their brand essence more effectively. The entire barrel of the Contour Wrap Ballpen can be covered in full colour print.
In the Mood 
Tancia’s best-selling A5 Mood Notebook with soft feel PU cover, contains 160 pages of lined 80gsm FSC certified paper and is available in a wide range of 23 colours. It features an elastic closure, ribbon bookmark and expandable back pocket, and is available with the choice of nine different printing methods.
The customisable range of Full Colour Genie Notebooks are available in a variety of sizes, corner designs, and stitching finishes to personalise the notebook’s spine. Each notebook features 80 pages of FSC certified paper.
Rainbow warrior
In the world of writing instruments, there are few as iconic as the BIC 4 Colours ballpen. BIC is bringing this classic to life with a trendy twist by introducing the BIC 4 Colours Pastel, providing a contemporary take on this timeless writing instrument.
By fusing the nostalgia of classic design with the vitality of contemporary aesthetics, BIC claims to have combined functionality and style.
Launched in April the 4 Colours Pastel pens are available in three trendy colours: yellow, purple, and light blue.
Another 4-in-1 option is the BIC 4 Colours Rainbow Décor, a vibrant addition to the promotional toolkit with a captivating rainbow-inspired design. Sustainability is built in with a new clip design featuring a 13% reduction in plastic.
Conceptually, Rainbow Decor encourages businesses to embrace diversity and inject vibrancy into their promotional strategies. Enhanced customisation can be added by imprinting your logo or message on the white upper part of the pen.
As well as pens, which include the iconic 70-year old Cristal ballpoint, BIC’s product range includes the digital Rocketbook notebook, while a partnership with Moleskine brings it range of notebooks and journals to market.
Juniper Wellness Journal
A new product entrant into the stationery sector launched last year in the shape of Juniper’s Wellness Journal. It has proved a popular choice for brands, says managing director Andrew Langley.
“What people are liking is that it combines a really sustainable story, of UK manufacturing using recycled materials, allied to the fantastic ability to build your own colour scheme, while at the same time providing brands with a product that is helpful and informative for staff, but also demonstrates that as a company they take mental health awareness seriously,” he says.
Juniper has had positive feedback from its distributors about how it has enabled them to sell merchandise into the HR departments of brands, opening up new sales channels for the future.
The success of the original award-winning wellness journal has led to Juniper offering a student journal/planner which has also been very well received.
“The market here is for corporates who run student programmes either as gap year interns, with a parting gift or where they are sponsoring students, or increasingly where they are offering workplace degree apprenticeships allied to a degree course,” says Langley.
Back in leather
Juniper notes the first reversal in trends for real leather sales, with enquiries and orders rising. Langley puts this down to people realising that leather is a byproduct of the meat industry and it is better to use this high quality, long-lasting resource, than send it to landfill.
“It is the original upcycling. All our leathers are from sources that are not associated with deforestation, and many of the arguments put forward about the environmental impact of leather are spurious and very open to challenge,” says Langley.
When considering the impact of meat and leather on CO2, it is important to factor in both products, as well as fast growing grass pasture contributing to CO2 absorption, he says.
Sustainable writer
Pens are complex technologies, but the new DS11 ball point from Prodir boils the writing instrument down to only two parts. The mechanism requires no separate spring or components, but is organically a part of the casing – a clever, closed system.
With two generous print areas on the clip and body, Prodir promotes the DS11 as a pen for straightforward brand messages that get right to the point. It comes in 10 standard colours and is made with 100% recycled ABS plastic in black or white, and 50% recycled ABS in all other colours.
Its 10 standard colours include the 2024 colour of the year, Red Earth, and are available from 500 units. Special colours are available from upwards of 10,000 units.
The pen’s sustainability is further enhanced when paired with Prodir’s unique Floating Ball lead free refill with a stainless-steel writing tip with a low-pollutant ink which contains no substances classified by REACH as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC).
Hexagonal classic
Another Prodir addition is the QS50 Stone which it describes as an innovatively sustainable take on the hexagonal shape of a pencil. Made from a special material enriched with minerals, the QS50 has 60% less plastic and 50% more weight, a difference that adds to the value perception, claims Prodir.
In addition to the new design, QS Stone is the first to feature a refreshed palette of 10 metal- and mineral-inspired colours, including Sideral blue, Lazulite blue, Jade green, Rose quartz, Red jasper, Gold, White dolomite, Black carbon, Silver, and Graphite.
Produced 100% in Switzerland in accordance with the country’s strict environmental regulations, the pen can help brands make greater sustainability a credible part of their brand message.
Personalisation options include satin-finish metal clips, colour-contrasted clip holders, stylish metal push buttons, and a low-polluting writing system.
Sweet success from Senator
Also flying the flag for the environment is Senator, whose new Melbi ballpoint pen claims a new approach to sustainability in three key ways.
The chunky pen is made from production residues of other Senator bio products. It also uses bio-based plastic waste from sugar cane, and is resource-conserving as no additional raw materials are added.
In addition, the Melbi pen also boasts climate-neutral production in Senator’s own factory in Germany, which is powered by CO2 neutral green energy. The location of the production cuts down on the transportation carbon footprint. Senator pens also feature a free replacement refill, easily ordered online.
Furthermore, the Melbi is versatile. It can be worn on lanyards for easy access, making it ideal for schools, events, and the medical industry. Primarily available in black, Melbi can be Pantone matched for quantities over 10,000. It is also available in a presentation case which can be branded.
Rapid response
As the licensees for Pierre Cardin in the UK and Ireland, Tancia supplies the Lafleur ballpen. This premium pen is crafted from aluminium and finished with specially formulated enamels, making it ideal for both personal and corporate use.
The Lafleur stands out with a selection of 13 corporate colours and a large print area that is perfect for spot colour printing or laser engraving. It is available with a minimum order quantity of 250 units and as a stock item boasts rapid lead times of three working days.
Another item with quick lead times is the value-priced Blue Ink Contour Range. This selection boasts an extensive colour range, with various print methods making them perfect for corporate environments, promotional events, or personal use.
Standard lead time is only 3-5 days, with 24-hour and 48-hour express service options at an additional charge.
Ocean warrior
Pencom’s Recycool ball pen is an attractive push action ball pen made from 100% ethically sourced recycled materials, with a traceable footprint. For every two pens purchased, an entire plastic bottle is prevented from entering the ocean.
The Recycool is produced in Europe to maintain a lower carbon footprint. Imprinted with ‘Made with Social Plastic’ on the upper barrel of the pen, opposite the clip, this product also includes a European jumbo refill that has a writing length of 2,500m.
Sister company, Laltex, offers a GRS-certified stationery set. This 5-piece eco stationery set housed in a 200gsm recycled paper box includes a 15cm poplar wooden ruler, recycled paper and PLA plastic ball pen, wooden pencil, white eraser and wooden sharpener. Available with black trim and natural box. Colour can vary due to it being a natural product.
You can round out the offering with an A5 recycled version of the best-selling Mole notebook from Bags HQ.
Every component of the notebook is made from recycled materials, making a significant contribution to reducing waste. The book comes with 80 sheets, PU coloured cover, pen loop, back pocket, ribbon bookmark and elastic closure. The back pocket provides extra storage for loose papers, business cards, or small notes. This notebook can be customised with a logo or design, making it a powerful promotional item for a business, event, or occasion, showcasing a commitment to sustainability while creating a lasting impression on recipients.
Stationery stars
Pens and notepads featured strongly among the BPMA product award winners.
Senator picked up the Platinum award in the Writing Instruments category for its Evoxx Duo recycled push ball pen with 100% visible parts. The recycled material comes from things like car parts, office furniture, shopping trolleys to produce a matt opaque barrel with a durable magic flow G2 refill.
Gold went to Tancia’s Oriel Wheatstraw ballpen, another product which showed innovative thinking on sustainability. BIC’s Super Clip Origin, which won Silver, uses non-petroleum based plastics in production.
Goldstar claimed Gold as an Innovative Product winner for its Reborn recycled aluminium pen, an elegant, durable metal pen. Its sleek, modern design features a recycled aluminium body, accented by a renewable bamboo plunger, gunmetal stainless-steel clip and clear RPET recycled plastic contour. This click-action pen features a fine 0.7 mm ball and a high-capacity refill with a writing distance of 1,800 meters, for a premium, enduring writing experience. This pen features a recycled symbol on the barrel, opposite the clip, to highlight its innovative recycled aluminium body.
Platinum in the Stationery products of the year category went to Adco for its Geo², Eco², and Root² books.
The Geo² book is made from recycled card cover with 50 sheets of stone paper. Eco² also has a recycled card cover and 75 sheets of recycled paper, while Root² features sustainably sourced paper. All notebooks are made in the UK in a carbon zero factory.
Gold was won by Castelli Milano 1938 for its innovative Appeel ‘Ortisei’ notebook which offers high-quality textured subtly grained eco-leather paper notebooks, produced through a patented and pioneering technique from apple peel and selected vegetable fibres. Made in Italy, the books consist of 192 beautiful FSC-certified ivory tinted apple-coloured pages with ruled lines and crafted rounded corners for an elegant look.
