Branded Beanies Built for Runners

The Brief

Custom winter beanies are one of the most effective cold-weather giveaways, especially when they’re soft, well-fitted, and built to last. That’s exactly what Run Charlotte wanted: something that runners would wear on race day and keep wearing after.

We produced 9,000 acrylic knit beanies, fully customized with their event branding. They were warm, durable, and stylish enough to pass for retail — all while aligning with the brand guidelines of their lead healthcare sponsor. The result was a giveaway that didn’t just tick a box. It made an impression.

The Challenge

The brief was straightforward: create a premium giveaway without stretching the budget. But getting there wasn’t quite so simple.

The beanies had to meet strict sponsor branding requirements, which meant rounds of approvals on colors, embroidery, and placement. There was also a firm deadline to hit.

Fortunately, the client reached out early, giving us enough time to do things properly and avoid rush charges.

Our Solution

We recommended a longer production time and sea shipping to maximize value. That gave us more flexibility to focus on quality without cutting corners.

Visual mockups were worked on in detail with the client to ensure everything met their sponsor’s brand standards. Once approvals were locked, we managed production through to final delivery - no stress, no surprises.

These weren’t just another mass-produced giveaway. The branded marathon beanies were made from soft, stretchable acrylic knit, offering real warmth and comfort, especially useful for early morning race-day conditions.

The embroidery was clean and durable, with colors selected to match both the event branding and sponsor palette. Styles included cuffed and uncuffed options, with full flexibility on color and design.