What is a Promotional Mug?

That may seem like an obvious question. Mugs are everywhere! But when it comes right down to it, just what exactly are they?

A mug is a type of cup designed for drinking hot beverages and usually featuring a single handle. The earliest mugs were made from clay, with the central body formed on a potter's wheel, and the handle added before the whole thing was fired in a kiln. Archaeologists are not sure exactly when people first came up with the mug, but early examples have been shown to be six to seven thousand years old. The humble mug is older than the Pyramids or the Great Wall!

The History of Customised Mugs

Early mugs were difficult to use, due to the thickness of their clay walls. Metal mugs and, later, porcelain mugs made for easier drinking. Nowadays, we make mugs from a wide variety of material, and in a huge variety of shapes and sizes. Ceramic, plastic, porcelain, bone china, steel and copper are all used to make different sorts of mugs. From delicate porcelain teacups to robust steel travel mugs, to that reliable old standby, the 250ml glazed ceramic coffee mug, you can find people the world over drinking out of mugs.

The usefulness, versatility and ubiquity of mugs are what make them such excellent vehicles for branding. A logo or other branded artwork on the surface of a mug will be seen by the mug's owner, their family, coworkers and guests. In the case of travel mugs and vacuum flasks, your brand will be going out into the world every day. They're the giveaway that's hard to turn down -- after all, can you ever have too many mugs?