Custom Wristbands Have Become A Fundraising Standard Worldwide

Custom wristbands have been fashionable for nearly a decade. Since the introduction of the classic yellow silicone bracelet imprinted with the word Livestrong, they have become iconic symbols of charitable causes worldwide. Since 2004, they have raised millions of dollars for everything from cancer research to earthquake relief.



Even after years of exposure, custom wristbands are still powerful fundraising and awareness-creating tools. Witness the sales of singer Lady Gaga’s "We Pray For Japan" wristbands. Selling for $5 each, they raised $250,000 in just 48 hours.



The key the success of custom wristbands as fundraising items is their extraordinarily low production cost. They can be mass produced for pennies, and sold at a relatively low price, making them affordable to just about anyone who wants one. Because custom wristbands cost so little to make, the per-unit profit margin is very high and adds up quickly to a significant contribution to the desired cause.



People also appreciate custom wristbands because they are looking for ways to support causes they consider important. Buying custom wristbands and wearing them is an easy way for people to support environmental issues, disaster relief efforts, medical research or other things they care about.



Some self-righteous types argue that such efforts are nothing more than "slacktivism," something that makes people feel good without doing much for the cause they claim to support. It’s an easy argument to make, but on the other hand, it’s impossible to deny $250,000 raised for Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims within 48 hours through the sale of custom wristbands. That amount of cash, raised that quickly, can’t be called insignificant in anyone’s book.



The detractors are right in one respect. Buying custom wristbands doesn’t do much individually. But collectively, the amount adds up. And many people are simply unable to do more.



Elementary school students, for example, don’t have a whole lot of disposable income. Yet they, and their parents, want to reach out to others when a catastrophe occurs. Witness the school district in Ohio that raised $5,000 last year for Haiti earthquake relief efforts.



The students did what they could and it added up. In addition to a wristband, they got the feeling that helping others was a good thing. That’s likely to be reflected in contributions far greater than just custom wristbands in later years.



Several styles of custom wristbands are available. The most popular is the classic debossed style, identical to the iconic Livestrong band. The text is molded into the silicone material of the custom wristbands.



Embossed custom wristbands raise the lettering above the wristband surface, the opposite of the debossed bands. These wristbands draw more attention to the text.



Debossed painted custom wristbands fill in the lettering with colored ink. These custom wristbands have a bright, bold message that’s especially eye-catching.



For reproducing corporate logos and trademarks exactly, silk screen printed custom wristbands are the solution. These have the message printed directly onto the flat surface of the silicone bands. These custom wristbands feature a bright look and showcase logos and text with a photo-quality image. However, because the message isn’t imprinted into the silicone, these will be less durable than other wristband styles.