A groundbreaking new study shows that promotional products don’t just leave a lasting impression — they leave a smaller carbon footprint than many other major advertising channels.
According to recent research commissioned by the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), and European partners, promo items such as branded merch can deliver meaningful brand engagement with a significantly lower carbon impact compared to traditional and digital advertising.
🍃 Promo vs. Other Advertising: What the Data Says
It might seem intuitive that digital advertising — with no physical products — would have the smallest environmental impact. But the study found the opposite.
🔹 Carbon impact per memorized impression — a measure that combines how memorable an ad is with the carbon it produces — is eight times smaller for promotional products than for digital advertising.
That’s a remarkable result, especially for marketers and sustainability-minded brands who are balancing visibility with environmental responsibility.
🧠 Why Promo Items Perform So Well
A few factors help explain these surprising findings:
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Longevity matters. A promo item like a branded tote or mug is often used for years, spreading its carbon cost over thousands of impressions.
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Meaningful recall. People tend to remember physical items better than fleeting digital ads, increasing the value of each impression.
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Hidden digital costs. Digital platforms rely on data centers, cloud computing, and increasingly AI-powered technologies, all of which contribute to carbon emissions that aren’t always obvious.
As Elizabeth Wimbush, Director of Sustainability and Responsibility at PPAI, notes, “It’s important to be cognizant of the carbon emissions that fly largely under the radar” when it comes to digital advertising.
📊 Promo in Context: Lower Carbon Across the Board
The study compared promo products to five other media channels:
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Out-of-home advertising (e.g., billboards)
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Digital ads (social, display, search)
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TV
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Radio
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Print
Across these measures, promotional products emerged as one of the lowest carbon impact channels per impression and per campaign, often outperforming bigger-budget and more resource-intensive media.
For example:
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Promo was more than twice as efficient as digital advertising when measured by carbon per campaign.
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TV campaigns were about 20 times more carbon-intensive than comparable promotional products campaigns.
🌍 What This Means for Brands
The implications are significant for marketers:
✔️ Sustainable marketing doesn’t have to compromise performance. Promotional items can deliver strong ROI while also keeping carbon output low.
✔️ Brands looking to move toward net-zero marketing may find promo products a powerful tool.
✔️ This study encourages broader data-sharing and deeper industry collaboration to build more complete, actionable carbon data for all media types.
As Drew Holmgreen, President & CEO of PPAI, said, “Branded merchandise delivers strong marketing impact with a significantly lower carbon footprint than other major media channels.”
📌 Source: Promotional Products Association International. “Joint PPAI-ASI Study Finds Promo Among the Lowest Carbon Impact Advertising Channels,” published Feb. 4, 2026.
Contact Red Canoe Promotions Denver today for targeted, carbon neutral swag, hand selected to create memorable experiences for your brand.
