The Freshest Colors in Custom Swag for 2025

This year, it’s all about color. The trends we’re spotting show that dusty earth tones, or as our merch expert likes to call them, “Utility Pastels,” are going to be everywhere this coming year. 

We like to keep an eye on the industry color announcements and for 2025 they all agree. Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year is Cinnamon Slate 2113-40. Sherwin Williams has created their first ever color capsule. Glidden’s 2025 Color of the Year is Purple Basil (PPG1046-7). And Pantone did a great rundown of what was trending at NY Fashion Week this fall. Of course, we can’t forget Pantone’s own color of the year Mocha Mousse. This year, almost everyone presented their usual color of the year but augmented it with a full color palette. We thought that was a pretty good idea.

So, this year, we’re trying something new. 

For the first time ever, we’re presenting our own Color of the Year. 

The best part is, every single one of them is available in our catalog. All you have to do is click through, add your logo, and you will soon be giving out fun, fresh custom swag to everyone, and because it’s on trend, you can be sure they’ll love it.

Meet Custom Ink’s 2025 Color of the Year: Mauve-lous

This marvelous mauve is soft, warm, and elegant evoking coziness and quiet luxury all at once. It’s a hue we haven’t seen in a while, and that’s a good thing. It makes even the most classic cut feel brand new.

This is our Bella + Canvas Women’s Drop Shoulder Cropped Crewneck and the Bella + Canvas Ultra Soft Drop Shoulder Pullover Hoodie. Both come in Mauve… and a wonderful Rust color which is part of the full color palette we developed with you in mind.

Presenting our full 2025 Palette: Utility Pastels 

When you pair a trending color with popular promotional products and swag items, you’re guaranteed to get something that stands out. Comfort Colors, Bella + Canvas, and Brumate are all over these colors, but they aren’t the only ones with surprises up their sleeves. We’ve combed our catalog for the best products in these colors to set your swag up right. Check out all the products in our full color collection.

We also offer a variety of quality printing methods, along with Pantone (PMS) color matching, so you can be sure that your logo will show up right on brand.

In the rest of our 2025 roundup, we also cover trends in wellness, sustainability, and corporate gifts.

PRODUCTS FROM OUR 2025 COLOR PALETTE: UTILITY PASTELS

TRENDS IN BUSINESS

Corporate Gifts

Wellness

Trending Promotional Products

Longer Lasting Uniforms

Sustainable Products

Current Conference Swag Trends

TRENDS IN EDUCATION

Popular Youth Swag Trends

Popular Swag Items for Faculty and Staff

Products from Our 2025 Color Palette: Utility Pastels

We’ve picked one product per color to spark some ideas for you.

Vintage Brown

Port & Company Cuff Beanie – brown

Me Espresso

Comfort Colors 100% Cotton T-shirt – espresso

Rust

recycled Cotton Twill Tote Bag – red

Mauve-lous

Bella + Canvas Ultra Soft Zip Hoodie –  vintage brown, lilac, mauve

Lavender Haze

BruMate Laser Engraved 40 oz. Fashion Colors Era Tumbler with Straw

 – lilac dusk

We’ve gathered more products in our palette in our online color collection. Read on for specialized product suggestions along with new ideas for the best custom swag for all of your needs.

TRENDS IN BUSINESS

Corporate Gifts

Showing appreciation for your employees never goes out of style. We recently conducted a survey of more than 1,000 workers to see how frequent company swag gifts impact their desire to stay at a company. Spoiler alert: it impacts it a lot. In fact, the study showed that “employees overwhelmingly said swag would increase their retention, with 93% saying they would be more likely to stay with their employer for another year if they received the right piece of swag.”

Learn more about how regular company gifting can impact retention and employee satisfaction by reading our full Swag Survey.

Wellness Gifts For the New Year

So now that you know you need to send employee swag more often, you might be looking for some season-specific ideas. How about supporting your team’s new year’s resolutions with the custom wellness swag that gets attention and makes the strongest connections. Your people will love it, and that has a big impact.

Large Colored Canvas Pouch with Colored Zipper – Lavender/Purple

Staying organized with a travel pouch can reduce stress and make traveling so much easier.

Comfort Colors Lightweight Fleece Closed Bottom Sweatpants – espresso  

Bella + Canvas Ultra Soft Pullover Hoodie – vintage brown, heather red, heather mauve, lilac

Hanes Perfect‑T Recycled Tri‑Blend T‑shirt – mauve, poppy red heather

LAT Women’s Lightweight Boxy T-shirt – mauve

Bella + Canvas Jersey Tank – mauve

LAT Women’s Lightweight Fine Jersey Tank – mauve

Soft sweats, tees, and tanks are perfect for the gym or for staying comfortable working from home. The hoodie comes in almost every color of or palette. Plus Bella + Canvas and Comfort Colors both use eco-responsible manufacturing processes.

Takeya Laser Engraved 24 oz. Actives Stainless Steel Flip Straw Water Bottle – lilac

Staying hydrated is the ultimate in self care and a must for runs, walks, and workouts.

And you know what they say, having a pet is great for your health! If your crew is into animals, throw in Doggie Skins Lightweight Pet Tank – mauvelous. Twinning with your pet? What’s healthier than that?

Trending Promotional Products​

If you’re here looking for popular promotional products, you’re in luck. This year is all about taking trusted classics and putting a new spin on them with fresh colors. You’ll give them something they can really use, but it’ll be sure to be just different enough to stand out.

Pens and Notebooks

Medium Hard Cover Notebook – purple

Harriton Utility Spinner Stylus Pen (black ink) – duck brown

Tech Tools

Laser Engraved TerraTone Recycled Wireless Bluetooth Headphones – white/brown

Laser Engraved TerraTone Recycled Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds – white/brown

Full Color TerraTone 5,000 mAh Wireless Power Bank – white/brown

Bags

Liberty Bags Small Duffel Bag – brown – sustainable

Port Authority Durable Side Pocket Poly Canvas Tote Bag – Hyacinth

Drinkware

Laser Engraved 17 oz. Chelsea Ceramic Reactive Glaze Mug – pink

Takeya Laser Engraved 24 oz. Actives Stainless Steel Flip Straw Water Bottle – lilac

Stanley Laser Engraved 40 oz. Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumbler – lilac

Longer Lasting Uniforms

The new year is always a great time to refresh your team’s uniforms. Polos with your logo from brands that go the distance will ensure that your team will stay looking like the pros they are throughout the year.

Even better, our Nike Dri-FIT Micro Pique Performance Polo 2.0 and Nike Women’s Dri-FIT Micro Pique Performance Polo 2.0 both come in lilac and a few other soft colors that are right in line with our color trends.

Speaking of color trends, this trusty polo Eddie Bauer Performance Polo – Red Rhubarb comes in a version of our Rust color. 

We also love this crisp button up and cozy quarter zip, also in Rust: Port Authority Long Sleeve Easy Care Shirt – Red / Light Stone, Vineyard Vines Sankaty Logo Quarter Zip Sweatshirt – collegiate red, collegiate purple.

Here are a few more of our faves:

Storm Creek Artisan Quilted Shirt Jacket – olive drab brown

Storm Creek Women’s Artisan Quilted Shirt Jacket – olive drab brown

Port Authority Snapback Trucker Hat – Rectangle Patch – Sublimated – woodland brown

Sustainable Products

We’ve reported on this trend for years and it’s still relevant: people care about the environment. 

In fact, we conducted a survey that shows exactly how much people like receiving sustainable products. Read our Sustainable Gifts Survey to find out more.

We even have a whole category dedicated to sustainable products in our catalog, so you can be certain that you’ll find something for to please everyone in your group.

Here are a few of our environmentally-friendly faves that fit our color palette:

Comfort Colors Lightweight Crewneck Sweatshirt – neon violet, espresso, crimson 

Wave Recycled Insulated Outdoor Blanket – brown

Large Recycled Poly Zippered Tote Bag – lavender

Current Conference Swag Trends

If you get the right conference swag, you can be sure to stand out on the trade show floor. Offering custom swag that’s eye-catching and useful will draw people to your booth, not just from passing by, but also by word-of-mouth. You want the “what booth gave you THAT” to happen as much as possible to get your brand out into the world.

Leaning into the current color trends can ensure that people will notice your display right away. 

Here are some popular swag items in our colors guaranteed to turn some heads:

recycled Cotton Twill Tote Bag – red (This one gets bonus points for being sustainable!)

EcoScribe Soft Cover Spiral Notebook with Snap Closure – brown (So does this!)

37″ Arc Telescopic Folding Travel Umbrella with EVA Case – purple

Laser Engraved 15 oz. Anaphora Ceramic Two-Tone Mug – red

TRENDS IN EDUCATION

Popular Youth Swag Trends

Covered from top to bottom and toting the best accessories, kids will love these products with their school or mascot.

We have more than 700 unique licenses with colleges and universities and have all the bases covered when it comes to mascots.

Port & Company Cuff Beanie – brown

Comfort Colors 100% Cotton T-shirt – espresso

Bella + Canvas Ultra Soft Zip Hoodie –  vintage brown, lilac, mauve

Comfort Colors Lightweight Fleece Closed Bottom Sweatpants – espresso 

LAT Women’s Lightweight Boxy T-shirt – mauve

Bella + Canvas Jersey Tank – mauve

LAT Women’s Lightweight Fine Jersey Tank – mauve

BruMate Laser Engraved 40 oz. Fashion Colors Era Tumbler with Straw

 – lilac dusk

Large Recycled Poly Zippered Tote Bag – lavender

Popular Swag Items for Faculty and Staff

And don’t forget to hook up the teachers, coaches, and administrators with uniforms and accessories to enhance school pride and make the day go just a little easier.

Mauve-lous

Bella + Canvas Ultra Soft Zip Hoodie –  vintage brown, lilac, mauve

Hanes Perfect‑T Recycled Tri‑Blend T‑shirt – mauve, poppy red heather

LAT Women’s Lightweight Boxy T-shirt – mauve

Lavender Haze

Nike Dri-FIT Micro Pique Performance Polo 2.0 – lilac

Nike Women’s Dri-FIT Micro Pique Performance Polo 2.0 – lilac 

Rust

Eddie Bauer Performance Polo – Red Rhubarb

Port Authority Long Sleeve Easy Care Shirt – Red / Light Stone

Vineyard Vines Sankaty Logo Quarter Zip Sweatshirt – collegiate red, collegiate purple

Me Espresso

EcoScribe Soft Cover Spiral Notebook with Snap Closure – brown

Harriton Utility Spinner Stylus Pen (black ink) – duck brown

Storm Creek Artisan Quilted Shirt Jacket – olive drab brown

Storm Creek Women’s Artisan Quilted Shirt Jacket – olive drab brown

As we step into 2025, the key to standing out is embracing fresh, thoughtful, and trend-savvy swag that speaks to the spirit of the times. With Utility Pastels, sustainability, and personalized corporate gifts leading the charge, you can build connections that last—whether it’s with your team, clients, or event attendees. From attention-getting conference swag to quality uniforms, there’s a perfect fit for everyone, and our curated catalog ensures you stay ahead of the curve. Ready to make your mark? Dive into our 2025 lineup today and create custom swag that turns heads and sparks conversations. With our quality decoration methods, color matching capabilities, convenient order and delivery options, and satisfaction guarantee, you can launch your 2025 with us confident in your gear for the year.