Personalized Accessories Named Counselor’s 2025 Product of the Year

TREVOSE, PA – December 23, 2025

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Sticker, Pin and Labubu-Style Charm Trends Explode

ESP+ search data reveals soaring demand for small customizable items

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The Advertising Specialty Institute^® (ASI), the leading authority in the $26.6 billion promotional products industry, today announced that personalized accessories – from custom stickers and patches to collectible Labubu-inspired keychains – are Counselor’s 2025 Product of the Year. Fueled by social media, the “cute factor” aesthetic and a cultural shift toward hyper-personal expression, these accessories are transforming small items into standout brand experiences and reshaping the promotional products landscape.

Step into a college classroom, airport line or trade show and the pattern is clear: water bottles stacked with stickers, backpacks adorned with pins and patches, laptop cases showcasing personality and keychains swinging from every zipper. This wave of small customizable accessories has moved far beyond Gen Z, resonating with professionals, business travelers and event attendees alike. Brands are taking note, tapping items that may be bite-sized but deliver strong emotional connection and visibility. ASI research shows the personalization trend is only gaining momentum.

For more on the Product of the Year, read the ASI news story by Data Analytics Editor Hannah Rosenberger.

ESP+ Searches Highlight Surging Demand

Fresh data from the ASI ESP+ platform – the sales and marketing hub distributors rely on to search, quote and order promo products – shows growing interest in personalization-ready products.

Searches for “custom stickers” climbed 40% year over year, “straw topper” rose 34% and “pins” increased 13%. Google Trends mirrors this pattern, with consumer searches for “stickers,” “pins,” “patches” and “keychain” reaching new highs in the past 12 months.

Distributors visiting the ESP+ home page now see a pop-up, “2025 Counselor’s Product of the Year,” highlighting five clickable collections that lead directly to pins, patches and other personalized accessories. The surge in searches shows these items aren’t just trending – they’re becoming a key way for brands to connect with recipients on a personal level.

Research such as the IKEA effect reinforces this: Recipients value items more when they’ve played a role in designing them – whether choosing patches during a live customization experience or adding a Labubu‑style charm to a bag.

“Accessories aren’t add-ons anymore – they’re the star,” said C.J. Mittica, ASI Media editor-in-chief. “They’re fun, photogenic, expressive and incredibly effective at helping brands build emotional connections. When someone puts a sticker on a laptop or a charm on a backpack, they’re telling the world who they are and what matters to them. That’s powerful branding.”

Counselor’s reporting shows the trend appearing everywhere: straw toppers from HPG (asi/61966), customizable sticker sheets from StickerYou (asi/89791), experiential event patches from Sock101 (asi/88071) and collectible Labubu‑inspired LaSnooBu plushes from Brilliant (asi/146116). Small personalized touches are proving they can deliver big engagement – and lasting impact.

For more info on promo product trends, industry data and original research, contact C.J. Mittica at [email protected], check out the online ASI news page or subscribe to Counselor PromoGram.

About ASI

The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI^®, asicentral.com) serves a network of 25,000 suppliers, distributors and decorators in the $26.6 billion promotional products industry. The company’s flagship product, the technology platform ESP^®, manages the industry’s entire supply and marketing chain. ASI also produces award-winning digital and print content, live events and educational programs that enable companies in 48 countries to be more efficient, productive and profitable. The ASI media and research team delivers trusted, business-critical data, insights and news, while the ASI Learning Network offers members dynamic, on-demand education, from industry fundamentals to advanced tools like AI and ESP+. The company, family-owned since 1962, is proud to have been consistently ranked among the “Best Places to Work” in Philadelphia and Bucks County, PA.