Did you see the Golden Globe Awards the other night? It was the 67th year, but the first that the star-studded ceremony had seen a host for 15 years.

An unlikely choice of host was Briton’s own Ricky Gervais, who had the nerve racking honour of keeping banter levels high. His targets included Sir Paul McCartney, Angelina Jolie, Steve Carrell, TV network NBC and the Hollywood smart set in general.

My favourite line of the night was: “Looking at all the faces here makes me remember all the great work that’s been done this year by cosmetic surgeons,” he joked.

He went down a lot easier then fellow Brit, Russell Brand, who the American public did not warm to, after his attempt at hosting the MTV Music Awards. The Associated Press called Gervais “cheeky, silly and funny as heck” for his gentle jabs at the Hollywood A List.

If your organisation is handing out awards of its own, then going to a quality supplier like Gift Selection will ensure you can find exactly what you’re looking for. Personalised awards can look really impressive, if done in the right way, while a great choice of styles and materials are available.

If for example your business had links with the travel and tourism industry, handing out crystal globe awards would send out a real smart corporate image. Maybe you don’t have the same budget as the Golden Globes, but Gift Selection can still accommodate those on a lesser budget too.

Rather than a large crystal award, a smartly engraved crystal tumbler or even a paperweight would do the job nicely also. Remember, if you have any questions at all about engraved crystal, contact the friendly team over at Gift Selection.

One of the most popular promotional products are branded ceramics, something that the people at The Mugstore are experts on. However they have recently added a new range of printed glassware on their site, with the bar and café market specifically in mind.

Having branded glassware will add that something extra to the presentation of customers drinks, and to the feel of the business as a whole. The Mugstore can offer any branded glass you could think off, but this affordable range has been specifically added due to their great value for money.

My personal favourites are the cooler range, not because there the most flash – but they are the most professional. Having your own branded small cooler glasses, is sure to impress and will make that whiskey on rocks taste even sweeter, or go for the tall version if you’re more inclined to a Long Island Ice Tea.

The heavier V series glasses are certainly striking, and certainly make an interesting product range for the promotions industry. Funnily enough these personalised glasses, also double up for eating deserts out of! The V Series glass in particular is absolutely perfect for nibbling a Tiramisu out of! The standard cooler range is great for bars and restaurants, while the top end branded Biconic range of branded glassware could even be used a gift set for any number of organisations looking to reward their customers, clients or staff.

It goes without saying that their quality promotional glassware is decorated to the highest standards to make your logo and message really stand out for all the right reasons.

 The latest mover and shaker in the world of promotions is Carlsberg, who are about to embark on a whopping £7m marketing campaign for San Miguael. This will be the first campaign since Carlsberg took over all marketing responsibilities from the brand last year.

It all kicks off on the 9th of May with TV ads, which will run alongside outdoor, print and cinema activity. There will also be some “experimental” activity going on at train stations…

The lager is promoting itself along the line of “Not a quick beer”, with the aim of marketing itself alongside world or luxury beers. With the typically Spanish idea of making sure you balance work and other time, always being kept in mind. Rather then a fuel that’s thrown down the neck of football hooligans, before marching onto the terraces.

New packaging will also play a part, with a new can and bottle label design. A new promotional glass will also be produced, to further the premium feel of the brand. The new look is based on the brand’s appearance in continental Europe, where shall we say there is a more gentlemanly attitude towards drinking.

The drinks industry has understandably voiced their concern over the Scottish government’s proposal to take further action to try to curb their all encompassing drinking culture.

The government is proposing a minimum price per unit, as well new restrictions on using promotional incentives and point of sale materials. As GMTV this morning pointed out; “pubs were literally on their knees”, I’m not sure about that,  but times are no doubt tough for the pub trade. Is this the end for promotional products linked with Scottish drinks industry? Will we be seeing the last of an engraved whiskey tumbler or a promotional coaster?!

Promotional products have always been popular with the the drinks industry. Regular readers will remember back to the 3rd of December, when Guiness invested £3millions in a range of promotional items and incentives.

David Poley, head of the Portman Group which was set up by the drinks industry to promote sensible drinking, said the Scottish government was ‘not listening to reason’. I have to agree with David’s point of the plans will punish sensible drinkers, and not educating alcoholics or binge drinkers. Despite my criticism of the proposal it should be stated that Scotland is said to have a £2.25 billion alcohol misuse problem, which obviously needs to be addressed.

Thankfully there are no plans for the English government to follow suit.

For any self respecting Scott, Saturday night was one of the biggest nights of the year (like they need an excuse to party). Burns night is something of an institution over the border, with everyone getting merry and taking the opportunity to celebrate the life and work of their national Bard.  Having (more than) a few drams of Scottish malt whisky and wolfing down haggis, neeps and tatties certainly sounds like a good night in to me.

 Personally I can take or leave the piping precessions that lead up to the real business of all the eating and drinking. A burns night wouldn’t be a Burns night without the famous reading of his words before any eating can begin; “Some hae meat and canna eat,and some wad eat that want it, but we hae meat and we can eat, and sae the Lord be thankit”

For those hosting the event, the night offers some real opportunities for promotional products. A stylish touch I think would be having your own whiskey tumblers or shot glasses made with your business logo on. Cheeers!