PPAI has recently announced the 2025 Pyramid Award winners, and BAMKO is proud to announce that we have been honored with five PPAI Pyramid Awards for 2025! These wins are a testament to the hard work, dedication, and ingenuity of the entire BAMKO team, and reflect our unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the promotional products industry.
At BAMKO, we believe in fostering a culture of success. It’s not just about hitting targets; it’s about empowering our sales team to reach their full potential and consistently exceed expectations. We provide our entire organization with the tools, resources, and support they need to develop groundbreaking campaigns that deliver exceptional results for our clients. And when those campaigns achieve greatness, we’re committed to showcasing their achievements to the world.
Ready to be inspired? Explore the unique challenges, creative solutions, and impactful results that earned these five projects top honors. We’ll hear from the sales reps behind these campaigns, gaining insights into their strategies, and the collaborative spirit that drives success at BAMKO.
MetLife: Best Social Responsibility Programs
MetLife partnered with BAMKO and sales rep Dan Lunoe to create a sustainable employee gift with a powerful social impact. By gifting RIPL water bottles, they provided over 11 years of employment for plastic collectors in Bali, preventing millions of plastic bottles from polluting the ocean. BAMKO further enhanced the program by planting a tree for every bottle gifted, resulting in over 4,000 trees being planted.
The selection of the RIPL bottle helped MetLife show their employees they were invested in something bigger than just a holiday present. Employees responded enthusiastically, with redemption rates exceeding expectations. This proved that aligning corporate gifting with social responsibility isn’t just good for the planet, it’s good for employee engagement and brand perception. The program is a shining example of how businesses can create meaningful connections with their employees while contributing to a better world.
This initiative resonated deeply with employees, resulting in high redemption rates and demonstrating the power of aligning corporate gifting with social responsibility. The program’s success in driving both environmental and social good earned it the Silver PPAI Pyramid Award.
“MetLife is an incredibly environmentally conscious client. We knew we had to deliver something truly special that would resonate with their team and make a real difference,” said Lunoe. “We were trying to change the story from ‘what gift will we give our employees’ to ‘what impact can we make with our employees.’ The RIPL bottle was the perfect solution that allowed us to combine a high-quality, useful item while making a powerful and resounding impact.”
Learn more about the MetLife X RIPL campaign by reading the full customer story.
Intuitive Buildable Robots: Employee Incentive & Recognition Programs
BAMKO, Director of Key Accounts Stephanie Wheeler, and Account Manager Evan Williamson helped Intuitive Surgical, a medical robotics company, boost employee engagement with a unique incentive: buildable replicas of their own surgical robots. 1 These intricate toy brick models allowed employees to connect with their work on a personal level and share their passion with loved ones. 
The overwhelmingly positive response, including rapid sell-outs and increased brand pride, highlighted the power of creative, out-of-the-box thinking in employee recognition programs. This success earned BAMKO the Silver PPAI Pyramid Award for its innovative approach to fostering employee engagement and brand advocacy.
“The most important thing to the client was to offer something out-of-the-box. Employees were genuinely thrilled to build these intricate models and share that experience with their colleagues and families,” said Williamson. “It created a tangible connection between their work and their personal lives, and a deeper sense of pride in what they do. The project’s success was so resounding that we’ve already produced a second iteration, featuring a different medical robot. We’re excited to see this project – and individual collections – start to grow!”
Learn more about Intuitive’s employee merch by reading the full customer story.
John Deere Boot Jacks: Tradeshow/Exhibit Traffic Programs
John Deere’s “Boot Jacks” project, spearheaded by Ben Turry, snagged the silver PPAI Pyramid award for tradeshow giveaways by cleverly targeting their audience’s specific needs.
Understanding that ranch owners attending the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Annual Convention would appreciate a practical and durable gift, they opted for custom-branded boot jacks. This unconventional choice, sourced through BAMKO’s extensive network, proved to be a winner.
The boot jacks provided genuine utility and reinforced John Deere’s brand image of quality and practicality. By offering a memorable and useful item, John Deere successfully engaged their target audience, fostered brand recognition, and stood out amidst the usual tradeshow clutter.
“We didn’t just want another generic giveaway for John Deere; we wanted something that would resonate with those ranch owners on a practical level,” said Turry. “That’s why we went the extra mile and sourced these incredibly durable and useful boot jacks. Seeing the attendees’ faces light up when they realized how handy this tool was – that’s the kind of impact that elevates a brand and makes a lasting impression at a tradeshow.”
TQL Holiday Gift: Sales Incentive Programs
TQL’s “Holiday Gift” campaign, orchestrated by Andrea Mosley, clinched the silver PPAI Pyramid award for Sales Incentive Programs by recognizing the power of a thoughtful and functional gift. Instead of generic holiday tokens, TQL opted for custom dry erase boards, drop-shipping a remarkable 28,500 units to employees, carriers, and customers. This strategic choice yielded overwhelmingly positive results.
By providing a tool that enhanced productivity and daily organization, TQL ensured their brand remained top-of-mind, transforming a simple holiday gesture into a lasting and impactful engagement strategy.
“This campaign was a true testament to the power of appreciation! We wanted to go beyond the typical holiday gift and give TQL’s employees, carriers, and customers something they’d use and appreciate,” said Mosley. “The custom dry-erase boards were a huge hit! Coordinating the drop shipment of almost 30,000 units was a massive undertaking, but seeing the overwhelmingly positive response made it all worthwhile. This project proved that a functional and thoughtful gift can truly boost morale, strengthen relationships, and keep a brand top-of-mind.”
Award-Winning Consumer Program Showcases BAMKO’s Creativity
We also took home a silver Pyramid award in the consumer programs category for a project, which we cannot detail here, led by Andrea Mosely. This award-winning campaign demonstrates BAMKO’s ability to go above and beyond typical branded merchandise to deliver truly unique and memorable promotional experiences.
“BAMKO’s special talent is finding the perfect product and infusing it with creativity and humor,” said Mosely. “The key to this project’s success was identifying an unexpected yet relevant product and adding a creative twist. This win reinforces the power of out-of-the-box promotional products to generate excitement and build lasting connections with consumers.”
A Celebration of Creativity and Impact
This year’s PPAI Pyramid Award wins are a testament to BAMKO’s commitment to creativity, innovation, and client success. From sustainable gifts that make a real-world impact to employee incentives that foster brand pride, these campaigns showcase the power of promotional products to engage audiences and drive results.
By pushing boundaries and thinking outside the box, BAMKO consistently delivers exceptional experiences that elevate brands and leave a lasting impression.
Congratulations to our entire team on this well-deserved recognition.
