Picture it: Sicily…okay, not really Sicily, but instead picture a catalog image of a mug on a white background. Oh! Or a tote bag on a white background. OR, my personal favorite, a pen on a white background.
I get it. Those shots are safe, and they’re necessary. They show buyers exactly what the product is. What they don’t show is who it’s for, or why anyone would want it.
I think about mugs a lot. Not in a “which mug will help me achieve world domination” way, but more like “which mug is setting the mood for today?” Am I feeling festive? Are any of these even clean? Have I hit peak decision fatigue at 7am, where I just need caffeine in my body and I don’t care what it’s in? What I’m never thinking is, “I wonder what this would look like floating in a white void.” Nobody experiences a mug that way. So why do we keep showing them like that?
Here’s why it matters beyond looks. When every product is photographed the same way, every product starts to feel the same. And when things feel interchangeable, buyers compare the only thing left: price. Boring visuals don’t just cost you style points. They push you in a race to the bottom.
I’ve seen this from both sides. I started my career in promotional products back in 2007, spent years in marketing and graphic design, and now I photograph business leaders and brands for a living. These days, when I plan a photo shoot with a client, we talk through everything that will end up in the frame: the background, the wardrobe, the props, all the little details. None of it is random, because every piece either supports the story the brand is telling or works against it.
Merch deserves the same treatment. Sticking with our mug example: sure, put it on a desk, but then get a little weird with it. Show a stack of them crammed into a cupboard, a little haphazard, the way real kitchens actually look. Show one filled with pens and pencils on a desk, or with a plant in it near a window. These are moments people recognize, and recognition is what makes someone picture that product in their own life. (Styling and lighting all play into this too, but that’s a conversation for another month.)
That’s what this column is about. Each month I’ll pick one habit the promo industry leans on and reframe it, because how your products look is part of your marketing strategy, not an afterthought.
So why does your merch look boring? Because it doesn’t have a personality yet. Let’s give it one!
LET'S CONNECT | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN
Anthony Romano started his creative career in promotional products in 2007. He then moved through social media management and art direction in the entertainment industry, followed by a role as marketing director for a photography lighting company. Combining his graphic design background with his marketing and photography knowledge, he launched Anthony Romano Creative, a Nashville-based photography and creative direction studio, in 2021. In this column, he makes the case that your brand's visuals should be a marketing strategy, not an afterthought.