Nearly 5 years at Motivators and it all comes down to this: my very last TV blog. Some of you who read the Motivators Company blog may know that today marks my last day in the world of promotional products.It's hard to boil 5 years worth of promotions down to one single blog, but I'm going to try, because there have been alot of promotional items that I've loved over the years. Not surprisingly enough, most of them have been TV related. So without further adieu, here are my Top 5 TV related promotional items.

5. NCIS The Music T-Shirt

 
 Ahh, NCIS, the show that I once loved beyond any other in the history of ever. Things have changed, but this promotional t-shirt holds a special place in my heart. How could I forget the  time I went and entered the NCIS the Music Contest to try and win a set tour? I actually made it in to the final 10 and everybody here thought I had it on lockdown. Sadly, I didn't win the grand prize but this promotional t-shirt was my consolation prize. As a plus, it did dry my tears quite nicely as I wept thinking about losing the possibility of meeting Sean Murray.

4. New Kids on the Block Live on the Today Show Button

A few years ago, when rumors began swirling that New Kids on the Block were staging a reunion, I went out of my mind. Seriously, I lost it. I stalked the official website as clues began popping up that it was real. And when they announced the comeback, and they said that their first performance would be on the Today Show, I knew I had to be there. I took the day off from Motivators, hopped on a train at 3AM and got myself to the plaza. Through a combination of right place, right time and maybe a little bit of lying, I ended up in the VIP pit & received this awesome promotional button to wear for when the camera panned the crowd. While I am totally proud of my NKOTB obsession, I will admit that being filmed up close & then being quoted in Rolling Stone magazine was kind of embarassing but totally worth it.

3. How I Met Your Mother's Talking Barney Stinson Bobble Head

 
My very first twitter contest allowed me the opportunity to take this bad boy home for myself. While Barney's been through the trenches (he was actually broken when he was sent to me, and after sitting in my box o'crap he now bobbles exclusively like one of the Night at the Roxbury Guys) he's still legen-wait for it and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is dary. In fact, yesterday I was feeling a little depressed and I accidentally kicked my now bag of less crap that I'm taking home. Hearing my bobble head say "I've done so much good today I've got like a soul boner" may have been totally office inappropriate but damn if it didn't make me smile.

2. Glee Press Pass

 
It was a typical Thursday when I realized that the cast of Glee was going to be just a few minutes away from our office. An opportunity to see Mark Salling and Corey Monteith could not be passed up. Fellow Gleek Anthony & I quickly held a brainstorming session about how we could relate promotional products to this appearance to justify our leaving when we hit the jackpot: promotional hand sanitizers. Surely the cast would appreciate these useful items since they'd be shaking hands all day. We headed to the mall, offered the event coordinator the items and went about filming our video. Not surprising that we ended up with these custom Glee press passes after we managed to get 400 fans to sing along to Don't Stop Believin. Even better, the Motivators custom hand sanitizer made it's way to several other Glee album signings and has been photographed next to the stars. It's even memorialized in Glee: The Unofficial Guide.

1. Bones 100th Episode Mints

 
 Nothing will surpass my love for Bones and you all can see that from my blogs here. I've certainly used the Motivators TV blog as a little escape when my days get too hectic. I just come over here and blog about all the awesome Bones related promotional products that I've found. So when Michael Ausiello proudly tweeted this picture of these custom mints he received along with the 100th episode screener, I tweeted back that I hated him and wanted his job. The next day at 7am, I got a text from a source that shall remain nameless that simply read "I have something you want." Cryptic, but I had a feeling I knew what it was. "Is it what Ausiello tweeted?" I asked. "Yes" the source replied. That night, these two items came into my possession. I watched the 100th episode absolutely spoiler free and then just kept my mouth shut for a while. Sadly, the day before the episode aired a major spoiler was leaked which prompted me to change my plan for my 100th blog. Instead of writing an awesome review, I wrote a plea to the fans to avoid the spoilers. Knowing how much I love spoilers, it was a hard thing for me to write, but it went over well! As far as the mints, I actually know the manufacturer and I know that keeping them in that beaker is keeping them fresh. Perhaps I'll pop a few on my first day at the new job.

Well, now that thats out of the way, I do have some people to thank...

• To all the TV Journalists (especially @MarisaRoffman) who always made sure to Twitpic all the awesome swag they got at events because it gave me plenty of blog material.
• To all the marketing execs for choosing such promotional items to give out as swag because it gave me plenty of blog material.
• To Hart Hanson (@HartHanson), who happily retweeted my blogs thus boosting both my traffic and my ego. It's been a pleasure blogging about your promotional products, even if I was just admiring them from afar. (Also, it's worthwhile to just say thank you for Bones)
• To all the hardcore TV fans who retweeted my blogs. It means so much to me that you guys enjoyed my take on things enough to share them.
• To Anthony Zuaro (@MotivatorsTV) for demonstrating true fandom and still being my friend no matter how much I disliked Lost. Thanks for having such awesome taste in shows like Glee & Community. You will forever be the Itchy to my Scratchy. I will still bug you on Twitter.
• To Adam Brown for loving cake and treats as much as you do. Also, for your wonderful take on all things TV related. And for your astute vision and concern about how words look on Twitter backgrounds.

So that's it for me...I'm out but I promise I won't stop watching. Damn it, now's the time I wish I had some sort of sign off phrase. I guess I'll just go with shamelessly promoting my own agenda & saying WATCH BONES! Bye guys!
 

In just a few short weeks, the season premieres will be upon us and fans are excited as ever to see their favorites return. Of course, networks are more than happy to remind the critics that the shows are returning and what better way to placate journalists than with swag? Of course, here at Motivators we know that the best giveaways are the ones that are useful, but critics on Twitter seem to be scratching their heads concerning the latest promo from House.

And Fancast's Matt Mitovich added an equally important question. The answer to which is "Anything is customizable."

Of course, the cane seemed to be a hit with TV Guide's Robyn Ross & apparently, it couldn't have come at a better time.

She even tweeted a picture of it!

Also on the TV swag promo front from Fox, Animation Domination pint glasses. Hit Fix's Daniel Fienberg quipped about the warning label that came on the glasses...

Trivia Time: Any glassware that's being shipped to California has to labeled with a Proposition 65 Compliance label. The Proposition 65 ballot initiative states that any mugs being shipped into California be free of chemicals deemed harmful by the government. Basically, if you see that sticker you're drinking from safe promotional drinkware, which Fienberg learned after some smart, promo savvy people gave him the heads up that it was a law. ;)

A little education, a little swag-talkin...all in a day's work at Motivators. And to the tweeps that are reading this, be sure to Follow these primo TV gurus. In addition to knowing and loving swag, they've also got the dish on your favorite shows!

Follow Friday

@HitFixDaniel

@MattMitovich

@RobynRossTVG

@televisionary

There was many a shocker at the 62nd Annual Emmy awards. Some were pleasant like Jane Lynch taking the much deserved Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy statue, and Modern Family taking Best Comedy. Some were not so pleasant, like Lost being completely shut out but there was one highlight of the evening that stood out above everything else. It's true that the opening of a show can either hook you and reel you in or serve as the prerequiste for channel surfing. I can safely say that last night's Emmy opening ensured that the only time I picked up my remote during it was to crank the volume.

Centered around the most hyped show of the evening Glee, Jimmy Fallon brought with him a killer performance of Springsteen's Born to Run and some friends. 30 Rock's Tina Fey, Mad Men's John Hamm, and Lost's Jorge Garcia all joined the mock Glee club. Even Joel McHale, whose show has openly cracked jokes at Glee (his character one mourned the loss of a girlfriend by criticizing her taste in TV shows. "She made me watch Glee! I just don't get the appeal!") joined in on the fun. And yes, Jane Lynch & her infamous track suit did make an appearance, as did Kate Gosselin & her infamous Dancing with the Stars costume. Also note to any TV producers anywhere: anytime you need to ensure something is a win, add Betty White saying the words "Back that mother up."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPkDFPmRSqU

My fellow nerds,

Consider this an open letter to all the sci-fi nerds, comic geeks, and TV lovers who will not be attending "that thing out in San Diego." This week marks a sad week for us my friends. It is the week when the "c" word starts infiltrating our Twitter streams, RSS updates and blog posts. I am, of course talking about Comic Con. I, like many of you, will not be attending.

It's not for lack of trying, though. The amount of times that I've pitched the Comic Con experience under the guise of "content research" to the powers that be here at Motivators is innumerable, but the conversation seemingly ends up going something like this:

Me: It's a valuable opportunity to check out what great TV related promotional products are out there. What are shows doing to reach out to their fans? What's hot in terms of TV merch this year? This is completely work related.
Boss: Will that guy from Bones be there?
Me: Yes.
Boss: No.

Apparently, no matter how many awesome custom tote bags, custom room keys, custom water bottles and other things will be given out at "that thing in San Diego" the powers that be are content with letting me sit in my corner and blog about what everyone else is getting (including close to David Boreanaz.) Unrelated sidenote: my iPod just started playing Never Gonna Give You Up. I think it sensed I was on the verge of tears and is trying to cheer me up, but I digress.

So my fellow nerds, I implore you to remember something this week. As you sit on the couch in your mom's basement or at your desk with one of your dual monitors dedicated to your comic-con twitter list remember that there are journalists out there doing their damndest to get the best scoop for you. Without folks like Michael Ausiello, Marisa Roffman, Alan Sepinwall, the teams at Give Me My Remote, Zap2It, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, Fancast and more, we wouldn't have half the scoop we're going to be getting.

Sure, we'd have the attendees regular updates and with the fabulous invention of that stalking service known as Twitter, this information as easy to follow as ever. But, the journalists have learned the art of what I like to call "twit-scooping." They can get primo scoop in 140 characters.

Even better, they have that wonderful little press pass, which gives them up close and personal access to your favorite celebs and showrunners. One word: twit-pics! They'll go ask some ballsy questions trying to get scoop...and they're doing it all for you.

For you, the guy on the couch in your mom's basement.

For you, the guy trying to stealthily hide the fact that underneath that three piece suit, you are a giant dweeb.

For you, the blogger who could be writing about all the swag that you're getting because it actually does relate to your job but your bosses are too busy being concerned with the fact that you could be a "liability" if you're in the same room as David Boreanaz. (Ok, that's mostly me and I'm mostly kidding.)

Seriously though, before we all attack them with more questions and use them as our venting/griping/whining/complaining/sounding boards let's say one big giant Thank You to every journalist that will be walking amongst guys dressed as Wookies just for the scoop on our favorite shows. May you all live long and prosper.

And just remember, every tweet that gets sent you to that says "I hate you!" really means I love you. Now if you'll all excuse me, I've got to get back to weeping in my corner.

Yes, I did it again. I read a spoiler. What else is new? I mean, seriously. For as many times as I say that I can quit and go cold turkey, if I hear of a spoiler and I immediately flock to it like the salmon of Capistrano. Even yesterday, I told Dan when my birthday surprise was going to be. Sure, he tried to play it off that the boss really did need to see us to discuss product descriptions but I know better. (Props to 3 of my team members for shoving themselves behind a cubicle though) But back to the spoiler...I'll give you guys a chance to not be ruined.

 Turn back now if you don't want a Bones spoiler....

 
I mean it...now's your only chance....

 
Alright fine...you asked for it...

 
According to TV Guide, when Bones returns in the fall Seeley Booth will not return alone. He'll come back with a *gasp* girlfriend! A journalist who "embedded herself with his unit in Afghanistan." So those pterodactyl-like shrieks that you heard last night were the Bones fans reading and absorbing the news. Although, I feel like I already knew this. There were hints of this around the time of the season finale, but the details of who the gf actually was were null. Now we know and I find myself thinking that there's several reasons why this isn't a bad thing. In fact, there are 10 of them and you can read them below.

10. Journalists have gotten a new pick up line courtesy of that spoiler. "I'm a journalist. May I embed myself with your unit?" (Courtesy of @stamos on Twitter!) PS: So using this during Fleet Week. Do Navy guys even have Units? You know what? I don't care.

9. Because Hart Hanson doesn't get yelled at nearly enough on Twitter from the Booth/Brennan fans and it'll feed his masochistic side.

8. New nicknames! With the arrival of Dr. Bryar we were graced with some good ones. I'd offer some suggestions, but since I don't know her name I can't think of any goodies & I did always want to coin an awesome fan-based nickname...oh! What about the rewhoreter? Kinda like reporter...no? Well it's still early. I've got time.

7. The possibility of Booth getting some on a regular basis means the possibility of a drastic increase of shirtless DB scenes. Surely, we can forgive little grievances if they result in a drastic decrease of apparel on one Seeley Booth.

6. Longing looks from her. Does anyone do heart crushed better than Emily Deschanel? Though the spoiler does say that she'll encourage this atrocity, I still expect to see some Emmy-worthy scenes from her.

5. Longing looks from him. The only one who might do heart crushed better than the fabulous Ms. D is the Boreanaz. That man could emote a page in phone book with the right look and convince us that we really need the services of an overpriced injury attorney.

4. With the recent heat waves across the country, people are being advised to stay inside. You can enjoy air conditioning by making voodoo dolls! Poke, poke, poke...

3. Shirtless DB scenes. Yes, I know I said it before, but it warrants mentioning again.

2. See numbers 3 & 7.

1. Because it has to happen.

For as much as we all want Booth & Brennan together, and for as many people that scream that putting them together wouldn't be the end of the show, there's too high a possibility that it could be. Plus, think of all the great storylines we'll be getting with this one. Booth feeling tortured that he can't be with Brennan, thinking he made a mistake. Booth trying to move on and failing. Brennan feeling heart crushed that she missed her moment. Brennan finally opening her eyes to the possibility of a life without Booth. Here in the world of web writing, we have a saying "Content is King." Basically you can have the prettiest, shiniest little website but without some meat on its bones, it's useless. Bones is better than that. So lets all trust @HartHanson and @squarechicken to lead us down the right path. I think that all Bones fans know deep in their hearts that everything happens eventually. So let's just trek down that path to eventually and have some fun in the meantime.

My plan for Saturday was set in stone: a mimosa and my hammock, except it got blown to all hell when I realized that my remote actually worked. After a few simple clicks, I landed on My Life on the D List. I've seen Kathy Griffin many times before, but never actually invested the time for a marathon. So my mimosa and my tanning (rather lobstering) was briefly put aside as I watched Kathy decide to destroy her house with no plan and was briefly concerned her mother might have had a heart attack when she found out she ripped out the bar. Up next La Griffin went topless to be airbrush tanned at a Kiddie Pagent and then she headed to Alaska to chill with her soulmate Levi Johnston (yes, Bristol Palin's baby daddy). Kathy's life on the D list was a hilarious train ride to wreckville and I couldn't look away...until I flipped a channel and found the Kardashians.

I've got one gripe with the full family show: why don't they bring Bruce anywhere? As Kris recounted to him the story of a drunken Scott shoving a hundred dollar bill down a waiter's throat, he casually repled "You're lucky I wasn't there. I would have punched Scott right in the face." And the ratings would have sky rocketed. Speaking of Scott, he's like the Spencer Pratt of their lives but better because he's a parent. I don't think I've laughed harder than when he walked in on the sisters trying to administer a butter remedy to a home bikini wax burn. He simply stood there holding his son, observing the situation taking place atop his kitchen counter top and offered one simple thought:

"This is normal?"

It's so not and that's what makes it so awesome. Whether it's Gordon Ramsay screaming at a poor chef over scallops, Kathy Griffin taking make-up tips from a 7 year old (she needs 100 glitter, please) or Khloe Kardashian telling her brother-in-law that he's a sociopath with murder in his eyes, I love knowing that the "normal" lives of these people make me seem...well, normal.

On this, Canada Day, I feel that I have to say thanks to our great Northern neighbor for all the wonderful gifts she's bestowed upon us. Sure, the general sterotypes allow us to think that all Canadians do is drink beer while watching hockey and end every comment with the word, Eh but that's not true. They're aboot so much more than that. (That one wrote itself, I swear.) The truth of the matter is that you may not know some of that some of the greatest influences in Hollywood are from the Great White North. Let's take a look at some of the best Canadians in the TV industry.

 Alex Trebek: On SNL, Will Ferrell deadpanned as the Jeopardy host, putting up with jabs from Sean Connery calling him a Canadian ponce, but we're willing to wager that the TV game show industry wouldn't be the same without this Ontario native.

 Jim Carrey: If anyone ever doubts that Canadians are funny, just look to Ontario's own James Eugene Carrey. Whether he's wearing a tutu while shouting football plays in Ace Ventura or letting the world know the importance of fire prevention as Fire Marshall Bill on In Living Color, he gives his country a great sense of humor.

 Eugene Levy: Another hilarious Canadian hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, where would we be without Jim's Dad's awkward speeches to his son in American Pie? In addition to comedy, Levy also served as an acclaimed writer on such titles as For Your Consideration and Best in Show.

 Hart Hanson: The writer and showrunner of Bones holds his MFA from the University of British Columbia proving that Canada only produces intelligent and witty success stories. In addition to serving as a consulting producer on Joan of Arcadia, he's also held the title of Executive Producer on the hit Judging Amy and enjoys Sunday morning coffee with fellow Canadian Dave Thomas.

  Alanis Morissette: Best known for her music, Ottawa native Morrisette has delved into acting with guest roles on hits such as House and Weeds. While her single You Outta Know (written about fellow Canadian Dave Coulier) serves as the ultimate angry female anthem, she's found happiness with another Canadian: Ryan Renolds.

Just think of how different life would be without these wonderful individuals. So cheers to you Canada, on this wonderful Canada Day! Don't ever thing that we here at Motivators don't appreciate you and all your wonderful contributions to society. Oh, and we're sorry about perpetuating the stereotype with this hat:

On June 1st, 2010 a few lucky Trubies (that's the ultimately hip nickname for fans of HBO's hit vampire drama True Blood) were treated to a very special evening that left them looking forward to the new season more than Bill looks forward to a glass of True Blood at the end of a hard night. While the event, hosted by Michael Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly, didn't boast the season 3 premiere, it did boast an extended trailer and it certainly didn't leave fans empty handed. In addition to an in-depth panel featuring Alan Ball (executive producer) and cast members Anna Paquin (Sookie), Stephen Moyer (Bill), Alexander Skarsgard (Eric), Sam Trammell (Sam), Ryan Kwanten (Jason), Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica) and Rutina Wesley (Tara), fans got a little something special. No, I'm not talking about exclusive teasers for season 3, although they got them. I'm not talking about the varying discussions of Team Bill vs Team Eric, though I'm sure those abounded.

This is Motivators TV and for as much as we care about TV, we care about something FAR more important: SWAG.

As I stated, Fangbangers (another awesome nickname) didn't leave this event empty handed. They walked out of there boasting promotional drawstring backpacks emblazoned with the True Blood logo and filled with even more True Blood goodness. 3 of the True Blood books, a copy of the True Blood soundtrack, a postcard of the season 3 artwork (Nothing like a Good Cup of Joe) and a sample of Tru Blood, the Blood Orange flavored beverage based on the Tru Blood drink featured in the show. No doubt, Trubies downed those quite quickly. While it seems that the promo drawstring backpacks were exclusive, Trubies can get their hands on everything else featured in the goody bag:

True Blood Soundtrack

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Tru Blood Beverage

In fact, upon checking out the Tru Beverage website, fans can get plenty of ideas for hosting their own True Blood premiere party. The site suggests having a True Blood potluck or BBQ and offers a variety of potential ideas for a fangtastic good time.

Less than five minutes after going off the air, the howls of Bones fans could be heard for miles. The one thing every TV executive wants is to cause a reaction, but in the case of this year's season finale, a finale that may have left as many unanswered questions as it did crushed expectations and WTF faces, one has to wonder if these were the reactions that TPTB were looking for. I'm not ashamed to admit that I sat, gripping my pillow tightly screaming "Kiss her!" at the TV but that's only because no one was home to hear me except for my dogs. And hey, my dogs get me, especially when it comes to Bones.

After all, let's face it…if there were a TV fandom that could be so closely compared to loyal St. Bernards, it's the Bones fans. Before anyone says anything, don't get me wrong. This is not a bad thing, far from it in fact. Hart Hanson once compared us to a pack of cheetahs, and while I tend to agree that yes, we do look fabulous in stripes, I'm going to have to argue with you on this one, Hart. Let's look at some fun comparisons here:

• St. Bernards make excellent watchdogs. Point proven by the ratings of the past 5 years as the show has jumped around the schedule like a puppy that hasn't yet been house broken. Bones fans always found it…and sometimes we got so excited, we piddled. Sorry about the carpet.

• St. Bernards are by definition, working dogs. Note petitions for Emily Deschanel to get an Emmy, Bones to get an iPhone app and any other campaign that has sprouted up over the past 5 years. Polls have been won, articles written, and tweets have been sent as Bones fans "work" to get this show the credibility it deserves.

• St. Bernards are patient. Three words: "everything happens eventually."

• St. Bernards are friendly. Since according to Twitter some of you are thinking of knifing Stephen Nathan, it's probably not the best time for this analogy, but for the most part it's very true. The friendly part, not the knifing. If the knifing thing's true, makes sense as to why he's in Europe.

• St. Bernards tend to drool excessively, especially after eating or drinking. Bones fans tend to drool a lot, especially because of this guy. Right?

In fact, it was Seeley Booth in uniform walking away from his partner of five years that caused the Bones fans to howl as loudly as they did last evening. The desired "payoff" for the 100th episode that was promised, almost seemed like payback at first. After all, saying to the dog, "You want some Prime Rib?" and then giving him Mighty Dog isn't quite the same, especially after he's been patiently gobbling up the delicious scraps that you've dropped under the table for the past 5 seasons.

But if you watched carefully enough, you might have noticed some things that were clearly gourmet…and I'm talking about more than just the Tower of Wings.

• There was that important scene between Brennan and Angela, where Brennan admitted that she's terrified of Booth being killed and it's causing her to question what her partnership with him truly means.
• There was that amazing scene in the park between Brennan and Booth where we once again see how much they've learned from each other. She pleaded for eye-contact while he spoke of evolution.
• There was the heartbreaking end scene where Booth didn't cry, told her to be careful in the jungle and she begged him not to be a hero.

Booth and Brennan are leaving and in one year, they will meet by a coffee cart by the Reflecting Pool on the Mall. And what does a dog do when it's left all by its lonesome?

It howls.

Chances are that howling will continue on throughout the summer as more spoilers come to light before season 6. But the fact of the matter is that for as many times as I've seen people on Twitter or in chat rooms say "I'm done," I've never once seen it come to pass. Every week, the ratings are consistent (growing even) and its those same people who have said that they're done and threatened (lovingly of course) Hart Hanson, that keep coming back.

It's because, just like those gentle giants, we're very loyal creatures. Our bark is much worse than our bite. And may I add:

Woof.

Sometimes it's not all that easy finding the perfect things to write about. For as many great TV and movie promotions as there out there, not all of them deserve to be mentioned. If I blogged about every keychain, flashlight or mug, I'd be here all day. So I've been picky about the things I choose to write about, but this one works well. It's not TV or movie related except for the fact that it was Twit pic'd by one of my favorite actors ever, the adorable Zachary Levi of Chuck.

For as many times as I've sat here blogging about Buy More bags and lanyards and all sorts of other awesome Chuck related promotional products, Zach has finally repaid the favor without even knowing he did so! He's currently in Ital and he snapped taht fabulous picture with the caption: "This cow got stuck in a giant cup of coffee and tried to drink its way out!" I can't ignore the promotional mugs in this picture. Obviously the logo is more prominent on the bigger mug, but it's equally awesome on the mug that cow is holding. Gratzi, Mr. Levi and enjoy the rest of your trip.

Oh, fun fact... the follow-up tweet from him read: But then again, maybe the cow is trying to find the hidden note I left for Chuck fans. Who knows?

Perhaps that hidden note confirms what the twittersphere has been buzzing about for the past couple of days...that Chuck has indeed been booked for season 4! A girl can dream...