Promotional items are merchandise given away free of charge to the public in an effort to promote a business or increase interest in, or sales of, a product or service. Promotional items are also used in politics to promote candidates and causes. Promotional items are also used by schools and other organizations, often as a part of fund raising and awareness-raising campaigns.

Examples of promotional items include logo-branded umbrellas, t-shirts, caps, key chains, bumper stickers, pens, badges and other novelty items.

Logo umbrellas provide the largest imprint area of any promotional item. In addition, umbrellas have eight panels on which a logo or promotional message can be imprinted.

A prominent example of a logo umbrella is a pink umbrella imprinted with the icon used to promote cancer awareness and raise funds to support cancer survivorship programs and research.

Umbrellas come in a variety of sizes and colors on which organizations imprint their logo and message to promote and advertise their business profession or event. Suppliers who offer promotional umbrellas normally include a one color, one panel imprint in the cost of the product. At additional cost, additional colors and panels can be imprinted.

An umbrella imprinted with a logo or promotional message is a walking billboard and is highly visible to onlookers.